How often I can follow-up over verbal job offer

Question

In January 2016, I interviewed with a very large company for which I'd very excited about working. After 3 weeks, they interviewed me again and everything looked good. After another 3 weeks, they called me and told me they preparing the papers and I got the job. Then they got quiet.

After not hearing anything from them for almost 6 weeks, I followed up. They informed me that I will start with them in July, and I should start planning, as this job include relocation back to my home country. However, this was still only a verbal offer without a written job offer.

Ten days ago, I sent an email and called as they previously told me they hoped to finalize the offer last week. I asked when to expect an official job offer and there has been no response to date.

I have another offer in hand, but it is not really something that excites me.

How should I handle this? Should I resign my current position? Should I continue waiting on this position? Should I accept the other offer and move on?

Answer 1

There are a couple of reasons why they respond that way:

1. They are too busy. They want to hire you, but the workload of their normal duties have grown to a point where it is really hard to spare time on your case.

2. They are waiting for an opportunity. In my previous company, we decided we would need to hire a new developer should we be awarded a project. We expected win the project within a week, so we began interviewing candidates. I feel bad for the candidates when we were told the project would be postponed two weeks, since we cannot give them an offer until we sign the contract for the new project, we had to make the candidates wait.

3. There are internal obstacles. For example, the department wishes to hire you, but they need to apply funding from their superiors. The request had not been smooth, but they still wish to keep you around in case they have good news.

Either way, I would have looked elsewhere by this time already if I were you. Life is short! If they take this long to give you an offer, how long do you think it would take them to give you a new computer, fix the printer, or a new desk? Another 6 months? There are some people who just like to delay things, make others wait for them and waste everyone's time (God knows why), sounds like they are one of them.

It also means you are not attractive to them. When I look for a job, I want somebody who is in desperate need of me. It gives me the leverage to negotiate better salary and better offers! You guys still thinking about whether to hire me? Sorry, I've gone somewhere else (-;

Seriously, look somewhere else, and forget them even if they get back to you later!

Answer 2

A verbal offer has no meaning unless it's followed by a written contract shortly afterwards. In your case, the delay has largely expired. They're just wasting your time and playing with you by having you wait for so long.

You have nothing in hand so far and it's very likely that this offer will never became real so I would advise you to take the other offer, even if it's not your dream job.

It already happened me a couple of times in which my manager told me "yeah, we are going to renew your contract" (one time even he gave his word for it), with nothing in writing. To imagine how it ended is left as an exercise to the reader.

Answer 3

A verbal offer is worth the paper it is written on. Move forwards and get on with your career, following up with no reply means that you can't cash in that non existent paper.

So just leave the next step if any to them.