‘No offer letter until you work’: Woman shares sister’s Kolkata interview experience, claims offer letter came with a condition

A woman has sparked a discussion on LinkedIn after sharing her sister’s experience during an interview with a well-known, established company in Kolkata. She said her sister completed multiple rounds of interviews before being told that she was expected to join the organisation on the same day, and was later informed that an offer letter would only be issued after she had worked for one day.

According to the LinkedIn post, the woman said the company was not a startup or a small organisation. She questioned whether the practices described in her sister’s experience were becoming common in Kolkata’s job market.

The woman said her sister was willing to join from Monday instead, but was told that this was not possible. When she asked to see the offer letter before starting work, she was allegedly told that she would have to complete one day on the job first and would receive the document afterwards.


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Candidate told to join the same day after multiple interview rounds

The woman wrote that her sister had already gone through several rounds of interviews before the joining condition was disclosed.

"My sister attended an interview today with a well-known, established company — not a startup or a small organisation," she wrote.

According to the post, the candidate was told only after completing the interview process that she was expected to begin work that same day. When she asked whether she could instead start on Monday, the request was declined.

The woman then said her sister asked for the offer letter, but was allegedly told that the document would only be provided after she had worked for a day.

Post raises concerns over salary and night-shift conditions

The LinkedIn user also questioned the compensation and employment conditions being offered to her sister. She said the salary was already significantly below the market standard for the role and responsibilities.

She further listed the absence of several benefits associated with night-shift work, including transportation support and a night-shift allowance. According to her post, there were also no additional benefits that would compensate for the working hours.

"This is not about expecting an unreasonable salary or special treatment. It is about basic professionalism and transparency in hiring," she wrote.

The woman argued that candidates invest time and effort in preparing for interviews, travelling to interview locations and completing multiple rounds. In her view, they should be given clarity about salary, working conditions, joining requirements and terms of employment before being asked to start work.

LinkedIn user questions hiring practices at established firms

A central point in the post was that the company involved was, according to the woman, a renowned and established organisation rather than a small business that might still be developing its internal processes.

"What is particularly disappointing is that this wasn’t a small startup where one might expect processes to still be evolving. This was a renowned and established organisation, where one would reasonably expect a structured and professional hiring process," she wrote.

She acknowledged that companies can decide their own compensation and recruitment policies. At the same time, she said candidates should be able to understand those terms before deciding whether to accept a job.

"Companies have every right to determine their compensation and hiring policies. Candidates, however, also have the right to understand the terms and make an informed decision before joining," she wrote.

The woman also argued that an offer letter should not be issued only after an employee has already worked for a day.

"An offer letter should not come after someone has already worked for the company for a day," she said.

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Woman defends post after users question its authenticity

The post also faced questions from social media users who called the account fake because the woman had not identified the company involved.

The woman defended her decision not to disclose the organisation’s name while standing by the details she had shared about her sister’s experience. Her response came amid the discussion over whether the absence of a company name undermined the credibility of the account.

She concluded her original post by highlighting Kolkata’s pool of professionals and arguing that workplace standards would need to improve alongside the city’s job market.

"Kolkata has a pool of talented professionals. If we want the city’s job market to grow, professionalism, transparency and respect need to work both ways," she wrote.

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