Is This Job Offer Legit? Concerns About an Unsigned Offer Letter and Missing Details

Dear seniors,

I received an offer letter via email from a third party as I am on a third-party payroll, but the letter was not duly signed and stamped by the authorized person. I have some doubts regarding the offer:
1. They mentioned that the salary breakup will be given after one week of my joining.
2. The exact address of the company wasn't mentioned in the letter.
3. The name of my designation is not clear.

Please provide me with answers as soon as possible as I need to accept it on Monday.

Thanks in advance.

Kavita

Hello,

The right thing to do in such a case is to write back and seek clarification of your doubts. What one would like to know is:

1. Whether the signatory to the offer letter is an employee of the company?
2. Had you met the said person during the course of your interviews?
3. Often good and reputed companies do not reveal the negotiated package in the offer letter but stick to it while issuing the Appointment Letter when the person joins. Is this company known to be this type of company?
4. Had you approached the company through a third party (meaning a placement agency)? Does the signatory to the offer letter belong to the Placement Agency? Usually, Placement Agencies are NOT authorized to issue Offer Letters.

Therefore, you have to be careful. A simple, direct approach to the company proper will, I recommend, be the best approach.

Regards,
Samvedan
September 14, 2008

Dear Samvedan,

Thank you for your reply.

1. Well, I haven't met that person before.
2. Yes, I have approached through a placement agency.
3. The signatory is a process executive of the payroll party. He is not from the placement consultancy.

Actually, this company has started a new department this year, so they recruited around 20 people. I had the interview in a different building. At that time, they didn't tell me where my office would be, and I presumed that would be my office. In fact, even in the offer letter, they didn't mention the address. So, I asked the consultant who informed me that my office would be at a different place in the same city, which was quite shocking.

The payroll party hasn't mentioned the duration of the contract with them, and the contract can be terminated by serving a 15-day notice by any party.

Thanks,
Kavita

Hi Kavita,

Generally, 3rd party consultants hire people on their payrolls and then depute them to one of their various client sites. Since employment may depend on your continuity of service with the client company, they may not have mentioned the duration of the contract. However, all professionally run organizations mention certain clauses in their contracts, e.g., "Your appointment letter is valid only on deputation at the client site during their project duration," etc. In short, you will be on the bench (not paid in certain cases) if you are not deputed at the client site.

It is only fair and your right to know your terms of employment. It is best that you meet the concerned HR contact in this new organization and get your doubts clarified. Your offer letter is not valid without an authorized signature. The terms of the contract are also ambiguous.

Ideally, do not make any payments or sign any bonds if the company insists unless you have weighed the pros and cons.

Also, have clarity on the company you will be working for. There could be a possibility that the client company may be located at a place far from home, and you may end up investing too much time and money in commuting compared to the salary being offered, which is a bad bargain.

Nevertheless, you should try to get a job with a company that follows fair business practices. Today, people accept multiple offers and then decide which company they would like to join. If this is not a do-or-die situation, invest more time in finding a better option in the market.

All the Best!

Regards, Preeti

Hi Preeti,

Thank you so much for your precious suggestion. Now, I will give a call to the person who served me the offer letter.

Hi Kavita,

This is the common problem that most candidates are facing these days when they receive an offer from a reputed organization. These days, companies take a stand not to share this information at the time of the offer to avoid misuse of the offer letter. We also do not share the salary bifurcation and designation part in the offer letter. Instead, we provide a signed offer letter mentioning that their designation and salary would be as per the discussion we had during our meeting or the discussion over the phone, and we stick to that at the time of joining.

However, as there is a third party involved, you need to be careful and very clear about your payroll employer and the client you are going to work for. If you find this opportunity good, you can clarify these doubts. If you are satisfied with the answers, you can proceed; otherwise, you can wait for a better opportunity.

All the best.

Regards,
Surendra

Dear,

Sometimes working on contracts is flexible, and many youngsters prefer it. If they make an offer, you can always seek clarifications, and if found suitable, you can accept it upon verification.

With regards,

E-mail: rajanassociates@eth.net

Is this an offer from another country? There have been similar cases, and then they start asking for all types of fees in dollars. If the source is not known, and the letter is not signed, just forget it. You will get better opportunities in the future.

I would rather prefer you to contact the person and visit the campus. Don't just accept the offer and join the company. Moreover, I was surprised to see that he is going to provide the salary breakdown and other details after one week. I don't know what the motive behind that is.

Friend, go and visit, clear all your doubts, and then join without any confusion in mind. A healthy mind works better than an unhealthy one, so keep rocking. All the best.

Thanks,
Kiran

Hi Kavitha / Surendar,

All practices are generally devised by the HR head. First giving an offer letter and then giving the appointment letter and disclosing the salary breakup is untrustworthy. It leaves a bad impression on the company. It is better to issue the entire comprehensive letter with all details to the candidate.

Many companies follow the method of issuing offer letters in installment basis, which amounts to mockery.

Even if you provide the delayed salary breakup details after a week of joining, any candidate who has decided to leave will do so regardless, whether it be the next day, week, or month. Why fear if you pay the right salary? They will not be tempted to leave.

I am currently heading the HR in Epublishing & Finance BPO in Chennai, and I disclose everything in one letter. I have significantly reduced unnecessary paperwork and duplicated efforts. There are no confidential reasons in offering a job. The market pay standard is clear; there is no need to fear the candidate. It all lies in the hands of the HR and their communication.

The retention rate in our company is very high, with an attrition rate of only around 3 percent annually. Quite unbelievable, right? True. When our company recently went for an IPO, other company CEOs in Mumbai asked my CEO about this achievement. The model I devised is now referred to as the 'Chennai model' by the management in Mumbai.

If a candidate doubts you at the time of receiving the offer letter, nothing can hold them back. Always be clear, transparent, and truthful. The results will pay off.

You can contact me at [IMG]https://www.citehr.com/misc.php?do=email_dev&email=Y2hhbmRydXNlbHZhQH lhaG9vLmNvbQ==[/IMG]

Regards,

Chandru Manager - HR

Hi,

We have openings for various positions in our company. I would like to know how to access resumes from job portals. If there are any free job portals available, please provide me with the information.

With Regards,
A. Selvaraju