A Rejected Job Offer and Integrity

This was many years ago, when I was a recruiting manager for an MNC and I was asked to find a leader based out of Delhi. It was a difficult assignment and I was really at my wits end, for the skills were rare in those days and my boss was looking for a strong-willed person. Finally, I found someone from Bangalore. He was an interesting person and warm and genuine.The rounds of interviews grew longer and this was a good sign as any recruiter would know. We all loved him. Next, a generous job offer was made, and he knew it. In those days, if you throw in a big car and a house it was a great deal. We also offered him admissions to the school of his choice for his children.

His wife and children went school hunting and things were settled. He was on, and life was good. He had resigned from his company and I was “keeping him warm” – making sure that we did not lose him to any other company. Suddenly my phone rang and my boss called me to his room.I went to his room he showed me a letter. It was from the potential hire. In it he thanked us profusely and said that he was regretful that he would not take up our offer.

Said that he decided to rescind our offer for family reasons. His father was unwell. He was most apologetic and said, he could never repay us for our efforts and for enormous goodness that he experienced. He added that he was enclosing a cheque for Rs. 30,000 to partly compensate for all our expenses incurred with his recruitment. And that it would never be a restitution for all what we have done for him. And 30,000 was a lot of money in those days.
My boss was a fine man. He wrote back to the person to say that he was most taken in with his uprightness and that he would wait for another three months, and of course not encash his cheque, etc.

As expected, the man did not show up. But what showed up was his integrity and character. I could never forget the man. He did give us some leads on who could be a suitable and ‘better’ person for the job, one of whom we ultimately hired. He stayed in touch with me, and each time he would start the conversation with an apology. A gentleman, and he taught me something – the real meaning of integrity. Gosh, I just wish there were more like him in this world.