What is the normal job offer process?

flea72

4 weeks ago i was offered a job, by telephone. However, i didnt want to hand my notice in until i had something in writing.

well 2 wks passed and i hadnt heard anything, so i rung up their HR dept and they said they dont send confirmation until they have received references back. ok i thought. another week goes by, and still nothing, so i ring again.

This time im told, yes the references are ok and they will be sending me some paperwork (contract?) this week, with a view to me starting work first week of March. well thats 1 week away, and i still havent got anything in writing, and obviously havent handed my notice in with my current employer yet!

Is this the standard way for a company to go about things? i wouldnt even know about the starting date if i hadnt phoned them. it just doesnt seem enought notice for someone to start a new job. they just assumed that their verbal job offer 4wks ago, was enough for me to jack in my current position.

Bearing in mind this job offer is from the local Council, i think things have been really slap happy. usually government offices, are real sticklers for going throught the processes.

anyone know where i stand? the only option i can see is to just walk out of my current position, but im worried that they can withhold this months pay, as i havent worked my notice period. or maybe my new employer can withdraw their offer if i dont started on their proposed date?

Im totally stressed, any ideas on whether they are messing me around, or whether this is normal practise?

Flea

LittleVoice

You were absolutely right not to hand in your notice in response to the job offer which was not worth the paper it wasn't written on! Once you have a firm offer, then you can resign. If you resigned and then the job offer fell through, it would be your word against theirs.

The new employer should respect you for having the sense not to hand in your notice just from a phone call. And they should wait for you to leave your current employment honourably after working your proper notice. (Though you may want to negotiate for an earlier termination.)

What sort of work are you going to do?

cazziebo

First off - I agree totally with Little Voice - do not hand your notice in until you have a firm job offer in writing.

having said that, it's becoming less unusual. Larger organisations, such as public sector, or even more surprisingly two major banks I know, are hopeless at getting job offers out to prospective employees. I think it is just the bureaucracy, with the necessary departments trying to cope with unwieldy processes when they are short handed. There's also a bit of arrogance from major institutions sometimes that people should resign on a verbal offer, but when I worked in recruitment I saw a number of people left high and dry having done exactly that.

I appreciate it's a difficult situation to be in because on the one hand, you need to know the answer,yet on the other you don't want to p*** them off. I would call again, tell them you want to give your current employer the courtesy of a reasonable notice period, so have to have your written offer.

Good luck.