[tworats]

Companies should not be making offers for positions they cannot afford, regardless of what's going on at the company. If the money is not in the bank they shouldn't be making the offer. This is serious stuff; they're playing with people's lives here.

The people at this company are incompetent, stupid, unethical, or some combination thereof. They should be exposed. It's not about holding a grudge; it's about letting other potential candidates know of the risks, and of making sure there's a penalty for this kind of behavior.

And yes, I've been in similar positions as a hiring manager in both small and large companies. Offers that cannot be guaranteed should not be made; once made, they should not be rescinded.