What to do if your job offer is rescinded

One of the sad realities facing people in the current job market is that some employers are rescinding job offers. While options are limited when this happens, how a person responds can help them bounce back. For example, being understanding and discreet can help pave the way to a new position or leave the door open to another role. Also, leaning on your network can help a lot.

By Brandi Fowler

You land the job, sign the contract, and your potential employer rescinds your offer days before your start date. 

If this happened to you, you are not alone. 

Although the leverage in the job market shifted to job seekers in recent months following The Great Reshuffle, “many employers started scrambling to tighten their budgets due to rising inflation, rumblings of a looming recession, and swings in the crypto market” over the past few weeks,  CNBC reported. 

Uber and Meta announced plans to scale back hiring, while other companies, including Victoria’s Secret, Robinhood, 7-Eleven, Peloton, and Carvana, conducted layoffs.

In addition to layoffs and hiring freezes, some companies are extending offers and taking them back, causing job candidates to share their strife on social media. 

“This is a symptom of the market weakening across the board,” career coach Bob McIntosh said. “Fashion is taking a hit both offline and online. We see this in the number of retail stores that are struggling to stay alive. There have also been major layoffs at blue-chip companies like Peloton, Netflix, and Tesla.

“With companies struggling, we should anticipate waning revenue and, in turn, companies realizing they can't afford new hires. It's a brutal strike against job seekers who are struggling to stay above water.”

I chatted with McIntosh, Harper & Gray CEO Ginnette Harvey and career strategy expert Heather Austin to learn more about what to do if your job offer is rescinded. 

The First Step to Take When Your Job Offer Is Rescinded

A slew of emotions can follow a rescinded job offer; before running to social media to discuss the experience, breathe.

“Take some time to grieve,” McIntosh said. “Take a day or two to allow yourself to do nothing. Following your time off, contact any companies that showed interest in you and see where they are in the hiring process. 

“Also contact your network to let them know of your situation. This includes your in-person and LinkedIn networks. They will entirely understand and offer you solace. If you have closed your unemployment benefits, contact your state's UI department and re-open your claim again.”

In addition, try to be as professional as possible when you communicate with the employer who rescinded the offer. 

“In terms of the emotional impact, it is best to not lash out at the employer,” McIntosh said.  “Some industries are small and such action could hurt you.”

Also, ask what led to the rescinded offer.

“Most companies will be upfront about this information,” Austin said. “You want to find out if there was something that you did in the process that you could improve moving forward so it doesn't happen again. If there is an economic condition like we are seeing right now, there is not a lot you can do.”

Inquire about other opportunities within the company after you ask why the offer was rescinded 

“Chances are if they offered you a job in one area, they could potentially offer you a job in another area,” Austin said. 

In addition to taking time to grieve and chat with the employer, take preventative measures during the interview process. Try to ascertain the company's health before signing a contract, like how many people they have hired recently and the stability of the offer, Harvey said.

Harvey also recommended including a clause in your contract around compensation, particularly where it involves relocation. 

“Unfortunately for the vast majority of people, there is absolutely nothing that can be done [once an offer is rescinded,” Harvey said. “But the way that I think about these things is [that] everything is negotiable. So this idea of, ‘I couldn't possibly ask for a clause in my contract about X, Y, and Z, because it's not typical’...you will be surprised by the things people ask for and get in their contract because they are prepared to ask.

“It is more about normalizing to people this is a legitimate concern for you. And if the employer is 1000% confident that they are not going to rescind your offer, then they are going to have no problem putting damages in the contract.”

Posting on Social Media Can Help (or Hurt) Your Bounce Back 

Be careful when posting on social media about your rescinded job offer. 

“The best approach on social media like LinkedIn and even Facebook is to act as though it is another bump in the road,” McIntosh said. “It might be killing you inside, but if you let your anger and disappointment show, it will leave a lasting impression. To show resilience will carry you further with your network than anger. 

