Looking for feedback

[stevena]

Good morning,

Could anyone offer me some feedback into hiring practices at your fim.

I have only worked for 2 firms, and both have been small companies where interviewing and hiring happens within a matter of weeks, and decisions are made without having to go through much red tape. I am not familiar with having to work with departments, budgets, multiple locations, red tape, etc.

I have been interviewing for an out of state position for about 4 months. I have had some offers, turned some down, and narrowed my choice to three employers that I wanted to work for.

Unfortunately, I had offers from two of them, but it is the third one is making my head spin. Also unfortunately, it is the company I want to work for the most. The company has a great reputation in the industry and the people I have met at the firm are so incredibly smart and talented, I am so anxious to work with them.

I have done phone interviews with them, and traveled down to their office twice. I spent two full days in their office and met with the heads of three departments. They keep saying what a great candidate I am and that they would love to have me on the team. However, I havent yet seen an offer. There have been explanations why, including budgets, people being away on business, having to talk to other locations, etc. Two weeks ago, I visited their office again to meet with the department heads. I fully expected to leave the office with an offer. However, I got a "we'll be in touch." The weird thing is, they keep saying how great I am and how all the people in the office really want me on board.

In the meantime, the offers from the other two firms have come and gone. I had a deadline to accept them, and I turned them down, because of this firm that I really, really want to work for.

Is this normal? Could budgetary stuff really make an offer take a few months to go through? I cant think of a single reason that they would string me along, other than that they really do have budgets to work on.

Now I have another potential offer coming in. Its a good firm and a good offer.

At what point do I just walk away from something I really want?

[Lame Duck]

I can only tell you what I would do if faced with a similar position - Notify the first company that you have an offer from the second company and give them a deadline to make you an offer. If they don't, accept the offer of the second company. I have worked for companies who make hiring decisions once a year and do not have the budget for any additional hiring. If a fantastic prospect comes along, they will try to find the money somewhere, but it can take time. Sometimes they never find it.

Use your best judgment but remember - A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

[stevena]

I know thats the smart thing to do. I probably should have taken one of the offers before now.

But...I just want this one so badly. I learned from my current job that the people you work with are so important...and these people are just so smart...If they dont have the budget for me, I can't figure out why they wouldnt just say that.

thanks....

[jaemmons]

stevena,

The only piece of advice I can offer, as I was in a similar position 10 years ago, is that if you just take an offer to "cover your bets", you will be looking for another position within a few months. IMHO, it is best to be patient and take the risk that they are going to come through with something, since it sounds like you feel more of a "comfort level" with this firm. If they don't, then you at least know where you stood, instead of asking the "what if?" question.

Good luck!

[GBurns]

stevena,

You have to learn that people do not always mean what they say and people do not always mean what you think they mean.

These people were probably only being courteous, and it would be bad protocol to make statements about the company's finances to anyone, so they could not tell you much about budgetary restraints.

[Effen]

FWIW, I tend to lean more towards GBurns' scenario, but I think Lame Duck offers the best advice. Tell them you're interested, but you can't wait around for ever.

I would also begin to wonder about this great company that can't seem to make a decision. The decision process is critical in any organization and if they can't get a simple hiring done, how will they treat other issues? Maybe you should ask some of the "great people" who work there if this is a typical process.

Be careful what you wish for.... Your rose colored glasses my be shading your vision.

[stevena]

Burns, are you saying you think they were just being nice? Giving me lip service?

I have never heard such a thing... why bother?

After I visited their office last, they called me (this was last Friday) and said that they would be calling me early next week after they worked on some budget issues. I can't fathom why they would actively string me along like that. Why not just never call me again?

[Effen]

I can't fathom why they would actively string me along like that. Why not just never call me again?

I had a girl friend tell me that once

All I'm trying to say is if they really had a need, it won't take months to figure out if they can afford to hire you. They would just fill it. It is possible, that they are trying to find a place for you. Trying to free up money to grab a well qualified person. It's really hard to tell.

I once had a "great" employer string me along for months. I finally couldn't wait any longer and took another job that worked out very well. The "great" employer took another two months to hire someone who only lasted about 2 months. Big companies can be notorious for lack of direction or quick directional changes.

[stevena]

oh, you are one of THOSE guys.... (Just kidding.)

Well, not sure what the deal is with this company. Guess I better just keep my options open and bail when I need to bail.

The funny thing was that I was talking to the Project Management department, and they were telling me that one of the things that they strive to do is set deadlines for everything, otherwise nothing gets done. I wanted to yell, make me a project then!!

Thats what I mean about my lack of experience with big companies. It is beyond me what could possibly take months to figure out, what a colossol waste of energy. But I guess big companies work the way they do, not much i can do about it.

Thanks

[GBurns]

A lot of people in a lot of large companies do not have much to do and so spend much time "spinning wheels" and trying to look busy. Needing to look busy is easily satisfied by "stringing" people along, having meetings and making needless telephone calls.

If they had a position to fill it would have had a deadline etc and would have been a "project". If it was not, then it stands to reason that there was no position that was to be filled and vice versa. That is what was alluded to by Project Management.

Hiring an unscheduled or unbudgeted person etc should be something within the "margin" (of error) in the budget. No budget is that tight that there is no margin and no overrun. As a result, if they really wanted to hire you it would have been within the budget.

Unless, the persons who were thinking of hiring you had no authority to do so.

Why would persons who knew that they had no authority to hire you, bother to go through so many motions???? To fill in their time and to look busy.

Ever wondered why large companies can lay off large numbers of employees, yet still function as before? They were overstaffed with people looking busy.