Frustrated with Delayed Job Start: Can I Complain About the Company's Postponements?

Hi, I have been offered the post of HR Associate by a reputed manufacturing company (I was on third-party payroll), and my joining date was fixed as 1st Aug 11. At the time I was being offered, I was already employed with a firm. Upon getting my joining date, I resigned from my current job. However, after that, they have been postponing my joining date for almost one and a half months. I was sitting at home, doing nothing during that period, waiting for my joining date.

Feeling frustrated, I started looking for other opportunities, and I received another offer. I informed them about this, and at that time, the company recruiter said I could proceed with the new offer. On the other hand, my consultancy recruiter suggested waiting for one more week, assuring me that they would resolve the issue. Today, it's been almost 3 months, and I haven't received any feedback on my joining date. My total experience is 1.7 years.

Seeking Advice on Delayed Joining Date

I want to ask, can we complain about such situations we face? Kindly help me with your valuable suggestions.

Hi Garima, With your 1.7 years of experience, you now have a good understanding of how an organization operates and their approach towards their employees. Upon discovering that this offer has been pending for the last 3 months, I strongly advise you to explore other opportunities. I also suggest not relying on consultancy recruiters who are driven by their monthly targets. Rejecting this offer would result in your consultancy recruiter losing the commission they expect from the hiring company. Understanding this background is crucial.

As most would agree, the first impression is often the last impression. If a company fails to establish trust with you from the start, can you truly envision a long-term commitment with them? Compromising now may lead to further compromises down the line.

Therefore, I sincerely urge you to pursue a better opportunity. Waiting for a call from this company or complaining about them will only waste your time, energy, and patience. Redirect this frustration towards seeking a new opportunity and anticipate a more favorable outcome.

Convince yourself and stay positive: everything that happens in life occurs for a reason. Good luck!

Hello Garima, Anil has given you very loaded and mature advice. Whether one agrees or not with Anil's explanation of the 'why' of the consultancy recruiter's suggestion to you, don't you think you had an option to ignore it, especially given the fact that you are not a fresher and the company recruiter gave you a clear answer to your query?

Just give this aspect a thought: what do you wish to achieve by complaining about the situation—except wasting your time and losing focus from your next career step? Anil's words aptly explain the situation vis-a-vis the company: "if a company cannot build trust in you during the initial engagement."

Just look out for other openings, learning from this experience.

All the best.

Regards, TS

In addition to what has been suggested to you, please be assured that a career is way beyond just one job offer or rejection. As you rise through the levels, you will realize why such slip-ups happen. Right now, use that intelligence to bring about the best change for yourself.

This incident is neither isolated nor a unique event. You will encounter such endless delays and ambiguity in the process as you work through it. This will help you think clearly and speak directly during interviews. You will now be far more sensitive to any hints that come your way.

"One swallow does not make a summer," yet experiences like this make us wiser. You may have noticed a statement in the letter of intent framed as shared below:

"The job offer remains valid if accepted or acknowledged within 15 days from now. In case no information is received within the next 15 days, the job offer stands null and void."

Please include this in your communication when an offer is made and the date of joining is shared. Kindly reply with an end date beyond which you will not join the firm.

The salary negotiation stands on the same ground. If you are clear about your market value and are more inclined towards the take-home pay, please communicate the lowest salary beyond which you will not consider the offer. Similarly, clarity is required regarding the designation and reporting. If possible, ask for a day's schedule at the new job. If you are not receiving answers on reporting structures, focus on a particular area and inquire about whom to contact in case of escalation.

However, please ensure you maintain the highest standard of grace and courtesy. Often, straightforward communication can be misunderstood as audacity and may become the reason for rejection.

Please consider reading this article [Interviewees Questions](http://citeman.com) ([Search on Cite](https://www.citehr.com/results.php?q=Interviewees%20questions) | [Search on Google](https://www.google.com/search?q=Interviewees%20questions))

Regards,
Cite Contribution

Dear Garima, The company had instructed you to proceed with the other offer. Thus, you cannot complain against the company. There is also no use in complaining against your consultancy as they are not the employer you are looking for.

