To think it's plain rude to not inform job candidates when they haven't been successful

[Ruffello]

I had an interview for a job with a large company a couple of months ago. I then had a second interview which was via Skype with one of the managers in New York. Since then I've heard nothing. It's pretty obvious I didn't get the job, but surely it's a basic courtesy to let the unsuccessful candidates know.

wanttomakeadifference what a lovely post. I bet people like working for you.

YANBU
I wouldn't want to work for them if they were that rude

YANBU - it's a crap way to treat people who have attended interviews. Poor show. Mind you it says a lot about how a company is managed - so I would be thankful not to have got the job in the end (clutching at straws to see a positive view, I know).

You must be disappointed - good luck in the job hunting however.

the company wouldn't have interviewed hundreds or thousands of applicants though.

I always let unsuccessful interviewees know and offer them detailed feedback if they want it - very very few take me up on the offer, which is sad. There can sometimes be a little bit of a delay if it was a close decision and the first choice then leaves us waiting while they decide whether or not to accept, but it would never be more than about 10 days max.

Applications are different though. In my previous job it wasn't unusual to get around 1500 paper application forms for each vacancy. We had to adopt the "if you don't receive an invitation to interview in X weeks then you haven't been successful" because we simply didn't have the resources to reply to all the unsuccessful applicants.

I think where the application is on-line, it's rude not to have the system set up to automatically notify unsuccessful candidates.

OP, YANBU but don't despair! I know it's hard but there could be a good reason why you have heard nothing. Possibly they have made an offer to another candidate but you were next in line so they don't want to let you know before the first candidate has signed on the dotted line.

Alternatively, they could just be really slow! I had a job application where I heard nothing for SIX months!! I even emailed the person recruiting to ask for feedback as I was sure I hadn't got the job only to be told I was still in the running. Basically a crucial decision maker had left and they didn't want to recruit until he had been replaced and could feed in to the decision - but that didn't happen for a while.

I think you're perfectly within your rights after two interviews and having waited two months to contact them and ask for feedback

We always rang interview candidates to let them know they hadn't been successful and give them feedback. Usually within a day or two of the interview unless there was some reason we weren't sure about the preferred candidate (e.g. waiting for references) and wanted to keep them in reserve.

Not communicating at all is at the least very lazy, especially in a big company where there would almost certainly be admin support to manage the process.

I wouldn't expect to receive notification that I hadn't been called to interview (most jobs I've applied for have given an interview date/period so you know if you've not heard by then they didn't pick you).

Dh went for an interview one time including an hour with the company's MD. we never heard back. Seemed daft - if the MD could spend 60 mins with him, surely his secretary could spend 5 mins sending an email saying "no thanks".

It also doesn't bode well when you turn up for an interview, and are kept waiting for ages. Especially if the person interviewing is the one you will be working with. Shows disorganisation/that they are under that much pressure they can't leave their desk on time.

It cuts both ways though too - I've had candidates not turn up for interview, or in one case, to start the job they had accepted, no phone call, nothing.

YANBU. They used to be able to argue it would cost too much in postage (not that it's a great excuse for impoliteness but still), but with an email there's not that excuse.

Yanbu as you were interviewed

Ybu if you wanted a response for an application that was rejected

YANBU - Dbro had an interview at a high end supermarket and didn't hear back that he hadn't got the job for two weeks. In fact, by the time he'd heard back about not getting it, his mate had already started working for them!