To think this woman was ridiculous

[lastqueenofscotland]

I am leaving my job and am helping interview for my replacement.

Just had an interview with a lady and were just confirming that everyone is expected to work one Saturday a month and there is some overtime (paid at 1.5x hourly rate) certain months of the year.
The woman said that wouldn’t work for her and we were like “oh it was in the job description” and she puffs out her chest and declares loudly
“But I am a mother I can’t believe you have NO flexibility for this.”

Colleague who is the mother of 4 inc an 18 month year old had to seriously bite her tongue.

It’s really annoyed me and I can’t work out why

Because of her attitude I guess?

Had she approached it as a reasonable discussion it wouldn’t have been so irritating!

Probably because of her entitled attitude based on nothing but her procreation skills? And I guess the assumption that no-one else in the room could possibly be a mother?

How did you respond to her by the way?

I hope she is on MN and comes on to complain that she went for an interview and -shock horror- they expected her to work one Saturday a month when she is a mother!

I guess she won’t be offered the position then!

Once I interviewed someone for a position in a call centre and she proudly announced that she hated speaking to people on the phone. Don’t suppose she had really read the job description either!

It's bad practice to interview people for your job you're leaving 😵

But yes she's being an idiot!

Why @flumpybear - that's an interesting view. I don't think it's occurred to me before.

I'm not sure that's true. Why?

Is it possible she was sent for the job interview by an agency who didn't communicate the full details to her? If so, then the interview might be the first time she heard about the Saturday working so her reaction might have been a bit shocked if she wasn't expecting that.

Flumpy it’s quite niche and I’m the only person in the company who does it hence getting involved.

We just politely said it was a requirement and it might not be for her

I've been involved twice when interviewing for my replacement. Again it's quite a niche position though

It's bad practice to interview people for your job you're leaving 😵

Why?

“It’s really annoyed me and I can’t work out why”

Really? Not the slightest inkling?

It's bad practice to interview people for your job you're leaving

In all places where I worked, it was considered obligatory, as a "punishment" for leaving your manager in the lurch ...

I sat on the interview panel for my replacement. I knew the job inside out and was able to answer any questions honestly and accurately. Don't see the issue.

@lastqueenofscotland

At least she has made it clear she will not do weekends at the interview, and isn't promising it just to get the job. (And then refusing to do them later!)

Is it a workplace that is generally open weekends? (Like a maccy D's or travelodge?') If not (like if it's a normal office,) then she was entitled to be pissy. If it IS a place that opens weekend, then she is a time wasting twit.

Was it Andrea Leadsom? (and are you Theresa May?)

Is it possible she was sent for the job interview by an agency who didn't communicate the full details to her? If so, then the interview might be the first time she heard about the Saturday working so her reaction might have been a bit shocked if she wasn't expecting that.

But there's ways of reacting to that.
"I'm sorry, I hadn't been told about that. I have a 2yo and will struggle to get child care at the weekends. Is there any flexibility in that?"

Well I guess she's not getting the job then! I hate it when people do this. It gives the rest of us working parents a bad name.

Was it Andrea Leadsom? (and are you Theresa May?)

Not sure how one Saturday a month would require flexibility because she’s a mother ( I am a mother myself, I don’t see the connection-have I been mothering wrong? Am I missing out on some crucial Saturday mothering must do?)

Well obviously you expect people to be reasonable and agreeable in an interview and she had the opposite attitude so you're naturally going to bristle.

I wish she had read the job description properly, it's there for a reason.
Or maybe she thought she was so suitable, everyone else would work around her requirements. Life is not like that.

Move on, hope you find somebody suitable soon.

It's quite often that a position becomes available because someone is promoted and will become then be the line manger of their vacant post - does pp expect the new manager can't interview for the replacement just because it is their old job? Madness!

My SIL went for a job and when she was told the hours said 'well, that's fine as long as you don't mind a 2 and a 3 year old in the office with you.'

She didn't get it. She told us this story herself, btw, to illustrate how child unfriendly some businesses are.