Is it normal to tell a candidate that they have less than 24 hours to sign the offer letter?

12 Comments

1. AnonymousMay 11,2022 at 3:23AM UTC

   Run. :)

2. JJMay 11,2022 at 4:11AM UTC

   That’s a little fast. Ask why the rush. I usually see 48 hours at the minimum.

3. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistMay 11,2022 at 5:08AM UTC

   I've been a recruiter for 20 years and I've never heard of an offer letter that had less than 24 hours. This would be a huge red flag for me and my first question would be why the rush?

   Typically offers get 48 to 72 hours - 2 to 3 business days - longer if a weekend is involved.

4. TeresaMay 11,2022 at 9:04AM UTC

   Thank you. I am going to follow your advice.

5. Tomilyn RichardsMay 11,2022 at 10:54AM UTC

   I have never done less than 48 hours... and 48 is typical if we have already discussed everything verbally... many times I give over the weekend. Anything under 24 hours is strange.

6. AnonymousMay 11,2022 at 12:05PM UTC

   It's not that rare, and it is not unique to one industry. I have experienced this before, but it was 2 weeks before the holidays. The company's recruitment was low on staff at that time...as a lot of companies are during that time of year. There was a set start date for the first business day after New Year's day so onboarding needed to get done at warp speed. Also, many companies have experienced a lag time in getting equipment for new hires due to the supply chain shortages and COVID. They have to order new equipment as early as possible and need to make sure there is a new hire with a start date before ordering.

7. Sedef BuyukatamanMay 11,2022 at 12:37PM UTC

   Exploding offers are a thing, just not a good one. Have you asked about attrition?

8. TeresaMay 11,2022 at 3:58PM UTC

   Yes. I followed up with a chat with the manager and her manager also. It seems that in this instance, it was a miscommunication with their recruiter. He was not kept in the loop about when the last interview had happened; they went out of the hiring loop to set the final interview up. I had already checked attrition and for the company overall, there isn't a significant attrition problem. Fingers crossed that it all goes well.

9. Sedef BuyukatamanMay 13,2022 at 11:54AM UTC

   Sending all good juju

10. Barb HansenMay 11,2022 at 5:56PM UTC

    Yes, it's normal based on my experience.

    If a company has extended you an offer, they want you to review it quickly, ask questions (if there are any) quickly and either sign or reject the offer.

    This is assuming that you already had a conversation about the benefit structure, the salary range and stock options and any NDAs the company would be requiring you to sign.

    If you didn't have these conversation ahead of time so the offer letter has new information in it, and you want more time to review the document, send the hiring manager or HR recruiter an email saying that you are interested in the job but you'll need another day to review the offer. You can't ask for a week to review the offer but it's okay to ask for another day (only if you need that day to explore wage ranges and benefit structures).

11. Marjorie KalomerisMay 11,2022 at 8:13PM UTC

    I've been a recruiter in tech for the past 9 years, and this seems a bit abnormal to me. 48-72 hours is a typical turnaround time.

    I would ask the recruiter for an extra day to look over the offer and review the benefits. That's more than reasonable.

12. AnonymousMay 11,2022 at 9:31PM UTC

    I think 24hrs is aggressive.

    What if they have more questions to ask you before making a sound decision? If that person has their choice narrowed down to 3 employers and you are trying to rush them into a decision, it might cause a red flag, especially if the person values all 3 equally and looking for a reason to narrow it down.

    What if their scanner is broken and they have to drive to a fedex or kinkos to scan and email the signed offer (after their full work day)

    2-3 business days is fair.