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Original poster

To think this woman was ridiculous

281 replies

lastqueenofscotland · 16/11/2018 12:22

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

OP posts:
katseyes7 · 16/11/2018 15:47

l once had a girl on my shift at work who only worked weekends. She had two young children, a partner, a sister and parents who lived literally two minutes away.
One Saturday she phoned in to say she couldn't come in to work because one of her children was ill and 'wanted her mummy'.
Which is fine, if you have no one else to look after them. But that doesn't really work in a police environment. She didn't last long.

Noodledoodledoo · 16/11/2018 15:56

RE asking for part time when its advertised as full time, my current part time job was advertised as full time but I contacted them prior to applying saying I only wanted part time and asked if it was worth applying. Luckily for me I am a teacher in a shortage subject with a degree in the subject!!!

coursedarlin · 16/11/2018 16:11

I interviewed (or attempted to interview) someone this week who arrived almost 20 minutes late and in a ripped coat and trainers. When he was informed he wouldn’t be seen due to the lateness he told us it was only 18 minutes actually and we had wasted his time!

DGRossetti · 16/11/2018 16:14

I interviewed (or attempted to interview) someone this week who arrived almost 20 minutes late and in a ripped coat and trainers. When he was informed he wouldn’t be seen due to the lateness he told us it was only 18 minutes actually and we had wasted his time!

At least they turned up. Currently, I've run at 25% of invitees just don't turn up. No call, no nothing. And this is for technical roles like developers and DBAs.

Only had one person walk out of an interview ....

Original poster
lastqueenofscotland · 16/11/2018 16:30

It’s bizarre
We’ve had a few time wasters glad to know it’s not just us

OP posts:
ExFury · 16/11/2018 16:31

There’s ways to ask and that’s not it.

I asked about flexibility at an interview years ago when they said that the “every other Saturday” switched week every so often. So rather than on, off, on, off, on, off it was on, off, on, off, on, on, off, on, off... so you weren’t working th same pattern continuously, but that didn’t work for me as I had my kids every other weekend. They said there was no scope for changing so I apologised for wasting their tome (even though it wasn’t in their advert) and left.
Sounds like she didn’t actually want that job anyway.

DGRossetti · 16/11/2018 16:36

Sounds like she didn’t actually want that job anyway.

Some people have to go, or get sanctioned Sad

SheWoreBlueVelvet · 16/11/2018 16:48

Racecardriver well not many nurserys / childminders open Saturdays.

FrazzyAndFrumpled · 16/11/2018 17:00

This happens all the time, another one is people wanting part time when it’s a full
Time job

There are so few PT jobs advertised, but a lot of companies will consider PT hours if you ask them!

Biancadelriosback · 16/11/2018 17:14

18 month year old?

Allergictoironing · 16/11/2018 17:21

My SiL interviews the students doing a year in her Government department, and tells me the horror stories. The ones who just don't show, the ones who turn up very late with no good excuse, the ones who turn up scruffy or dressed in completely unsuitable attire for office work (think hot pants & flip flops, or track suit bottoms), the ones who haven't even bothered to check what the department does, let alone the division the job is in, the ones who make it clear they aren't interested in the job as it stands they just want to do technical work (not in the JD).

Been both sides of the table myself, and I think one thing that scares me is when I run through my prep with the agency they are surprised that I do everything on my list as a matter of course. We aren't talking about anything really off beat here just company research both their website & general Google, interviewer research (via linked in usually), travel route & time then contingency calculated, parking availability (if required), read JD & try to match to experiences.

DeegeeDee · 16/11/2018 18:08

Why did they walk out @DGRossetti?

Did a spate of interviewing this year and amount of time wasters seems to be increasing.

DGRossetti · 16/11/2018 18:13

I only had one walk out. I'm a techie, so ask techie questions. My general method is to find the most obscure ones possible - ones that no one should know by any right (I certainly don't). The idea is to see how people think, not what they know. A good candidate will admit they don't know, and go through how they'd find out, which is a great way of testing initiative, understanding, and resourcefulness.

