Can we get blacklisted if we turn down offering contract?

Question

I'm an intern at company XYZ, and on 29 February, my internship period ends and before that, HR offered me a full time job (but the process I needed to follow is the same when HR recruits a new employee, not just signing a contract to become a full time employee). It's already 1.5 month, but I didn't have new information about next steps in the process (I already followed up and no answer).

So I tried to apply at 2-3 companies for another option if I don't get this full time job.

I'm scared that if at some moment I get an offer letter from other companies on the same day and I need to choose one, I will get blacklisted by the other company (if in the future I want to apply in that company).

I need advice on whether shall I apply for other companies or wait for information from the current company?

Don't want to get blacklisted though, but I need to find a full time job fast.

Answer 1

A company will pick the most fitting candidate for a position among the many who apply.

A candidate will pick the best offer among the set of received offers.

It would be unreasonable for a company to expect a candidate to not do the above, and to sanction/blacklist any candidate who should opt for a better option.

There are companies which would take a declined offer as a scar to their pride, but at least in my experience those are companies where you will end up being told "You should be glad that you don't have to pay us for what you are learning here". For those cases I wouldn't mind being blacklisted, because I would blacklist them first.

Answer 2

More than likely if it is a company with reasonable hiring managers/policies, you will not be blacklisted for doing so. If you apply again in the near future, you may even have a chance to speed up the interview process as you have already passed it once.

If you were to accept and then decline before starting, however, you would be more likely to be blacklisted.

However, with this being said, there may be some people who would blacklist you for doing something like this, and there is no real way of being able to know beforehand.