Temp Worker - Firm agreed to hire me then changed their mind right before the deadline

[Anonymous]

Through a recruiter, I got a temp position at a prestigious firm (Firm A) this spring for a project slated to end Sept. 15. Two weeks after starting, a competing firm (Firm B) which had already been interviewing me, offered me a job. I told Firm B that I had already committed to Firm A thru Sept. 15th, and could we talk around August 15th to see where things are headed? They said yes.
I talked with Firm A about long term prospects and also informed them that I had an offer at Firm B. Firm A said let's talk later this summer. Firm A is well known for imposing a probationary period on new hires so I understood that the next few months would be my probationary period. I had already committed to them thru September so I wasn't going to go back on my word.
Meanwhile, the recruiter had been telling me that Firm A was very happy with me and that I was doing really well.

On August 15th I had a conversation with my manager about formally joining the Firm A as an employee and the answer was an immediate yes. In the conversation, I mentioned that, ethically, I really should give Firm B a solid answer yes or no as I know they had been waiting (they had been poking my Linkedin profile). That day I sent an email to Firm B declining their offer.

Lo and behold, a week before Sept. 15th, the recruiter calls me with bad news. Firm A is sticking to the end date of Sept. 15th for the 3 temps she placed there. Whereas the prior set of temps she placed there 9 months before were eventually hired, this round nobody would be. I had been warned that the company prioritizes projects, not people.

On the one hand, this gig was an investment in my resume. Having Firm A on it looks really good. The project I worked on also burnishes my profile. This firm is also well known for grueling hours which I definitely put in and it gave me first-hand experience to wonder if this was the kind of professional life I wanted (i.e. no personal life).
On the other hand, how they treated me really sucks. I am more than certain my manager knew there would be no actual job offer but he needed to string me along to meet his project deadline. It explains why he had a lot of trouble looking me in the eye for the entire duration of my time there. Oddly enough, he was able to do so when he said I had a future with the firm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Through a recruiter, I got a temp position at a prestigious firm (Firm A) this spring for a project slated to end Sept. 15. Two weeks after starting, a competing firm (Firm B) which had already been interviewing me, offered me a job. I told Firm B that I had already committed to Firm A thru Sept. 15th, and could we talk around August 15th to see where things are headed? They said yes.
I talked with Firm A about long term prospects and also informed them that I had an offer at Firm B. Firm A said let's talk later this summer. Firm A is well known for imposing a probationary period on new hires so I understood that the next few months would be my probationary period. I had already committed to them thru September so I wasn't going to go back on my word.
Meanwhile, the recruiter had been telling me that Firm A was very happy with me and that I was doing really well.

On August 15th I had a conversation with my manager about formally joining the Firm A as an employee and the answer was an immediate yes. In the conversation, I mentioned that, ethically, I really should give Firm B a solid answer yes or no as I know they had been waiting (they had been poking my Linkedin profile). That day I sent an email to Firm B declining their offer.

Lo and behold, a week before Sept. 15th, the recruiter calls me with bad news. Firm A is sticking to the end date of Sept. 15th for the 3 temps she placed there. Whereas the prior set of temps she placed there 9 months before were eventually hired, this round nobody would be. I had been warned that the company prioritizes projects, not people.

On the one hand, this gig was an investment in my resume. Having Firm A on it looks really good. The project I worked on also burnishes my profile. This firm is also well known for grueling hours which I definitely put in and it gave me first-hand experience to wonder if this was the kind of professional life I wanted (i.e. no personal life).
On the other hand, how they treated me really sucks. I am more than certain my manager knew there would be no actual job offer but he needed to string me along to meet his project deadline. It explains why he had a lot of trouble looking me in the eye for the entire duration of my time there. Oddly enough, he was able to do so when he said I had a future with the firm.

Oh you know what no. And the recruiter knew too? I'd be trashing both the company and the recruiter six ways to Sunday. I guess this is the "Get it in writing" lesson. Sorry OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Through a recruiter, I got a temp position at a prestigious firm (Firm A) this spring for a project slated to end Sept. 15. Two weeks after starting, a competing firm (Firm B) which had already been interviewing me, offered me a job. I told Firm B that I had already committed to Firm A thru Sept. 15th, and could we talk around August 15th to see where things are headed? They said yes.
I talked with Firm A about long term prospects and also informed them that I had an offer at Firm B. Firm A said let's talk later this summer. Firm A is well known for imposing a probationary period on new hires so I understood that the next few months would be my probationary period. I had already committed to them thru September so I wasn't going to go back on my word.
Meanwhile, the recruiter had been telling me that Firm A was very happy with me and that I was doing really well.

On August 15th I had a conversation with my manager about formally joining the Firm A as an employee and the answer was an immediate yes. In the conversation, I mentioned that, ethically, I really should give Firm B a solid answer yes or no as I know they had been waiting (they had been poking my Linkedin profile). That day I sent an email to Firm B declining their offer.

Lo and behold, a week before Sept. 15th, the recruiter calls me with bad news. Firm A is sticking to the end date of Sept. 15th for the 3 temps she placed there. Whereas the prior set of temps she placed there 9 months before were eventually hired, this round nobody would be. I had been warned that the company prioritizes projects, not people.

On the one hand, this gig was an investment in my resume. Having Firm A on it looks really good. The project I worked on also burnishes my profile. This firm is also well known for grueling hours which I definitely put in and it gave me first-hand experience to wonder if this was the kind of professional life I wanted (i.e. no personal life).
On the other hand, how they treated me really sucks. I am more than certain my manager knew there would be no actual job offer but he needed to string me along to meet his project deadline. It explains why he had a lot of trouble looking me in the eye for the entire duration of my time there. Oddly enough, he was able to do so when he said I had a future with the firm.

Oh you know what no. And the recruiter knew too? I'd be trashing both the company and the recruiter six ways to Sunday. I guess this is the "Get it in writing" lesson. Sorry OP.

Recruiter didn't know. She called me immediately when she found out from their HR office.

[Anonymous]

Until you have a written offer and accepted it with a firm start date you never had a job. You messed this up.

[Anonymous]

OP: Are you willing to share the industry ?

[Anonymous]

Not surprising at all. Sadly, I think this is fairly normal behavior. I have experienced the same, including once being promised a raise if I turned down a competing offer, and then having that rescinded after I had formally turned down the offer. That was a government contractor. I'm not sure if getting things in writing would help, but I think people are less likely to put a lie in writing, with their name on it, than to just say something.

[Anonymous]

OP, your mistake was not getting a formal commitment from company A or the recruiter. A verbal offer means nothing. Go back to company B and see if you can get offer from them in writing and then put in notice at company A. It's a bad sign that company A went back on their word but it's on you if you stick around for them to jerk your chain further.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Until you have a written offer and accepted it with a firm start date you never had a job. You messed this up.

+1

[Anonymous]

OP here - for everyone perusing this thread, the lesson is to get it in writing.
I'm one of those people who reads this stuff but doesn't digest that it can directly affect me one day.
And then it did.
Lesson learned.

[Anonymous]

It's not your fault OP. Written offers can be rescinded. People can get hired and be let go at will. The thing to do, unfortunately for everyone, would be to string job B along for as long as possible to keep options open.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP: Are you willing to share the industry ?

Architecture. Both firms have offices around the world.