Offer Letter Limbo

Recently we concluded the placement of a Senior Sales Representative for a publicly traded company. The role was ripe with potential as the company products were being widely embraced by current and new customers. The recruiting process went smoothly as the candidate progressed through several rounds of face to face interviews with company executives.

At the conclusion of the final interview, our candidate was pulled aside by his prospective boss, the Vice President of Sales. Substantive conversation took place as the candidate and prospective employer agreed upon the terms of a potential offer. The candidate and prospective employer spent approximately 30 minutes discussing in detail the offer terms: base compensation, commission schedule, profit sharing and bonuses, insurance coverage, car allowance, expense account and other related matters. At the end of the conversation, the candidate and the prospective employer shook hands to "seal the deal". The VP of Sales told him that their HR Director would follow up with him in the next "few days" with an "official offer letter".

Four business days later, the candidate called me. I could tell this normally cool and collected sales professional was a bit flustered. He had not heard anything from the company or their respective HR Director. What should he do? Should he call directly? Was that making him look too eager? Was the deal off? Our candidate was now in "Offer Letter Limbo". Offer Letter Limbo occurs when the candidate waits and waits for a company to take the action of creating and sending him a formal offer letter of employment. Jobseekers can avoid Offer Letter Limbo by following a few simple steps:

1. If you do not sense continuity, create it on your own. Smaller and even medium sized companies sometimes suffer from a lack of continuity in the hiring process. After your interview, and especially one like our candidate experienced where an actual verbal offer has been made, be certain to follow up the next day with written communication to the participants. If a verbal offer has been made, be certain to reconfirm the terms and parameters of the offer in writing to the person extending the offer. Make certain that your communication reflects your commitment and desire. Set a specific time period in which you anticipate hearing from them back in writing. Remove any possible obstacles to communicating with you by giving the employer various methods to reach you directly and conveniently.

2. If you have not done so already, open a channel of communication with the HR department. Make an inquiry with your prospective boss as to who will be handling or coordinating the creation of an offer letter. Follow up, preferably via telephone, to reconfirm your interest in working for the company and your anticipation in receiving the formal offer letter. Knowing and understanding that HR is constantly dealing with multiple job candidates for multiple departments, reconfirm your contact information and timeline directly with the HR representative.

3. Never stop your job search. Our candidate was fortunate to experience only a limited delay in receiving his offer letter. As a candidate, you do maintain negotiating leverage against a verbal offer in that you will continue your search and interviews until you surface a complete offer (verbal and written). This leverage can assist you in applying negotiating pressure to get the letter completed and ready for your acceptance if it is properly framed. The employer should assume that as a quality candidate you do have options. These options may materialize faster if they do not act in turning their verbal offer into a formal written offer. Thus, they stand the chance of losing your services.

"Offer Letter Limbo" can be a frustrating place. Careful steps at this critical stage of the interview process will assist you in reaching the finish line.

Executive recruiter William Werksman is a frequent columnist to job boards including http://www.NevadaJobBoard.com addressing both the candidate's and employer's perspective. Werksman's expertise has been featured in business magazines, national newspapers and television news segments. His firm, Resource Partners, is recognized as the leading source of specialized and executive talent in the Casino and Gaming industry. He manages a staff of recruiters out of his firm's Las Vegas, Nevada headquarters. He may be reached at: Bill@CareerInsider.com

---

If Youre Fired, Will Past Employers Keep Your Secret?

Despite what some job seekers think, it is not illegal... Read More

Learning a Foreign Language

Many people love learning languages or would like to learn... Read More

Oil, Lube and Filter Employee Pay

We have been studying the labor rates of Oil, Lube... Read More

Working with Recruiters: 5 Critical Words for Candidates

As professional recruiters working both retained and contingency search assignments,... Read More

The #1 Job Search Mistake To Avoid: Not Preparing Your Mind!

Mental preparation is probably your most important task as you... Read More

What to Do if You are Over 40 and Have Lost Your Job

Unexpectedly loosing your job can be a very traumatic and... Read More

Are You Living Your Career Dreams?

Inherent within the human spirit is a desire for fulfillment,... Read More

Career Change - Emotional Intelligence for Knowledge Workers?

Nowadays we can expect to survive the second half of... Read More

So, Your Made A Mistake

Of course, mistakes are important. Two facts put those you... Read More

How to Work Effectively With Recruiters

"R-E-S-P-E-C-T / find out what it means to me" is... Read More

Closing the Gap on Your Career Goals

If you still picture a steady progression up the ladder... Read More

Identity Theft and Your Online Job Search

While identity theft is nothing new, the Web has opened... Read More

Moving From A Weekend Hobby To Career In The Arts

Building a career as an artist takes hard work. Because... Read More

Career Search from Within

Seeking meaningful and fulfilling work can become a discouraging, confusing... Read More

How To Conduct A Successful Job Search Campaign

1.Define your objective: Know what kind of work you most... Read More

Overcoming the 7 Roadblocks Women with Families Face Making Career Changes

Family is the driving force of our lives. You need... Read More

Hey! - Are You Being Paid What You Are Worth?

Are you being paid what you are worth? Has anybody... Read More

Get In Career Shape

Research suggests that as many as 8 out of 10... Read More

Wanted: A Diva for the Job of a Lifetime!

"When I was a child, I always thought the world... Read More

21st Century Career Success

When it comes to modern career development, one thing we... Read More

What You Cant Ask a Job Candidate is as Important as What You Can Ask

As a human resources professional or business owner, you face... Read More

The Top 10 Ways to Achieve Balance in Your Life

1. Define Success for YourselfClarify and write down what success... Read More

Tips on Finding Employment as a Corporate Flight Attendant

I will not pretend that this is the easiest topic... Read More

Careers-Changing Jobs: The Fantasy of the Ideal Job

Most people would agree that the concept of a job... Read More

Retiring in Paradise

I have to admit that I'm starting to slow down... Read More

The 10-Step Resume Critique

Your resume will generally receive a 15- to 30-second scan... Read More

When the Teacher Becomes the Student

A relationship expert once said that during an argument, there's... Read More

How to Transform a Boring Note Into A Killer Cover Letter - Part II

In Part I, we covered how to grab the reader's... Read More

Resume Software ? The Hidden Pitfalls

Disadvantages of Resume SoftwareFormat A large majority of software requires... Read More

Making Yourself More Relevant To The New Workplace

Being a current job seeker can be quite a challenging... Read More

Finally Revealed: The Top 7 Resume Killers?

During my job search I read dozens of books and... Read More

Create Your Plan B Before the Layoff Axe Falls

In one short week, the axe fell at a number... Read More

Networking Masterclass - Part 2 Practicing Altruism

Practicing Altruism The 'Golden Rule' occurred in the Greek and... Read More