How long did you wait?

[Mum of 4]

Hi Guys,Hubby has an offer from an employer in NZ was very excited with it but its been over 3 weeks ago and still no formal contract or job offer in writing.Have been in contact with him only once since and he said he would get back to him after referances were checked,as far as we know this hasnt been done yet we are so stressed out wondering if hes genuine or not.Is this normal in NZ or are we panicking for no need??

[JandM]

It is pretty common - a lot of the NZ world of work is fairly laid back.

[Mum of 4]

Thanks for the reply JandM, what is the norm then for a job offer in writing?

[JandM]

There's no norm. Every boss is individual. Sorry - I know you must be on pins, but there isn't a way to tell you how it's going to pan out, or exactly when.

[kiwieagle]

Mumof4, I feel your pain. My husband works for an amazing, onto it company that takes care of its employees, does huge projects all over NZ, actively sponsors and supports clubs and charities in the community and the owner was still terrible at communicating when it came to the hiring process. They really needed the position filled. My husband came with all kinds of references from people who already worked for and with the company and it took him 2 and half months from applying to getting the written contract and he's a Kiwi in NZ. There is a real casualness (is this a word?) when it comes to hiring here, even with really awesome companies. That's not to say that your particular case means it'll turn out but my husband did have to chase it up a bit. So, yes, it is normal, annoyingly, maddeningly normal.

[jawnbc]

Took about that long after I negotiated my salary to get the written offer. Very kiwi...

[Mum of 4]

Thanks guys for all the positive replies,but having emailed the office last night here not getting any results,secretary said have you not tried ringing his mobile like she said,have done that and left messages for him but no joy.Wish he would just let us know whats happened

[aliimran13]

hi Mum of 4
My partner is pretty much in the same boat as yours. He waited a month from the moment they gave a verbal offer, to the point when he actually got the written job offer in the post. After that, we waited another month for them to actually send all the necessary documents to the medical council for his registration (OH is a doctor). We responded very swiftly to all their requirements, but it seems that the moment it reaches their hands, it moves at snails pace. For e.g, we sent in all the necessary forms and references to them via DHL from Malaysia, which reached them in 3 days. Little did we know that it would be over a week till somebody actually looked at and did something about it.
Like you, we've also called, sent countless emails only to be met with "Out of Office" replies or "Not at desk". In total, we've been waiting for close to 3 months now for a job that was supposed to begin last week. It is incredibly frustrating, but there really is nothing you can do but wait some more...I suppose. We've just got wind that his documents are with the med council now for processing, so we'll see how that goes (we're assuming a couple more months for this). It helps to chase them a fair bit, but God knows what happens the moment they put the phone down. Hope this helps and all the best!

[Mum of 4]

Wow I thought our waiting was bad...Looks good at the moment finally got word back ,hes waiting on a start date for a big contract and hes still looking for hubby but must wait for the start date for the go ahead.....fingers crossed and waiting

[Mum of 4]

Oh well no luck employer informed hubby the contract isn't as big as he thought and so hes not in a position to hire anyone else at the moment,we are gutted to say the least.