this post was submitted on 15 Mar 2026
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You assume they don't already have a job and we're just looking for other opportunities. Not everyone is unemployed before they apply for other jobs. If anything that is a good time to look as it gives you stronger position to negotiate from.
In the overwhelming majority of situations you cannot begin the onboarding process with IT while still working for a previous employer. Especially at this level of software engineering that would run afoul of moonlighting policies.
is what your describing technically possible? sure. Is it even remotely probable? Absolutely not.
If you begin the onboarding process as a senior backend engineer without inquiring as to what your working environment will be, then you're just incompetent.
If you're talking to the IT department about workstation configuration without signing a contract and getting paid for it, you're being taken advantage of.
Yes, it's reasonable, and smart, to ask people during the interview process about their tech stack. But there is no way I'm coordinating with IT on the setup and configuration of my workstation without a contract in place or before my start date.
You are right. You cannot onboard a new job before you leave your old one. Accepting an offer is not part of the onboarding process though. It happens before.
After an interview process the company makes an offer. The candidate can then accept or reject it. But that is really all informal. You can then negotiate with them for an official start date and contract. You just need to ensure you can hand in your notice and work the rest of your notice period before the start date of your new contract.
I don't know anyone that would hand in their notice before accepting the initial offer of a company. At least here in the UK.
Communicating with IT is absolutely part of the onboarding process. And the phrasing of the email clearly states they are rescinding an offer acceptance, as in they had already accepted and begun onboarding.
You are not considered to be working somewhere until you have signed a contract and after the start date on that contract. Accepting a offer is not signing a contract. You are not working at the new place yet. You have no obligations to do anything at that point. You just need to have stopped working at your current employment before your start date. You definitely do not need to quit before accepting the offer. No where I have worked requires that.
I didn't say you had to quit before accepting the offer. I said that the onboarding process itself is considered part of employment. If you're talking to IT about setting up your workstation and not getting paid for it I feel bad that you're being taken advantage of
They would quit working at the old company before they start work at the new one. usually there wouldn't be overlap.
Is this some usa user who haven't heard about other countries? (and I doubt it's even true in the usa).
Not only is this definitely true in the US but I know it's true in other countries like the UK and Japan as well.