Would you still go to a job interview if you’d been offered a job elsewhere?

[silverdoorframe]

As an employer, I’ve had this happen twice this year. A candidate has come to an interview, we’ve offered the job only for them to turn it down as they’d already accepted a job elsewhere but just wanted to see if we could offer anything better before they started in their new role.

For me as an interviewer, we put a lot of effort and time into interviews, we prep questions, provide refreshments, offer a tour of working area and want to make sure the candidate gets a good impression of us too. Interviews work both ways.

When a candidate comes along even though they’ve already accepted a job elsewhere, it feels like a waste of everyone’s time and the equivalent of going to view a house with absolutely no intention of buying. Fair play to the candidates for actually admitting it but at the same time, I don’t think it reflects well on them. Also, if they were to accept our offer, I feel bad for the other employer who thought they’d successfully recruited, only for the applicant to pull out.

Is this a common thing now?

Of course I would and have done, just last year I had to give an answer by the Monday and had another interview scheduled on Tuesday. I managed to squeeze 7k more and extra holiday out of the Tuesday firm so it was a no brainer really.

They are hedging their bets aren’t they. Recruiters are also ruthless, I only went for a three stage interview six weeks ago for them to tell me they wanted me for the role. Thank god I never handed my resignation in because two days later they had reassessed and decided they weren’t recruiting for that role anymore!

I wouldn’t tell them at the interview! But I would do it, why not? They might prefer what you can offer.

I did do that, but then I didn't tell the people interview me that I'd had a job offer.

Yes. I might like the job from the second interview more (not just for monetary reasons) or the first offer might get withdrawn etc.

If I was happy with the first offer, I wouldn't go for the second interview, but I worked in HR for decades and know what's involved in the recruitment process.

For Joe Bloggs, they'll see if they can get a better offer
It also gives them a stronger position to get more £££ from the first offer.

Yes, absolutely. When you’re looking for a job you’re looking for the best you can get. Why wouldn’t you have a look if something may be better. I’d also use it as a bargaining tool in the right circumstances.

I guess for me, once I’ve accepted a job offer and the paperwork is signed, I think of my job search as being over. Maybe I’m weird!

I'm sure you interview multiple candidates - why shouldn't the candidate have multiple interviews?

I accepted an offer for my not-dream job because I needed a job, and then the dream job came through when I was doing the various health checks etc. So I pulled out (and then stayed in the dream job 10 years)

”wasting” an hour of interview time is a lot better than wasting months training them and then them leaving!

Minor point, but I would say I had accepted another job once I had verbally done so, even if I was waiting for paperwork

Absolutely no issue with that. It’s just that they’ve attended the interview with us, knowing they’ve already accepted an offer elsewhere.

I can understand that - those are unusual circumstances. Glad you got your dream job!

The interview process for candidates can be lengthy, time consuming and frustrating when deadlines are stretched and people don’t hear.

The interview process goes both ways and I’d certainly want to see whether the second interview offered a better fit. If the second is offered and is better, the first will have a candidate they can offer to, so it isn’t going to delay their recruitment process.

It's their right to do so. People take jobs far too personally and believe that the job values them because they value the job. In reality everyone is replaceable and you shouldn't dedicate your life to a company because they're not dedicating anything back

I would have, but then I was once verbally offered a role and their funding was pulled with a total headcount freeze before the paperwork was sent out, so now, I'd never say I'd accepted until I'd signed a contract.

Tough. Its like when candidates, spend time, money and maybe take time off to go for an interview and for the role to go to someone internal.

What you said

Interviews work both ways

You're not weird, you're naive

Don't actually understand what's wrong with this either.

People go to a job interview to see if the new job can offer them something better than their current job.
If the new job can't offer them something better than their current job, they're not going to leave.

It doesn't make any difference whether or not it's being compared to another job offer or a job.They've been in for ten years.

Consider every interviewer a waste of time when the person interviews and decides they don't want the role offered?

Do they have an obligation to take the job?Just because youed them?

I have never done this. But I might do it if I think I could benefit from the interview experience or if I was in two minds about which role to take. As much as it is a huge waste of your time I don’t think it’s an unreasonable thing to do.

I've got experience on both sides. As a recruiter, it's frustrating, but also why it's important to keep a second/third choice until the first choice confirms everything. I've also gone back to a close second choice, a few weeks later. We gave her really nice feedback, and she was totally appointable - just not the first choice, who was outstanding. The first choice pulled out about 4 weeks later, just before she was about to start. She'd been offered her dream role, and she was as professional about it as she could be. The runner up ended up taking the role, and stayed in the job for about 5 years; she was great, and understood the situation, where we knew we wanted her in the team - if only we'd had two roles from the beginning!

As a candidate, I may well be in this position soon.... I've two interviews in the next 10 days. I applied for both, as I'm currently on a fixed term contract, and applied for things which looked interesting; with one being pretty close to my dream role. First interview is on Weds, for a job I'm sure I'd be happy in; and the second one in 10 days, in a role I feel is made for me. So, if I'm offered the first role, I don't know how long I can deliberate, until the second interview....

I think it's about how you handle it. You are interviewing them, as much as they're interviewing you (as an old boss once told me.) Be professional and courteous in all of the communication - you never know when you'll come back into the orbit of these folks, or if you know them already. I always think I'd rather have a difficult conversation, than end up in a role where I would always be wondering 'what if' about the other one.

I’m not sure if I’d still attend the interview as I’d think my job search was over too unless the role was something I was really wanting to do.
However I had a public sector interview last Tuesday and private sector one on Friday at a company I’ve previously worked with. I’ve got that job today - I desperately want to return to work after a personal break so even though I think returning to an old company is a step back I’d rather be in work. Nothing signed yet due to start in January. I really really really want the public sector one though but unlikely to hear for a month due to the ridiculous public sector recruiting method.. if by some miracle I get that one what do I do? That’s my current conundrum..

Yup

Was there a gap at all between them interviewing and you offering the job? Had they definitely accepted another job prior to interview?