In short, not knowing the answer isn't a negative.

But one person, just looked blank, and said "if that's the level of question, I'm afraid I can't do this". Stood up. And left.

The irony is that position when to a graduate straight out of Uni. Teh reason being they were fired by the question and gave a two-minute stream of consciousness about finding the answer. Moreover, when they left, they stopped and asked me if they were right (no one else did). They got the job and within 3 years were managing a team.

It's a cruel irony that I never got to interview myself Sad.

(I also tended to ignore qualifications on cvs, much to HR disgust ...)

DeegeeDee · 16/11/2018 18:27

Hahaha, can see your thinking, thanks @DGRossetti.

WontonSoupForTheSoul · 16/11/2018 18:49

I’ve sat on panels for thousands and thousands of public sector appointments and it shocks me how many women at interview bring up the fact that they have children as an excuse a reason to not do part of the job.

Field engineer role (advertised as coming with a company van to transport large amounts of equipment)- “Can I have a car instead of a van as I need childseats so I can drop my kids to school?”

EA/PA- “I can’t guarantee I’ll be in by 9.30 because my husband has to get to work so I donthe crèche run” (for a 9-5 role supporting the CEO)

Engineer- “After lunch I can only visit sites on X side of town because I have to make sure I’m on X road no later than 4pm to collect from childminder at 5 (in 9-5 role)

It’s like a kick to the sisterhood.

KokiriForest · 16/11/2018 19:07

I have to do Saturdays and so do a lot of other women I work with and they have children, yet there never has been complaints about this. It would have left a bad taste in my mouth too.

thecatsarecrazy · 16/11/2018 19:10

Im lucky if i get any Saturdays off and I'm a mum of 3. Silly cow

SauvignonBlanche · 16/11/2018 19:24

I interview regularly for roles that cover 6 day working and 12 hour shifts, despite it being on the JD and the person spec and I always labour the point at the start of the interview it still comes as a surprise to some.

I was once told when interviewing someone for a role that involved night shifts that they couldn’t do night as they had a baby and their DH was deaf so couldn’t be left with the baby. Hmm
Having a hearing loss myself, a deaf DH and a baby I struggled to keep my mouth shut but she seemed genuinely aggrieved when I turned her down.

TuftyBum · 17/11/2018 11:11

I've worked in recruitment and there are a small percentage of women who think that because they have children they are at the front of the queue for holidays, child friendly rotas, can come back from maternity and dictate their hours regardless of what the job needs or how it impacts the team etc.

Hellsbells35 · 17/11/2018 17:45

I think it is fine to discuss this at the interview. It goes both ways. She was well within rights to ask

Sarahrellyboo1987 · 17/11/2018 17:54

If I was asked to work weekends j wouldn’t be able to.
I have a disabled daughter, single mum and no childcare.
Just because you’re colleague is able to find childcare doesn’t mean everyone is able to.

PamPooveysCow · 17/11/2018 18:01

So presumably you wouldn’t apply for a job with Saturday shifts involved?

ButchyRestingFace · 17/11/2018 18:01

If you haven't seen it in a while, OP, you really should go and watch Spud from Trainspotting's car crash job interview. Grin

MotherOfDragonite · 17/11/2018 18:05

Gosh, all the hatred for mothers with childcare responsibilities!

Like -- is it really so crazy to think that we could potentially be able to be a little flexible about working hours in order to accommodate childcare? It's not like they're fecking off to go have a cocktail and eat canapes on whatever day/time it is you want them to be working instead.

ButchyRestingFace · 17/11/2018 18:09

Like -- is it really so crazy to think that we could potentially be able to be a little flexible about working hours in order to accommodate childcare? It's not like they're fecking off to go have a cocktail and eat canapes on whatever day/time it is you want them to be working instead.

I think it was more to do with the way the woman phrased her demand request for flexibility, rather than the need for flexibility itself.

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