Job Offers: The hiring manager just quit. Do you still take the job?

Should you accept a job offer if the hiring manager just quit? Three days ago you received a call from the hiring manager telling you that the job is yours if you want it. You feel good, right? But for some reason your guard is up, you’re cautious, you don’t want to sound too excited, or maybe someone told you never to accept a job on the spot. Whatever the reason, you told the manager you would think about it. A day passes and you find out that the hiring manager just quit. What do you do? You could miss out on a great job opportunity or you could end up taking a job and regretting it for a very long time. Here are some thoughts. Do your Homework At first, you might think if the manager quits, it’s a bad sign. Don’t jump to conclusions. You should find out more about the circumstances surrounding the situation. The reason could be as simple as any of these:

1. A promotion? You might learn that the manager quit the job in good faith. Maybe the manager left to start his or her own company or found a path for faster more opportunistic growth. In either case, if there’s no bad blood between the company and the former manager then this may still be a good job for you.
2. It’s the manager’s fault.  You might also realize that it was the manager’s fault and not the company. This could still be okay.  Better to start with a clean slate and have clear expectations going in than to work for someone who is going down the wrong path and possibly get caught up in some house cleaning down the road. Who knows, maybe this situation creates a new opportunity for you.
3. It’s the company. Now, this is a red flag. If the manager quit because of poor working conditions or something worse, you’ll probably consider saying thanks but no thanks.  It’s possible that public perception of the company isn’t really what the company is about at all.

In short you’ll want to speak with both Human Resources and the manager if you can. Be honest with your concerns and try to get direct answers from both sides and then draw your own conclusion. It’s important to understand the circumstances before making a decision. However, don’t get too close on one side or the other that your vision is blurred. Look carefully, this could be your dream job or you could end up looking for a new job shortly after you start this one. Has this happen to you or anyone you know?