to think if she wanted the job, she would be replying more quickly

[Thinkingthisthrough]

Run a small business. Interviewed 20 people locally for a PA role and made a decision yesterday to take someone on. Sent her quite a formal email at 10am saying she had got the job at the salary she wanted, and could she send me a copy of her national insurance/identification etc and confirm when she could start (we need ASAP), so we can get things moving.

Got a reply at 10am this morning saying. "Hi how are you? I'll have a look for my passport and nat insurance number."

There are other candidates who would be just as good, but we chose her because she was bilingual. AIBU to feel that she is not that bothered? Should I contact someone else? If I'm NBU then what do I say to her if/when she eventually gets back?

[BertPuttocks]

I think it would have been better to phone her rather than send an email. Not everyone checks their email account during the day.

[MatildaTheCat]

Perhaps she's not at home? It's only been two hours so YABU to give the job to someone else when you've already offered it to this person.

[MirandaWest]

Does she know how quickly you need someone to start, and do you know that she is able to start at that time?

[VimFuego101]

I would at least give her till the evening to respond... She may not even be at home during the day.

[MatildaTheCat]

Sorry, just realised you emailed yesterday. If you are concerned why not email back saying you need it by X time?

[ImperialBlether]

It was 10 o'clock yesterday when the message was sent, wasn't it?

[Thinkingthisthrough]

Yes I sent it 10am yesterday and she replied 10am this morning. She said that her preferred method of contact was email and not phone...

[Move2WY]

I think you are excited and want her to be too. She will be so happy I am sure but I don't think that her taking 24 hours to reply is a sign she wont be good at the job....or do you?

[Rawhh]

I think you are jumping the gun a bit. She has accepted the offer and will be getting the paperwork to you. I do this day in and day out and it isnt unusual for candidates to take time to get things together. Really she shouldn't be sending copies of her ID to you but bringing these on her first day for you to see yourself not sending copies so she may be planning on doing this. A start date could depend on when her current employer releases her from there employment so that could also explain her delays.

[Thinkingthisthrough]

She hasn't accepted the offer though. Her reply was "Hi how are you? etc"

[RobinsAreTerritorialFuckers]

I do think that is odd, actually.

I wouldn't reply to a formal email, let alone a job offer, with anything as casual as 'hi' and I certainly wouldn't say I'd 'look' for basic documents/details such as those - it sounds really disorganised.

I know these things don't always matter, but surely in a PA, they do?

I think I'd send another email, still formal, asking her to confirm when she will be in touch and giving her a deadline - in my last job, I was told that I needed to confirm details quickly as they couldn't send out rejections to other candidates until my offer was confirmed. Maybe that would give her the clue that she's being a bit out of order?

[Rawhh]

I would take that to mean she has accepted. Why else would she be looking for those things? Have you not emailed back to clarify? Dont decline the other strong candidates yet if its a short start you could say you are still interviewing however it would be unprofessional to withdraw the offer within such a short time frame. With time sensitive offers I would usually put "response required within 48hrs or we will assume you have declined the offer" clearly and follow up with a call regardless of their prefered contact method.

[thelittleredhen]

It sounds to me like she's biding her time waiting for another, more preferred, job offer to come through, which is why her message is so non-committal.

[MattDillonsPants]

I would email her back and ask directly for confirmation. Make it clear she needs to let you know by end of business today or you will need to fill the position again.

[oldlaundbooth]

Surely she should have replied in the same vein as the email? I. E Formally.

As in :

Dear Thinking,

Many thanks for your email.

I accept the position. I will forward you my documents shortly.

I look forward to working with you,

Perfect employee '

Or is it just me?

[OfficiallyUnofficial]

I'd be concerned a PA that needs to create formal communications is so relaxed and unclear in her approach!

[Mrscog]

I would have expected a reply along the lines of oldlaundbooth has outlined!

A tip though - I wouldn't ever interview more than 8 people for a post (in fact my limit is 6), 20 is far too many to make the process fair and cost effective for you.

[RubbleBubble00]

Send her another email stating you need copies by X date if she is accepting the job and the date you will be expecting her to start.

[GooseFriend]

I think you're being v unreasonable. She's got your email and rather than sitting on it she's sent a reply so you know she's doing what you've asked her to.

Surely rather than slagging her off in a completely identifyable way on mumsnet, should could have emailed her back saying 'great. I'd like you to start on X date. Please confirm if that's possible. Can you bring your paperwork in this week so we're ready for you to start.'

Yabvu

[WeAllHaveWings]

I think the email is very telling about the quality of PA she is likely to be. Inappropriate response for the situation and I cant believe she didn't thank you for the job offer.

Although saying that I have never had a job offer by email, its always been a personal telephone call where I either accepted (subject to reading contract) over the call, we have another meeting to discuss terms, or a conversation about when the contract would be sent and potential starting dates.

Think you should pick up the phone.

[VimFuego101]

Oops I misread. Not finding and sending them yesterday evening is quite slack. Do you think she's waiting to hear from another interview and is trying to stall things with you till she knows whether she's got the other role?

[IceMaiden73]

Hmmm alarm bells would be ringing for me about the informal reply, as well as the timing. I would get with no 2

[Pisssssedofff]

This is why you always offer roles verbally

[AppleSetsSail]

Alarm bells would be ringing in my head as well. Her reply is not impressive. For starters, I would expect a PA candidate to always know where her passport is.

[APlaceOnTheCouch]

So she didn't thank you for the job offer or confirm when she could start? I can't tell if you've only reproduced some of her email or all of it

It's an odd response. It would make me feel a bit unsettled about appointing her to a role that presumably involves responding to emails and writing professionally. Also, and this may just be me being judgey, but if she did see the email when it first arrived then how disorganised is she that she can't find her passport or NI number in 24 hours