Whenever you receive job offers, it is advisable to seek advice not only from the consultancy but also from everyone you know. However, in the end, you must weigh your options and make a judgment on what is best for you.

If the company has not responded to you for over a month, there is a lower chance that they will close the loop within a week. You may choose to wait, but if it does not mean losing out on other opportunities, it is better to grab the opportunity at hand.

Regards, OJS

Somashekhar, thanks for your suggestion, but I don't have any contact details, either an email address or phone number, through which I can contact the Directors or anybody else.

Hi Anil, Thanks for your valuable suggestion. I agree with whatever you said. But the thing is that the company is a very reputed one, and previously, I was working with a small firm, so I was tempted to grab that opportunity. When the consultancy recruiter assured me to wait, I thought, why not wait for one week more when I have already waited so long! But now I have lost all hopes regarding that offer, and I am looking for a better opportunity.

Regards,

Advice on Handling Job Offer Delays

Anil has given you very loaded and mature advice. Whether one agrees or not with Anil's explanation of the 'why' of the consultancy recruiter's suggestion to you, don't you think you had an option to ignore it, especially given the fact that you are not a fresher and the company recruiter gave you a clear answer to your query? Just give this aspect a thought: what do you wish to achieve by complaining about the situation—except wasting your time and losing focus from your next career step? Anil's words aptly explain the situation vis-a-vis the company: 'if a company cannot build trust in you during the initial engagement.'

Just look out for other openings, learning from this experience. All the best.

Regards, TS

I agree with you, but as I told Anil, I was tempted at that time to grab the offer of a reputed firm, so I didn't ignore her suggestion. But this event definitely gave me a lesson.

Regards, Garima

Hello OJS,

Thanks for your suggestion. I have learned a good lesson from this incident. Now I am more focused on what I should do. Thanks again.

Regards,
Garima

Hi Ojaswini, thanks for your suggestion. I have learned a good lesson from this incident, and I am more focused and clear about what I should do now. Thanks again.

Regards,
Garima

Hello Garima, glad that you have learned the lesson—but a word of caution: take it in a positive way rather than with a feeling of being cheated or taken for a ride (I know it's tough, but that's a much better way). It's only then that the lesson you learned will stand by you later—a part of the experience in life and career.

Comment on Company Size

A comment on your response ["...the company is a very reputed one and previously I was working with a small firm so I was tempted..."] to Anil's remarks. Please note that the size of the company doesn't really matter in such matters or cases. After all, they too are staffed by 'human beings,' and human nature being what it is, such situations can occur irrespective of the size or stature of the organization. Just use the research feature at the top of this page, and you will see how many threads have been posted regarding such issues or situations—some with the company names mentioned.

Handling Disappointment in HR

Another possibility—maybe the consultancy HR person couldn't (or rather didn't want to) see the disappointment on your face by giving the 'bad news'? I have seen this happen quite often—just as we know 'how' to give the good news, it's also important to learn 'how' to give or break the 'bad' news to someone—else maybe you could find yourself in that HR person's place later in your career.

All the Best.
Regards,
TS

I totally agree with the above suggestions and would advise you to understand the "time value." Wasting a single hour in your career may hamper your success in life. Hence, please try to seek other opportunities. Moreover, if you have the caliber and potential, you will get a better chance to work for a more reputed company.

Normally, companies do not opt for such practices as stated. This adversely affects their prestige and market value. There must be a genuine reason for putting you on hold. Tomorrow or later in your career, you might get a bigger opportunity in the same company. At that moment, would you really feel comfortable working with those people against whom you made a complaint? Every employee of the company is bound to work as per company norms, so you really don't know the actual reason for delaying your appointment.

I would suggest you have a positive attitude and treat "NO" as "NEXT OPPORTUNITY." Move further in your life and climb the steps of success.