Verbal offer on Friday with a "respond by Monday" deadline. The written offer landed Tuesday. When K. asked for 48 hours to read it, the recruiter said the team "had concerns about her enthusiasm."
K. is an engineering manager who had completed six rounds across four weeks. The process had gone smoothly — every round was positive, every signal was green. The recruiter called Friday afternoon with the verbal offer: "We'd love you to join. Can you confirm by Monday?"
She said yes in principle, pending the written terms. The written offer arrived Tuesday at 2 p.m. — a full day after the verbal deadline. It was below the range discussed at screening. She asked for 48 hours to evaluate.
The recruiter called back within the hour: the team had "concerns about enthusiasm." The offer was rescinded before she could respond to it.
"I had already told them yes," she says. "They just needed me to say it at a lower number, and when I asked for time to think, they decided I wasn't grateful enough."