When Sam was offered a job, he was very excited, but he wanted to review the paperwork and talk to his wife about the opportunity before accepting the job.
The candidate was looking for a company to dedicate himself to for the next five years. He also told the employer about this.
But after explaining that he wanted to spend the weekend discussing the possibility, the interviewee responded bluntly, saying she didn’t expect there to be a wait.
British career expert Ben Askins read out the shocking email exchange between Sam and the employer in a video.
“That’s not how you treat a job,” Ben said.
The employer, known as Sandra, sent him the email on a Friday, which read: ‘Hi Sam, we are very pleased to say that we would like to make you an offer for the role of Project Manager. Please find attached the document with the details.’
She added that March 4 would be an ideal start date and that the company looks forward to welcoming him into the role.
Sam replied: ‘This is great news. Thanks for sending it all in. As you know, I’ve really enjoyed meeting the team. Hopefully I’ll take the weekend to look at it all and think about it and get back to you on Monday.’
British career expert Ben Askins (left) was sent the shocking emails and read out the conversation in a video. Sam was offered a job but turned it down when the employer showed his true colors
“Overall, I am confident that I will accept the role because it feels like a great role. Thank you again for this opportunity.”
But Sandra was not happy with this answer. She was ‘disappointed’ when she heard that Sam needed time to think about the offer.
“Please consider taking a huge leap of faith by sending this offer to you first,” she wrote back.
Ben was shocked by Sandra’s reaction and noted that Sam “basically accepted the role.”
“It really doesn’t make any sense,” Ben added.
“It really doesn’t make any sense,” Ben said in a video (stock image)
The conversation continued and Sam replied, “I apologize if this wasn’t clear, but I’m definitely not turning down the offer.
“I’m just saying I want to use the weekend to think about it and discuss it with my wife. As you know, I’m looking for a place to dedicate the next five years, so I want to consider everything.”
Ben described Sam’s reaction as “outrageous,” but what Sandra said next shocked him even more.
“We didn’t expect you to spend time on this. As you consider your options, be aware that we will consider them too. If you take too long, you may find that there is no job for you,” Sandra explained.
Ben chimed in on the camera and said, “I’m sorry, that’s just pathetic. It’s a full-blown toddler tantrum. Don’t you want someone to really think about joining in before they actually do? What Sandra is doing here is objectively idiotic.”
Instead of accepting the offer, Sam decided to go in a different direction.
“If that’s the case, consider the offer declined,” he began.
“I have no idea why you took my words so badly, but it suggests that culturally this is not the best fit for me. I wish you the best of luck in your search.”
Ben was furious about Sandra’s behavior, saying, “I would be furious if I were Sandra’s boss because she literally cost them what sounds like a great candidate, based on his email. So what the hell was she doing? I have no idea.”
Within 24 hours, the video had been viewed more than 480,000 times and many could not understand why Sandra behaved like this.
One hiring manager jumped into the comments and said, “This is insane. Give them the weekend to think about it. It’s a big decision. This candidate dodged a bullet.”
“Pro tip: If they rush into answering important decisions, they are not showing respect for you,” said another woman.
A third said: ‘Sam was lucky Sandra reacted like that. It showed him who he really worked for.’