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Disclaimer: Throwaway account, to not alert my current workplace, as well as potential future workplace.

My story started a couple of months ago, and it goes like this:

  1. I see a very interesting job posting and I apply.
  2. Company employed Recruiter contacts me, we set up an interview. It goes well.
  3. Further interview process with multiple potential colleagues and team lead. All goes well.
  4. Follow up talk with Recruiter where I am praised to the skies. I make salary demand.
  5. Recruiter follows up a week later with a verbal offer that improves on my salary demand. Nice!
    • Recruiter says that some legal work needs to be done before they can send me a contract. Recruiter is detailed on the specifics of this and the reasons are plausible.
  6. A couple of weeks goes by with no word so I email Recruiter. I promptly receive a response that a) reassures me that the offer is solid, but b) tells me there is further legal work to be done.
  7. An additional couple of weeks goes by, and a similar exchange happens. This time I am given a time frame for when I will get a contract. The time frame is around two additional weeks.
  8. A few days before the time frame expires I am suddenly contacted by a (hopefully) future Colleague, who wanted to say hi because Colleague has learned that I will be joining the company.
  9. The day after (still before the time frame expires) I email Recruiter to ask whether the time frame is still realistic. No response.
  10. The time frame has expired some days ago now, and I have still not received a response from Recruiter.

To be honest, I am not sure what to make of this. I am really keen on the job, but perhaps that makes me blind to the obvious.

Is there anything I can do to push for a contract? In that case, any suggestions? Perhaps I am overreacting and should be patient? Or has the company lost interest, decided to move on, and left me wondering?

I realize my guess is as good as yours, but I would appreciate viewpoints on my situation.

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    Sounds like this "verbal offer" has been going for more than a month. At this point I wouldn't be too much surprised to find out if the whole hiring process was just to test/expand the budget or some other political play by the hiring manager. At this point it is safe to assume that it didn't work out and move on. Worst could happen is that you would be pleasantly surprised by the written offer if they would produce it. However, do you really want to work in the company where it takes more than a month to produce an offer letter for the position they were hiring?
    – AlexanderM
    Sep 3, 2019 at 16:28

2 Answers 2

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Is there anything I can do to push for a contract? In that case, any suggestions? Perhaps I am overreacting and should be patient? Or has the company lost interest, decided to move on, and left me wondering?

I suggest that (as mentioned in comments by Joe) try giving them a call this time, so you don't have to wait the email 'lag'.

The time frame they gave you expired recently,so perhaps consider waiting at least a week before starting to think things are strange.

I also suggest that you keep your options open and continue pursuing other offers that seem interesting to you, in case this offer does not become a reality (which, IMO, I think it's unlikely that will happen).

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  • Good points, thanks. Regarding your IMO, you mean that you think it is likely that the offer becomes a reality, right (I removed the negations)? Can you point to the parts you base this on?
    – throwaway
    Sep 3, 2019 at 13:03
  • I said that I think it's unlikely that the offer does not become a reality.
    – DarkCygnus
    Sep 3, 2019 at 16:38
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That company could be interviewing a number of people, they haven't decided yet, and they want to keep you available in case they decide that you're it.

From your side, never assume that the decision has been made until after you have a written offer in your hands (email is acceptable).

Until then, keep looking for other jobs, keep interviewing, behave as if they're just one out of many potential employers - because they are.

There is no reason for you to treat them more fairly than they're treating you.

Besides, giving promises and then not fulfilling them is a big red flag. Even if they offer you a job, you can count on them to behave like that in the future, in any other aspect. Effectively... you cannot trust anything they say; and if that is so, will it really be a healthy relationship?

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