Is it just me, or is this pretty bad form?

deletthis

OH had a job interview middle of last week for a new position at existing employer. Altogether 3 people interviewed all of them internal.

Fast forward to Monday and OH hasn't heard anything. Logs onto intranet, there's a new job advert for the post currently filled by one of the other applicants - ergo, alarm bells for OH.

Yesterday & today several people have commiserated OH in work on not getting the job, and still nobody has actually told her the outcome of the interview panel.

Having been in management for a fair while, to me this really stinks. It's left OH totally questioning own value to employer that everybody else knew first and 2 days later, still nobody has bothered to provide an official outcome.

Interested to hear others views & experiences - do I just expect too much based on my own values & the way I treat my colleagues?

miamee

Sounds like pretty bad form to me, the obvious thing to do (I would have thought) is to tell all 3 applicants separately if they were successful or not and only then to make a company wide announcement about it. Although it sounds like they didn't even make the company wide announcement, just have told a few people and allowed the office rumour mill to do the rest.

deletthis

miamee wrote: »

Sounds like pretty bad form to me, the obvious thing to do (I would have thought) is to tell all 3 applicants separately if they were successful or not and only then to make a company wide announcement about it. Although it sounds like they didn't even make the company wide announcement, just have told a few people and allowed the office rumour mill to do the rest.

Pretty well sums it up.

My practice has always been to tell unsuccessful candidates first to avoid a successful candidate leaking to them, allowing me to manage the message & offer constructive feedback & development goals. Then again I've been fortunate enough to work for some very good people managers in my time & would like to think I've learned a thing or two.

callaway92

deletthis wrote: »

Pretty well sums it up.

My practice has always been to tell unsuccessful candidates first to avoid a successful candidate leaking to them, allowing me to manage the message & offer constructive feedback & development goals. Then again I've been fortunate enough to work for some very good people managers in my time & would like to think I've learned a thing or two.

What if the successful candidate ends up not accepting?

deletthis

callaway92 wrote: »

Why if the successful candidate ends up not accepting?

That's a fair observation. It's never happened to me, but absolutely could I guess. Food for thought for next time!

skallywag

This is really unprofessional behavior.

It also seems to me that things have moved at some pace, i.e. interview mid-week and then the successful candidate's previous position already being advertised the following Monday? It may well be the case that the person who got the job was a shoe-in from the off, and that the others were only interviewed in order to tick some boxes.

deletthis

skallywag wrote: »

This is really unprofessional behavior.

It also seems to me that things have moved at some pace, i.e. interview mid-week and then the successful candidate's previous position already being advertised the following Monday? It may well be the case that the person who got the job was a shoe-in from the off, and that the others were only interviewed in order to tick some boxes.

Yep, did think along those lines.

I'm really disappointed for OH, not nice to see someone you car about treated this way.

wardides

Definitely more common than people think I would say. It's generally the way things are done in my place. Always heard of it happening to other colleagues, but recently happened to me. Expressed an interest in a job in a different function looking after a certain client. No interview process held, another colleague just got it. Fair enough, they already worked in that function. I then in turn interviewed for that role that was now vacant in the function, which I got. 2 months into my move (in the business a couple of years) the person who got the job looking after my preferred client left, so I again expressed my interest (I'd be a better fit for this client, and felt silly thinking I was a good fit in November but not now). Wasn't overly pushy as I was happy enough with getting into the function as a whole, but still thought I'd be a good fit. Asked several times, was told the company was just looking at options. I distinctly asked about 2 weeks ago, should I just forget about it completely (no problem doing so) to which I was told no we will know more in a week or so. By this time, general knowledge I had gone for the role within the company.

Yesterday it was announced they had hired somebody external for the role, in a room full of all my direct colleagues. Felt a little silly.

Anyway, sorry to hijack, but it's pretty common in my past experience. I would say highlight it to HR as I will be doing so, as unless someone highlights it they will constantly think it is ok.

Doff

Really bad form. Like said already I suspect the position was already promised to another applicant, which I've seen happen, but the way they handled telling your OH is abysmal. Do you know if any of the other unsuccessful applicants were informed?

OMM 0000

deletthis wrote: »

nobody has actually told her the outcome of the interview panel

So far all I see is speculation that she didn't get the job.

skallywag

OMM 0000 wrote: »

So far all I see is speculation that she didn't get the job.

That's a valid point, and makes me ask as to what exactly the source of the commiserations from her colleagues was, i.e. is this all based purely on the job advert which appeared on Monday in the intranet, and nothing else?

Berserker

deletthis wrote: »

Fast forward to Monday and OH hasn't heard anything. Logs onto intranet, there's a new job advert for the post currently filled by one of the other applicants - ergo, alarm bells for OH.

Might be the case that the team is short on numbers and the timing of the advertisement above coincides with your OH's interview. Also, based on my experience with interviews, I doubt that the interview panel have had enough time to reach a decision, report back to HR and for HR to issue a formal offer in two or three days.