“Your acceptance of the situation will not show weakness. Be sure you are in the right frame of mind before you write your post. Verbiage akin to this is what I would suggest: ‘Hello my valued network, unfortunately, I wasn't able to start work at company X. However, I am in good spirits and am sure other great opportunities will arise. As always, please keep your ear to the pavement.’”

Also, there may be a different opportunity at the organization, and a disgruntled post could blow it, Austin said. 

“There might be another offer in that same company that you don't even know about,” Austin said. “And if you go online and post my offer was rescinded, this is so upsetting, they might have had you in mind for another opportunity and now they are not going to extend that offer to you.

“If you report it on social media it is kind of a double-edged sword. It shows, ‘Hey, I'm an amazing candidate and I can get a job.’ Then again, the downside is employers can start throwing out red flags, like, ‘Why was that offer rescinded? Like what happened with you in that?’ So, you have to have your bearings about you. Before you say anything on social media, make sure you understand the entire picture.”

Instead, lead with positivity and talk about what you learned from the process, what you are doing to move forward, and what you think others can learn from your experience. 

“No negative emotions and no bashing the company, hiring manager or recruiters you might be working with,” Austin said.

The Next Steps to Take After Your Job Offer Is Rescinded

Reach out to your former employer or other companies you turned down after your pulled offer. 

“What other irons did you have in the fire?” Harvey said. “It is not too late to go back to your employer that you just resigned from. Sometimes it is pride that can prevent people from doing that. 

“There are a lot of people who have had really positive experiences in being able to go back to their former employer and maybe even look at a different role in the organization. Go back to the other opportunities that you were interviewing with, put something out to your network and be transparent. There is a lot of traction people can get from just sharing openly with their network and asking for help.”

Next, reach out to recruiters specific to your field. 

“[Staffing agencies] can be a quick fix for finding a job that will give you more experience and can help you pad your resume,” McIntosh said. “Many job seekers want full-time employment, but that might not be short in coming. A staffing agency is aware of jobs that you otherwise wouldn't know of. This said, keep your eyes and ears open for full-time employment while working your 3- to 6-month gig. “

Meanwhile, Austin proposed reaching out to your network in a discreet way, too.

“Your network is going to be your number one tool when it comes to job searching,” Austin said. “In a private setting say, ‘Hey. I hope things are going well.’ You could tell them about the recent job offer and then ask them, ‘Do you know of any job opportunities in my industry, or do you know of anyone that you can put me in touch with?’ It is the perfect opportunity to strike up a conversation. 

“I would use that as a conversation starter and network like crazy. LinkedIn is the number one tool I always recommend for networking, but a lot of people forget about their close contacts, like family members, relatives, close friends, people in their community.”

Austin also recommended reevaluating your career portfolio. 

“That includes your resume, your cover letter and your LinkedIn profile,” Austin said. “Make sure that all of those items tell a complete story of who you are as a professional.” 

Then, jump back into the job search as quickly as possible, Austin said. “If you fall down, pick yourself back up, brush off your knees and just keep going.” 

A rescinded job offer can be a major blow, but you can bounce back. Take a moment to grieve. Then network, move back to your job search, and post on social media in an effective way to attract job leads.

What’s your advice for people who had job offers rescinded? Join the conversation.

(This article first appeared on Monday, July 25, 2022 on the Get Ahead by LinkedIn News page. You can read the article, which was written and reported by Brandi Fowler, by clicking here.)

Jamé Jackson, who is a LinkedIn creator manager, has experience building her own successful brand — TheBlondeMisfit — and helping others do the same. She sat down with me on the latest episode of Get Hired with Andrew Seaman to discuss what people from across the workforce can do to build and maintain their personal brands.  Listen to the whole episode below or by clicking here. You can also read the transcript by clicking here.

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Brandi Fowler , who wrote the wonderful piece above about rescinded job offers, will be joined on Friday, July 29 at 11 a.m. ET by Brittany Diego, who is a fashion career coach. They’ll discuss how you can show up for the job you want or as you want. You can RSVP to that chat by clicking here.

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