I am reaching out to formally report a concerning experience during a recent recruitment process that I believe reflects significant issues in transparency, professionalism, and integrity. Below, I’ve detailed the events to provide clarity on why I believe the handling of my candidacy was unjust and unprofessional:
Over the course of a month and a half, I progressed through the hiring process, ultimately being selected as the final candidate and offered the position. After being informed via video call that I was chosen, the hiring manager, mentioned a potential start date of November 11, aligning with the two-week notice period stated in my application. I expressed that I would be transitioning out of my current projects and that November 18 or later would work best, which they confirmed as ideal given an upcoming in-person meeting.
Following this conversation, I received a formal offer from HR representative and the hiring manager, including the agreed-upon start date. After discussing this with my current employer, who asked if I could finish my contract by November 30, I shared with the hiring team that starting December 2 would allow for a seamless transition and a fresh start. This adjustment, I believed, was reasonable and mutually beneficial. In response, the hiring manager explicitly accepted the December 2 start date, with the only stipulation that it not be pushed further due to business needs. He also inquired about my holiday plans.
In an attached email, I transparently outlined my planned holiday dates offering to adjust as necessary, and even offered a follow-up conversation if more details were needed. Later, I received a message from HR scheduling a follow-up call. In this call however, the team presented a series of concerns about the “incompatibility” of my holiday plans with business needs, despite my flexibility. They falsely asserted that I had committed to a January start date and expressed concerns that my two-week notice period was not being honored. During this call, I even offered to start as initially planned on November 18 or take a vacation day to attend the in-person event, to further accommodate their needs. Despite this, the team moved forward unilaterally.
After abruptly ending the call without giving me a chance to find a middle point HR sent a follow-up email falsely claiming I requested a January start. This, along with the sudden decision to rescind the offer, was misrepresentative and untrue.
This experience, particularly during the final stages, has left me disappointed. I was transparent and flexible throughout, only to have my words twisted and my candidacy withdrawn under misleading circumstances. I am concerned that underlying motivations may have influenced the decision-making process, leading to a questionable conclusion in an otherwise promising process. Given B Lab’s commitment to JEDI principles.
