Had school admin interview today - is it bad news?

[user3244786]

I had an interview for admin role in a primary school this morning. It is now 6pm and not heard anything. It’s also Friday today.. is it looking like bad news?

they didn’t say when we’d hear back about whether we were successful.

I was up against a lot of other candidates. Interviews only today. Would they contact successful candidate today or is it likely it would roll on to Monday?

thanks

What was the task?

We always tell candidates on the same day and we always contact the successful candidates first, just in case they decline (it has happened) and then we offer it to the second best candidate (if there was one) or go back out to advert. If it ended late Friday though, it could roll into Monday.

Do you work in education? That is certainly not how it works for teachers. Infuriatingly, interviews are on a certain day and decided on that day so if there are two jobs you could interview for, you have to take a bit of a risk if the job you prefer has a later interview date and only attend that interview. I've always heard back by about 19.00 on the day of interview.

I would expect it to be the other way around and inform the successful candidate first. If they then turn down the job, they offer to the next best.

They’d be pretty stupid to inform the unsuccessful, only to have to phone one back and offer, candidate would know they were second best.

Seems the procedures are different in education to my sector. Apologies.

We always inform the unsuccessful candidates first, because if we do not, they almost always hear they have been unsuccessful via the successful candidate. This is particularly the case where several people who know each other are applying for the same post. Even if the successful candidate does not tell them directly they pick it up from demeanour, body language etc.

We sometimes end up going back to an initially unsuccessful candidate if the preferred candidate turns down the offer. We do not find that a problem. Sometimes we re advertise though.

What if the successful candidate doesn't take the job @Ernestina123 ?

I've been in education for over 30 years and I've only once known a situation where the successful candidate wasn't called at the end of the day, with the unsuccessful ones being called immediately after. Even for headteacher posts as pp said.

in My experience, teaching jobs, they do try to call same day if they can - usually successful first, in case they say no! Anyone who was completely ruled out would also get a call.
there’s usually enough interviews to have the Head calling the successful candidate and someone else calling the unsuccessful at the same time.
Occasionally if there was a “close second” we might wait to see if the first choice declines, before calling them in case we can make an offer to them instead.

but we always explain on the day when we are likely to call.

In 18 years teaching I never did that, you just do both interviews, if you get offered the first you accept (assuming you would take it) and give your notice. Then if you are offered the more preferable job at the second later interview you accept that and withdraw from the first one.

In over 30 years teaching I can't imagine fitting two interviews at two different schools in in one day.

For teaching interviews I have always found out the same day.

I don’t work in education (well not since 1994) and it’s the way it’s been done in all previous employers I’ve had, from local government through to consulting.

Also, good luck OP. It ain’t over til it’s over, as they say!

I didn't mean that, I meant if there are two interviews say a week apart, go to both, if you are desperate to leave take number one, of 2 is better and you get that offer, drop 1.

I did however put back an interview (saying I couldn't make that date) the other candidates got interviewed on the Friday, I was seen on Monday and got the job, was there 6 years (well still there technically, but took a sideways move away from teaching long ago)

Only time I heard back that quickly was when I went for my current role internally.

In my school we would let you know on the day we would tell the successful one first and work down

Not unusual to take a few working days to get back to all candidates...maybe first person declined, or their refs didn't check out, then they work through their list. Its not over til you hear from them!

Teaching jobs it is standard to hear back the same day (because of the deadlines for giving notice so people are often intwrviewing for multiple jobs in the same week), not necessarily for other school roles. IME (having done both types of role in schools) they are slower to get back to candidates about admin roles because there isn't the same urgency.

I don’t think head candidates speak to each other and gossip but we’ve always informed them in the day but secondary heads are 2 day interviews. Very short list recalled for day 2 sometimes. Admin, 1 hour interviews is ludicrous and interviewing 8 is too. This should be over before lunch unless it’s a bursar for a secondary school. This school has a lot of time on its hands. Interviewing 4 is more normal.

Really? We always had it drummed into us that this was a terrible crime and all the local heads would talk about you! Which is ridiculous but I do understand with resignation dates you really could be leaving a school in a difficult situation if you withdrew.

Friday they probably packed up and said we’ll discuss the candidates Monday/ next week!

We had interviews last week and one candidate was phoned with a yes before she got to the tube!

@Bliiink That’s normal in teaching! Teachers are allowed to think school a is better than school b. We found this a lot with grads too. It’s just what happens and no one talks! It’s normal and understood - if a bit annoying.

It’s poor to leave days between interviewing and deciding. Good notes and matching to JD and spec would be essential - plus remembering the nuanced of each discussion. The first person interviewed could be at a disadvantage if decent notes are not taken.

Why didn't you ask when you could expect to be notified?

Got a call today . I got the job!!

Congratulations!