In an era when employers are banning job hoppers from applying and asking candidates intrusively personal questions, job seekers have understandably low expectations from the recruitment process.
It’s why this one letter sent to a prospective candidate is going viral and garnering widespread praise, with one user hailing “green flags for company culture right there”.
Stephanie, who goes by the username @essenceofstephanie on TikTok, shared that she had recently turned down a job offer because she “got a better one”.
She then proceeded to share the let-down firm’s surprising response which got her ego “pumping iron” that day.
“We are very-very sad,” the employer began in a bullet-pointed list over email that wished her well on her next venture.
“I am very happy for your great opportunity and wish you all the best,” Stephanie read aloud.
The company also hinted it would take her back, despite turning down the role, if she changes her mind about the new gig: “We will keep in touch, and you will reach out to us if things are not as you expected.”
The fourth and final point on the list jokingly asked Stephie to send their way her replacement in the form of any “amazing clone” that she may meet in the future.
“That’s the best,” Stephanie concluded while laughing. “That is the f***ing best.”
“That would make me reconsider so fast”
The rejection response letter, which has racked up over 380,000 views, has left TikTok viewers wondering whether she made the right choice by turning the company down.
“That would make me reconsider so fast,” the most popular comment reads. “That email would have me second-guessing my decision,” another echoed.
“100% would decline [the] other offer and accept theirs after that email,” someone else added. “They clearly value their people- they value you and you don’t even work there yet.”
For most viewers, the kind nature of the letter signals a great company culture. However, a handful of users were more dubious that it reflects nothing more than the emailer’s personality and that the idea a candidate would turn down more money for one person’s personality is “wild”
“Reconsidering based on a single recruiter’s personality is wild,” one user said. “A nice recruiter doesn’t mean the team you’ll work with will be nice,” they later added in response to another’s comment.
“They could offer more money and benefits… Just sayin,” another agreed.
Kindness: An offer she couldn’t refuse
Many users were pinning on the rejected company to change Stephanie’s mind, with one user writing: “Now you just need them to offer you the same because working there would be the best energy I love that.”
Stephanie does indeed confirm in the comments section that she had asked the company she turned down if they’d match the “better offer”.
What’s more, while it’s unclear if the employer matched Stephanie’s other job offer, something—perhaps their “green flag” response—was enough to convince her to join the company anyway.
In a follow-up video announcing her new job, Stephanie confirms that she chose the company whose email had impressed so many people.
“I just got off my shift at my job that I chose that a lot of you were like, why didn’t you take that one?”
She joked that it was “funny” how convinced her fan base were that this company would be better - despite not knowing what the other offer even was.
And as it turns out, the process ended well because in another video posted three days ago, Stephanie described her new boss as “so awesome” while adding, “I’m grateful that I continued my job search and landed here.”
