Is IBM Really on a Hiring Freeze? My Offer Letter Is on Hold, and I'm Worried!

I have been selected at IBM, and the HR from IBM emailed me the employment application form. I sent it back after filling it out. They mentioned that they would soon send the offer letter. However, after one week, I did not receive the offer letter. When I contacted them, they informed me that my offer is on hold due to a hiring freeze. Is it true? Is there currently a hiring freeze at IBM? Please help me. Thanks in advance.

Company Policy and Discretion

The matter falls under the company's policy and discretion. A company may have to examine various factors like hiring costs, budget allocation for the job, etc., and may sometimes keep an appointment on hold for some time. Merely filling out an employment form may not confer any right to employment.

Regards,
B. Saikumar
Mumbai

Is there any chance for the offer letter, or will they end it? Is there any hiring freeze at IBM?

Actually, the officials called me and discussed the offer, and both of us accepted it. Then the HR proceeded with the employment application form. Now, they are saying something different.

Wait for another week for them to respond; if they don't, drop this. If an offer has already been made to you, it was almost a closure. They wouldn't keep the procedures open for long. What's the point in brainstorming on the reasons for their silence? If you can land a job offer with IBM, chances are there that you would clear the interview with its competitor, with similar projects. May the best job offer find you!

Thank you, sir. Then, according to your suggestion, I will wait for one week. Within that time, if they don't email the offer letter, then I will drop it. Is it okay? Or after one week, do I have to call HR and ask for the status?

It is very normal, especially in IT industries, for employers to need to reduce current manpower or halt new recruitment due to slow cash flow and market conditions. So, don't worry, be patient, and keep an eye out for better opportunities in the meantime. Good luck.

Regards.

Understanding Hiring Freezes in Large Companies

In big companies, hiring is based on anticipated business. However, if the business doesn't come through and they already have enough people on the bench (awaiting placement on new projects), they impose a 'hiring freeze' as a business necessity. You may find yourself in that situation. The only sensible solution is to join another company and develop your experience profile.

Advice for Freshers

My advice to freshers is not to be content with a verbal assurance from any company that you have been selected. Unless you receive an offer letter, it is fair to assume that you have no job in hand. Also, remember that having an offer letter does not guarantee a job until you receive your 'Appointment Letter' and accept its terms and conditions. Your employment becomes effective from the date you join an organization.

So, there's no point in boasting that IBM has selected you and you are awaiting their offer. No other employer will value such claims; you have to prove your worth through their selection process. Instead of living on false hopes, join a company (big or small) that provides you with an appointment letter. Give your best, prove your worth, and aim for continuity in the same organization for a minimum of 2-3 years. After that, if necessary, seek different experiences. Your primary goal in the initial years should be to learn more (not earn more) and acquire expertise that naturally fuels your growth.

If you can benefit from this free advice, you can consider yourself a mature person.

I was amused to read the question and the comments, as though IBM is the only employer in the world. If a candidate has any merit, there are hundreds and thousands of other employers. Candidates are job seekers but not beggars. Employment is a contract. If the other party does not respond, rescind the contract. If an employer needs a candidate, the employer will persistently follow up.

Regards,
Vibhakar Ramtirthkar.

I agree that a candidate should be aware of infinite opportunities for employment and should not consider themselves as begging for a job. However, we value certain jobs for various factors such as the job being located in your city, thus avoiding migration to another city, providing better work-life balance, offering the exact role the candidate has been aspiring for many years, or simply wanting to be in an MNC for personal branding. Therefore, it is purely an individual's perception of how they perceive the job.

In this particular case, the queriest appears to attach value to this job for personal reasons and seems anxious when the job is put on hold. They sought to know if there could be a job freeze in the company. The members tried to address this anxiety by exploring possible reasons for a job freeze to reduce their concerns and make them aware of the realities of job freezes. As you suggested, they were advised to consider other employment opportunities. Thus, I trust you will agree that there is nothing amusing in either the post or the replies.

Regards,
B. Saikumar
HR & Labour Law Advisor
Mumbai

In recent times, say from 2008, this has been the trend not only with IBM but also with several other leading homegrown IT giants. I'm not sure if you are a fresher or if you have experience. I say this because the outcome of the decision will vary, and I must add that I would have been able to present a better picture with a little more data. Most IT companies go hiring based on market projections and anticipated closure of deals for projects. If you are experienced, the need is specific, the skill is known, and the hiring is expedited. If you are fresh, then it will mean you will need to be trained before being deployed. I suggest you carry on with your other trials without banking on this. If it happens, take it as a 'bonus'; if it doesn't, take that also as a 'bonus' as maybe the future has much better things in store for you.

Warm regards,

IBM is a company known worldwide. There is certainly a sense of pride in getting employed there. In the future, the work experience will also count. However, there is no point in waiting for "two birds in the bushes." Try your luck elsewhere and keep in touch with IBM. If their job offer is better than what you get, you can always shift. But a word of caution: "Recruitment freeze" may be a polite way of saying "NO"! The HR might have had second thoughts about your suitability for the job. Still, there is no harm in maintaining friendly contact.

Personal Experience

I have an experience to narrate. I was interviewed by a manager of a state-owned electronics firm for a sales job three times (by two or three persons). Finally, I was not selected for the job. Yet even now, after 35 years, that Regional Manager (now himself a consultant) is in touch with me!

Regards.

Till now, they haven't emailed me the offer letter. What should I do?

Is there any hiring freeze at IBM after the post-1Q announcement in 2013?

Have you received the offer from IBM? If not, what finally happened?