Unprofessional?

She may have interviewed a better client after you.. who is now in negotiations, so they are holding you in reserve.
It happens, I’m afraid.

This used to drive me mad. I managed a professional membership society which offered scholarships. The volunteer officers would tell candidates there would be a decision that night despite me pleading for them to say ‘in a few days’. Of course something cropped up and then we had to contact the candidates and apologise for delay. Eventually I did get the officers to say ‘within a week’ - under promise and over deliver is always my preference.

100% agree OP. All they needed to say was we expect to make a decision in the next few days so will be in touch by next week.

It sounds like a Mickey Mouse outfit anyway.

It would be a no from me unless it was a medical emergency and they were in hospital or had a valid serious reason.

Agreed, she is not to be trusted, I'd bin this one.

I had an internal interview last year (applying for a vacancy in my department but under different line management) and they didn't get back to me in over a week 😂. I didn't want to be pushy so waited for about a week and then asked my line manager if they knew what was happening. It turned out that one of the interview panel had gone off sick after the interviews were held but they failed to let any of the applicants know. I had to wait another couple of weeks at which point they graciously came back and said it was a draw between me and another applicant and I'd have to attend a second interview, which would have been no problem in general, but after no communication from them for ages and finding out some things about a few of the people in the team, I withdrew my application. I learned that one person on the interview panel had a disciplinary procedure against them as they had relentlessly bullied various junior staff. I know I dodged a bullet and the lack off communication was one of the indicators of all not being well, it was such a toxic work culture. I'm now working for another department for the same employer and my colleagues couldn't be nicer. Remember, at this stage you have the choice to walk away, not so easy once you work for someone unprofessional <shudders>.

I think it was a daft thing for the interviewer to commit to. But you do seem to be blowing it out of all proportion.

Yes, very small company, no HR, interviewed directly by the owner/manager.

Since you were interviewed by the sole decision maker, manager and person who promised to get back to you and did not, I understand how you might think she is flakey or not a good employer to work for.

By all means write off the opportunity if this crosses a line for you, but being a professional (which I'm sure you are) also means demonstrating patience and resilience when things don't go as planned.

If you applied through a recruitment agent, it is the agent's job to chase up the employer for you. Easier for a middle man to do this in a diplomatic manner. Don't feel you have to be guns blazing at this point.

I was the line manager interviewing and wanted to blow off a second best candidate in favour of the first. Recruitment in my office said no, keep the second candidate warm. Recruiment know more about recruiting than I do, having done this 100s of times more than me, so I listened. Would I call the candidate to say sorry, I cannot get back to you today? No, because if the candidate cannot wait, they'd go anyway. If they asked why, I did not want to lie and would lose them. So silence until we knew the position with the first and have a chance with the second.

I have been on the receiving end on this as a candidate many times. It sucks but it is life. The organisation you join is amorphous. You cannot realistically judge the culture from a few people you come in contact with during recruitment. I mostly never had any contact with them once I joined, other than the members of my team.

It's possible they've offered the job to the preferred candidate but that person hasn't confirmed or officially accepted yet so they're keeping their options open.
Or maybe either Sarah or John are off sick.
I'd leave things till late Tuesday afternoon and ask if they've appointed yet.

I see your point but that is not what happens in practice. Decision making within an organisation rarely vests with one person. If you worked in a organisation long enough, you will realise that things often take longer for completely mundane reasons like people being away and not having time to confer or not getting back in time. The need to being others along with the decision if this is a big hire.

Sure, have your standards. I'd say you are needlessly cutting off your nose to spite your face. Just chill and you might get there in the end.

I withdrew from a teaching job for this reason- I was told I'd be contacted that day, by 10pm I'd been sat by my phone for 11 hours scared to go to the loo in case I missed a call. Really unprofessional and a shitty way to treat people.

This.
I wouldn't be so beholden to their 'word', but IMO it's standard to give a longer waiting period than needed. Not the other way around.
Small company? No HR?

I agree with you. If you say you’re going to do something, then do it.

Did they even offer you the job OP? You might be wasting your time thinking of reasons to not work for them when they might not want you anyway.

As an interviewer, I've learnt to lie to candidates and always say it will take a week to get a decision (even if I'm aiming for 1 day) to avoid this situation.

I would assume you are their second choice!

They likely offered it to someone else and are negotiating things like salary/starting date and don't want to get back to you, as you are their back up plan, until everything has been agreed and the person has confirmed they are taking the role.

I would agree that it is annoying. I would just carry on with your job search.