I went through an extensive interview process with the Rec Hub, including two Teams interviews with their team (one with a co-founder), an in-person interview with the client hiring manager, and three further calls with the client’s HR team. I was then formally offered the role, sent a contract by the Rec Hub which I signed, and given a confirmed start date. On that basis I declined another offer I had on the table, which the Rec Hub were fully aware of. Almost a week later, the Rec Hub called to say they had continued interviewing another candidate after issuing my contract and the client had decided to offer that person instead, meaning my signed offer would be withdrawn. When I followed up in writing to ask why a contract had been issued before the hiring process was complete, I received no response. This was an extremely unprofessional and disappointing experience, and showed a serious lack of regard for candidate experience and the impact of their actions.