Accepted, Relocated, Rejected: A Warning to Future Candidates.
A few months ago, I applied for a Technical Scientist position through a recruitment agency. After several rounds of interviews—both virtual and on-site—I was offered the role and received the contract. At that time, I also had other permanent offers. When I declined Abbott’s offer, the recruiter contacted me again, informing me that Abbott was now willing to offer a permanent position instead. I accepted.
I was told the paperwork would take about two weeks. Meanwhile, I was asked to formally apply through a job link for internal processing, as the process had to go through Abbott’s HR rather than the agency. A week later, HR reached out to schedule an interview, which the recruiter assured me was just a formality. Given the difficulty finding housing, I relocated during this time.
After two weeks, I followed up, expecting the contract, but HR scheduled a meeting instead. Although this made me uneasy, I was reassured that things were progressing positively—they even asked me to complete a pre-hire health questionnaire.
The next day, after another follow-up, HR scheduled another meeting, where I was told the role had been closed due to a headcount.
I reminded them that I had already been verbally offered the position and had declined other opportunities because of it. HR claimed to have no knowledge of the offer and stated that the recruitment agency "had no right" to extend one. Despite explaining that the hiring manager had confirmed the offer, HR denied any involvement or responsibility, insisting the role no longer existed.
In short, I turned down other offers and relocated, only to be left without a job. Despite meeting both the hiring manager and division director, I received no apology. HR assured me everything was fine on Tuesday, and everything was not fine on Thursday.
This was deeply unprofessional and had serious consequences for me personally and professionally. I suggest future candidates to be extremely cautious.