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AIBU?

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Original poster

NHS job question

40 replies

StressyMcStressFace · 06/05/2023 07:56

I work in a band 2 admin role. Recently a band 3 position in my office was advertised and I applied for the job and was invited for interview. This.was for a role I knew a lot about had loads of relevant experience and quite frankly was perfect for me.

At the same time I was aware that another woman in my building who does a completely different admin role had also applied for the job and was also to be interviewed.

at the interview I felt I did really well. In fact probably one of the best interviews I have done particularly as I knew so much about the job. However about a month ago I found out I was unsuccessful. I was placed as first reserve and found out from my manager that there were only 2 points between me and the successful candidate. I was gutted obviously but accepted that that was the harsh reality.

None of us knew who been successful as background checks .had to be completed until yesterday when it was announced that the other woman from the building has got the job.

Some of us do wonder how she was successful as she has no reason to be so clued in to the role unless she was coached but that's another story.

She is due to start in couple of weeks and here is my aibu. Part of her role will be to take some of my work which I I know for a fact she has no experience in and has never used the computer programme. (And also I am completely on top of my work and do not need any of it to be taken from me but anyway). Managers don't know how it's done either and have never used the computer programme that's needed for it. Therefore I think I will most likely be asked to train new girl how to do her new job! The job I was rejected for!!

I'm still gutted that I didn't get the job and my judgement may be a bit clouded as a result so that's why I need a bit of clarification please

YABU you were not good enough to pass the interview and should suck it up and train the new girl
YANBU that is at best very very cheeky and at worst against policy for a lower band to train a higher band.

sorry its so long and hope it all makes sense thanks

OP posts:
drinkyourtea12 · 06/05/2023 08:35

Ahhh good old nhs toxic culture at play. Don't make her life hell.

OnceAgainWithFeeling · 06/05/2023 08:34

gentlemum · 06/05/2023 08:28

@StressyMcStressFace well that explains it then! Best friends with the recruiter is a great way to ensure you get the job.
For internal applicants they should have someone independent on the panel, either someone from another service or from HR. You'd be within your rights to raise that with them.

Where have you got that from? My team would never have done anything else if they had
to sit on every panel! They did for significantly senior roles.

gentlemum · 06/05/2023 08:33

@OnceAgainWithFeeling maybe it doesn't happen in your trust but it does happen. Don't be naive to think just because it's the public sector policies and procedures are followed to the tee.

gentlemum · 06/05/2023 08:28

@StressyMcStressFace well that explains it then! Best friends with the recruiter is a great way to ensure you get the job.
For internal applicants they should have someone independent on the panel, either someone from another service or from HR. You'd be within your rights to raise that with them.

fabbykadabra · 06/05/2023 08:28

Can I ask of it's appropriate to be interviewed by our 3 managers (bands 4, 5 and 6) without an independent person present?

I have never had an NHS interview with an independent person present. It has always been the relevant managers and/or other members of the team with the vacancy.

fabbykadabra · 06/05/2023 08:21

This is of course going to feel rubbish for you, but the circumstances haven’t been engineered to slight you. You applied for a similar role to your current one - unsurprisingly there is some crossover. If you don’t feel confident training someone, you need to raise that with your line manager, but only if you genuinely think you couldn’t show her how to use the software or if you don’t have a capacity to do that alongside your other responsibilities. If this is just you being bitter, then yeah you need to suck it up. Show you can remain professional, continue to do well in your current role and apply for the next one that comes up.

It’s very presumptuous and arrogant to assume the other candidate could only possibly have beat you by being coached. NHS interviews tend to follow a similar structure and they really aren’t difficult to prepare for if you take the time to go through the job spec and brush up your knowledge accordingly.

You obviously did well in the interview if you were only 2 points behind, but sadly sometimes there is just someone else that came across a tiny bit better. Whilst that’s disappointing it doesn’t mean foul play and it doesn’t mean the successful candidate deserves to be mistreated by you when she starts. Try not to let your bitterness show, how would you feel starting a new role where someone in the team clearly had a grudge against you for something out of your control?

Straycatblue · 06/05/2023 08:21

This happens all the time in NHS & I'm sure other workplaces as well

It sounds like you expect worklife to be fair & that's not real life

What are your options = throw your toys out the pram? Refuse to train her? Make her life a misery when all she's done is exact thing as you & applied for a promotion. !

... Or you could show you're a team player.

It sounds like you're already bitching & gossiping about her & how you think she's unqualified to other colleagues, she's already coming into a toxic workplace that you've created for her with poor you as the victim - bravo this is one of the things the NHS does best!

Imagine reading it from another job example ie a newer nurse to the ward (but experienced in her previous ward) gets promoted over her colleagues who have much more experience on the ward.

So the existing nurses bitch about their new colleague & make plans about how not to train her in essential skills for that ward & patients suffer as a result.

Babycakes6 · 06/05/2023 08:18

This is one of the reasons why I left the government job and moved to private industry. I couldn’t handle it- promotions were never base on education, merit and/or experience.
We should start a petition, there should be an enquiry, this is taxpayers’ money, not their personal companies to employ their mates

Original poster
StressyMcStressFace · 06/05/2023 08:18

OnceAgainWithFeeling · 06/05/2023 08:04

Ex-NHS HR Director here. You couldn’t be more wrong.

OP, ask for interview feedback.

Show quote history

I have had feedback and was told I did a very good interview. Can I ask of it's appropriate to be interviewed by our 3 managers (bands 4, 5 and 6) without an independent person present?

OP posts:
Butterfly44 · 06/05/2023 08:16

As you found out there were two marks between you. She was the better candidate scoring at interview so gets the job. That's how interviews work. It's not based on what you know yourself about a person. Application gets you shortlisted then it's down to performance on the day.

Original poster
StressyMcStressFace · 06/05/2023 08:12

IAmNotOkay · 06/05/2023 08:06

I’d be tempted to book a nice long holiday starting shortly after she begins. Be interesting to see who starts training her & how they get on.

Just back from one unfortunately!

OP posts:
Original poster
StressyMcStressFace · 06/05/2023 08:12

gentlemum · 06/05/2023 08:01

Sorry, that's a really rubbish situation for you. My experience of working in the nhs is that when there are internal applicants managers decide who is getting the job before interview. I think it's completely wrong to expect you to train her, but also don't think there's anything you can do other than raise to your manager that you're uncomfortable with this.

That's exactly my thoughts! Its very relevant that the successful candidate is a best friends with one of the managers who interviewed us. More than a coincidence if you ask me but I don't want that to be the focus of the thread.

If I'm asked to train her I'll probably say I'll consult my union rep first but obviously can't do that now till Tuesday.

Thanks for your reply 🙂

OP posts:
IAmNotOkay · 06/05/2023 08:06

I’d be tempted to book a nice long holiday starting shortly after she begins. Be interesting to see who starts training her & how they get on.

OnceAgainWithFeeling · 06/05/2023 08:04

gentlemum · 06/05/2023 08:01

Sorry, that's a really rubbish situation for you. My experience of working in the nhs is that when there are internal applicants managers decide who is getting the job before interview. I think it's completely wrong to expect you to train her, but also don't think there's anything you can do other than raise to your manager that you're uncomfortable with this.

Ex-NHS HR Director here. You couldn’t be more wrong.

OP, ask for interview feedback.

gentlemum · 06/05/2023 08:01

Sorry, that's a really rubbish situation for you. My experience of working in the nhs is that when there are internal applicants managers decide who is getting the job before interview. I think it's completely wrong to expect you to train her, but also don't think there's anything you can do other than raise to your manager that you're uncomfortable with this.