Playing the interview waiting game

Raekwon

I work in IT and I am looking to hopefully move jobs in the not so distant future and I've been to a couple of interviews for roles that interested me. My gripe is, after going to the trouble of preparing for then sitting through an interview isn't it common courtesy to let the person who went to the interview know if he or she actually got the job in the end??? Okay I realise that HR are very busy having meetings about what colour toilet paper would be needed to elevate current employees moods, etc, etc, but why can they not just pick up a phone or send a quick mail to let the interviewee know where they stand???

Here is an example of some of the muppetry that I have recently experienced.

The first interview that I went to was on a Monday morning and lasted around 40 minutes. The interviewer said that he would let me know the outcome by the end of the week and he also mentioned that they were only doing one round of interviews and they that needed somebody asap. Fine I thought. I waited patiently for a call or email but got no response. At 5pm on Friday I decided to send him a quick mail to see what the story was. I got a reply at 5.05pm telling me that my application had been unsuccessful. He obviously thought that I was a mind reader :rolleyes:

Anyway, the second one accrued when I got an email asking me was I available for interview, I was, so they arranged to meet me Monday morning at 9pm. I agreed. (Btw I was also asked to do an online personality test that would take 20 minutes). The interview on Monday morning lasted approximately 2 hours and I got an email the following Thursday letting me know that I had made the second round shortlist. I was asked to come in for the second (& final) interview again on a Monday at 9am. I again agreed. The interview lasted another two hours (that is four hours in total!) and I was told that they would let me know on Thursday at the very latest. Thursday came and went..........no call/mail. So on Friday at 1pm I sent a mail to the HR girl who arranged the interviews to see what the story was. No response. I called and left a message. Still nothing. At this stage I got really pissed off so I sent another mail at 5pm this time to another member of HR. 5 minutes later I get an email back from the original girl who arranged the interviews telling me that I had not made their shortlist and that my application was unsuccessful (This was obviously a template that she had sent out to the unsuccessful first round candidates). What a cop-out! :mad:

My question is: Is this the normal HR procedure after an interview? Has anybody else experienced anything similar or was I just unlucky (or jinxed perhaps?)

the_syco

From a few interviews myself, and a few people here, the usual crap is you apply... and, if you're lucky, a "Please F**k Off" letter 28 days later.

But mostly, you never hear back. Even if you do get an interview, some places will still not get back to you. So far, I've been mainly lucky: they got back to me shortly afterwards. Anyone I've had to chase up, I tend to avoid, as they seem to just harvest the CV's.

Clairecluck

I've had a couple of these experiences myself and it is a real pet hate of mine. Its time companies came to realise that they are not doing you a favour by giving you an interview. The interview is a business meeting between to equal parties, one party wanting to sell their skills and the other party wanting to buy.

I think its the height of ignorance for a company to assume that they are not obliged to contact you after an individual taking time out of their schedule (usually annual leave) to come and meet them.

On the other hand, if a company fail to contact you and display such a lack of professional qualities, isn't it a sign of a lucky escape? After all, its the HR dept who don't bother to contact you and had you been successful, it would have been that HR dept you would have been dealing with with regards your personal issues etc.

Any company worth their salt will have the professional etiquette to make a polite phone call or drop a mail to inform a candidate whether they have been successful or not.

Songmeister

Raekwon wrote: »

I work in IT and I am looking to hopefully move jobs in the not so distant future and I've been to a couple of interviews for roles that interested me. My gripe is, after going to the trouble of preparing for then sitting through an interview isn't it common courtesy to let the person who went to the interview know if he or she actually got the job in the end???

Ha-ha, you poor fool!No offense intended, in fact I sympathise completely with you as I know what it is like.

jackal

Have had the same experience plenty of times. HR seem to have the attitude that not calling you is the equivalent of letting you know politely that you were not successful. Basic rule of thumb is to assume you have not got the job unless you hear otherwise. If they want to offer you the job rest assured they will get in touch. Thing is if you are unsuccesful you have absolutely no value to HR, so they really dont care.

AARRRGH

It should take them no more than 20 seconds to copy and paste a standard "Sorry you didn't ge the job" response.

And most employers know instantly if you're going to get the job, so they could probably send the e-mail the following day.

It's just lazy, rude HR staff. Unfortunately it seems lazy, rude HR staff are common.

Jo King

I would imagine they do not call people back so that if their first choice bombs they can go to recently people on their list. Of course if an interviewee hassles them they just take that candidate off the list.