Job candidate turns down a company after accepting another offer, and their recruiter responds with a rant belittling their experience: ‘All that bitterness just because a candidate chose another company?’

Job hunting really does bring out some wild behavior in people who love to say synergy. This candidate wraps up a successful search, signs with one company, then does the polite thing and lets the others know it is a no. One recruiter reacts by asking for a quick video call to present a better offer. Sounds flattering. Sounds promising. Instead, it turns into a fifteen-minute ego tantrum in business casual.

The call is all posture and no numbers. Rather than actually presenting a counter, the recruiter starts poking holes in the candidate's experience, talking up the company's top-tier culture, and hinting that the role might be too advanced anyway. It is the professional version of asking someone out, getting rejected, then claiming they were not that attractive in the first place. The cherry on top is the offer to keep the CV on file in case something entry-level opens up later, like that is some kind of favor.

Author image for Etai Eshet Etai Eshet
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  • A recruiter at a company tried to belittle me after I had already accepted another job

    Confused young man in glasses talking on the phone at home, looking frustrated while sitting in front of a bookshelf.
    via Golubovy

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

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  • I just finished my job search. I had several good offers, accepted one of them, and politely began to apologize to the other companies and withdraw from the remaining processes.
    via PurpleSignificance76
  • One of the companies I declined, their recruiter called me and said they were very impressed with me and wanted to have a quick video call to present a better offer.
    via PurpleSignificance76

  • The candidate does the only sane thing. Swallows the urge to clap back, thanks the recruiter for the time, and ends the call. No drama, no rant, just a quiet mental note that this is exactly the kind of place they are lucky to avoid. If this is how the company handles a simple no from a stranger, imagine performance reviews.

  • Frustrated young man on a phone call giving a thumbs-down gesture at home, expressing disappointment or bad confusion
    via Golubovy

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

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  • I thought to myself, what's there to lose? The worst that could happen is I'd waste fifteen minutes.
    via PurpleSignificance76
  • But the call was very strange. Instead of talking numbers, the recruiter started to pick apart my experience and belittle it.
    via PurpleSignificance76
  • He kept hinting that my background wasn't a great fit for their 'top-tier' culture and that the role would likely be beyond my capabilities.
    via PurpleSignificance76
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  • The most infuriating part was when he told me he would keep my CV 'on file' in case an entry-level position opened up later.
    via PurpleSignificance76
  • Young man sitting at home on a phone call, wearing glasses and a teal shirt, looking up thoughtfully with bookshelves in the background, appearing uncertain during a conversation
    via Golubovy

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • This was all while he was supposedly trying to convince \me\ to join them. For a moment, I wanted to blow up at him, but I composed myself, politely said, 'Thank you for your time,' and hung up.
    via PurpleSignificance76
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  • Some rejections hurt certain people more than others. Sometimes the mask slips and the professionalism vanishes in record time. In this case, the recruiter did not just lose a candidate. They accidentally confirmed that the candidate’s decision to go elsewhere was the smartest move in the whole process.

  • Seriously, what's the reason for all that bitterness just because a candidate chose another company? It's very strange, honestly.
    via PurpleSignificance76
  • psmythhammond Recruiters are a strange breed. Thats a level of petty I have not experienced, but have heard of. Don't let them live rent free in your head, upward and onward friend! Congrats on the job!
    via PurpleSignificance76

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