A job applicant has sparked discussion online after revealing that a confirmed employment offer was withdrawn just hours before their scheduled start date, despite completing a lengthy recruitment process that lasted around six weeks.
The account, shared on Reddit, detailed how the candidate progressed through multiple stages of assessment after being approached directly by an insurance company regarding the position.
According to the applicant, the opportunity began when the employer contacted them rather than the other way around, giving them confidence that their profile matched the company’s requirements.
Describing the process, the individual wrote: “I’m in shock and at a loss of words.”
The candidate explained that they went through several rounds of discussions with both hiring managers and human resources representatives, completed a test assignment, submitted personal information, and underwent reference checks before receiving a formal offer.
“I went through: Multiple interviews with the team and HR – everyone was happy with my experience,” the applicant wrote.
They noted that the role required between one and three years of experience and acknowledged having less than that. However, because the company had initiated contact, they believed this had already been taken into consideration during the evaluation process.
The applicant said they also completed a work-related assignment and supplied all requested documentation before references were verified.
According to the post, the company subsequently extended an offer, which was later reconfirmed.
“Then they gave me an offer. Twice!” the candidate wrote.
After both sides agreed on a start date, the applicant began preparing for the new position and paused their search for alternative opportunities.
However, they said the situation changed dramatically shortly before they were due to begin work.
The individual claimed that approximately one hour before sharing their story online — and around 12 hours before their scheduled start time — they received a call from a member of the HR team informing them that the offer was being withdrawn.
“Then, like an hour ago I got a call from HR who was nervously laughing. She said that the CEO PERSONALLY checked my CV and decided to not sign the paper because I have insufficient YOE,” the applicant wrote, using the abbreviation for years of experience.
The candidate expressed frustration that the chief executive had reportedly not participated in any of the earlier recruitment stages and had only reviewed the application at the final point in the process.
“The same CEO who was never involved in the interviews, who didn’t look at my CV until the last possible second. Who let the team, the HR, and the whole process run for 1.5 months and then just said ‘nah’,” they wrote.
The applicant argued that the company had ample opportunity to identify any concerns regarding experience levels much earlier in the hiring process.
“They reached out first, interviewed me, they made me stop looking for a job, they made me lose ONE AND A HALF MONTH OF MY LIFE. And then decided to rescind the offer,” the post continued.
The individual also stressed that no concerns had been raised during interviews and that feedback from the hiring team had been consistently positive.
“The funny part? the team loved me. HR loved me. They were okay with my YOE and never said a word about it.”
Beyond the loss of the role itself, the applicant said the experience had an emotional impact because they had already begun envisioning themselves in the position.
“The worst part is that I just don’t know how to react. This job seemed really good and promising for me. I’ve already mentally prepared for the role, was a bit anxious, imagined my first weeks.”
They added that the experience had intensified concerns about future job prospects.
“And the worst fear is that I won’t find another opportunity like this because I always get rejected and ghosted, even at internships that are way below my skill and pay.”
The post attracted significant attention online, with many users questioning how a candidate’s experience level could remain an issue after weeks of interviews and formal approval processes.
Some speculated that factors unrelated to the applicant’s qualifications may have influenced the decision.
“Most likely, they found someone else, referred by the CEO’s network or something similar, so pushing you out,” one commenter suggested.
Another wrote: “CEO has an incompetent crony or relative who needs a job. Probably the only qualification that person has is YOE. If that.”
Others focused on what they viewed as flaws in the recruitment process itself.
“This is the absolute most bizarre thing. I am so sorry this happened to you,” one user commented.
The same individual added: “Years of experience is a very politically correct way of telling someone you’d rather have someone older for the job.”
Another commenter argued that the applicant may have avoided future difficulties by not joining the organisation.
“On the plus side, imagine working for this company and wasting even more of your time to probably be let go,” the user wrote.
The incident also prompted calls for greater accountability in recruitment practices.
“Yeah that calls for a review on Glassdoor. What kind of practice is that?” one person commented.
“Team is happy, HR is happy, and power-hungry bigboi at the top is like I need to ruin someone’s week! I’d sue them to pieces for lost income due to wasted time.”