Closing Job Application Process Early

[CockatooZoo]

Just wanting some thoughts on this. I was applying for a job under the guaranteed interview scheme, I would have been offered an interview as I met all the criteria and had several years experience with all points of the criteria, qualified in the subject area and worked at a more senior level to this role in another organisation (similar).

I read through the application thoroughly and had worked on my draft application for quite a while, adjusted my CV and ensured everything was easy to link together to demonstrate the competencies. It also included a personal statement which I wrote from scratch.

There was no mention of rolling applications or that applications would close early for any circumstance on the website.

I went to submit the application on Friday (having had a reminder email at midnight) and they had closed it early. I have been told it's because they chose the candidate.

Now, I have a big issue with this because I feel it puts women and people with disabilities at a huge disadvantage. I feel really off that they have closed it on the final day of school closures, before a weekend (when partner's could have been in a better position to provide childcare) and with zero information about the possibly this would happen.

I have emailed HR but had no response yet.

@dontdisturbmenow

There are people making many more job applications than the OP and their time is valuable as is anyone else's The world doesn't revolve around individuals. It's amazing the number of people who see themselves as so important to unknown entity.

All the organisation cares for is to have a good pool of candidates. They did. They acted within the law. The end.

I agree, some people don't seem to realise that they aren't the most important being. The company doesn't care who has or who hasn't had time, had issues, has other responsibilities. They just care that they have had enough good applicants to choose from and can pick someone they think will fit well. Someone who managed to get their application in promptly will likely be looked at more favourable anyway then stragglers.

Claiming a lack of childcare as a reason for not completing a job application doesn't look good. How would you manage to do the job if your child has to isolate or schools close again?
Saying about childcare issues before you even put in a job application would put a lot of employers off.

I think that not only you are completely BU

but your attitude on here would make me run a mile as an employer!
If you are already complaining to HR, you sound like a childish trouble maker.

I get your argument about disability, so you could make the point about confirming it could closing early (saves them wasting time with disgruntled non-candidates for a start)
but women and mothers? please.

You know it's also common practice to cancel interviews if you think you find a suitable candidate and save everybody's time?

How would you manage to do the job if your child has to isolate or schools close again?

I wouldn't be providing childcare to my ex partners children if I had a contracted (and paid) job.

I think it's poor form. When I APPLY for a post, I make a note of the closing date as sometimes I need to wait for some time off work to complete the application properly. Infuriating when they do this and it does discriminate against people with busier lives who need to plan their time.

@CockatooZoo

This is just one job out of thousands,

No it's not, there really are not thousands of jobs in my field of specialism, and it is very unlikely thousands of people would have applied that were actually eligible for it - given one of the criteria was a PhD in a specialist field

In that case they almost certainly found a candidate they REALLY wanted. PhD jobs in particular you never want to sit on because you can gaurentee everybody who applies is highly passionate and experienced.

@RonObvious

Am surprised by the number of posters saying this is a frequent occurrence - I’ve never known it to happen before, so maybe it varies across industries. Personally, I think YANBU, but it’s definitely something I will be aware of from now on!

Take it you’ve never applied for an nhs job then

it does discriminate against people with busier lives who need to plan their time.

It's well known that you are a in much better position when currently working, for many reasons. There's nothing about discrimination here, unless you want to argue that people who are less organised and less keen are discriminated?

Some companies are very inflexible with interviews date. Some people will lose out because they physically cannot cancel their days and attend one of the available slots. It happens. That's life. It gives you no favour to complain to HR about it, they are well aware it won't work for some people!

Seriously, can't stress it enough. If you're applying for a position that requires a PhD, you need to sprint after it without a second to waste, because in a average job you might get 200 applications, of which only 20 are viable. With PhD position, almost every single candidate is comes armed with potential. So it's not unusual to end up with fewer applicants but a MUCH larger pool of candidates than the average job. If they have found somebody they really want, they're not going to leave the post open because it's a waste of everybody's job. If they have choosen, they have choosen. There's nothing to gain from chasing them.

If childcare or your disability IS the genuine reason why you couldn't apply earlier, why didn't you contact them and ask how likely it was they would close early?

They would have told you it was likely, you could have made arrangements accordingly.

Your angry, upset and disappointed. I don't blame you, I would have been to, but blaming others and pulling the disability card to avoid facing your own misjudgement is not the best way to learn from the experience.

As a manager, I wouldn't want to hire someone who is so quick to point the fingers on others for their own errors, no matter how perfect they look on paper.

why didn't you contact them and ask how likely it was they would close early?

Because there was no reason it would have closed early - there was no wording to say it may close early. Unlike other job descriptions there was nothing to say "we may close early if x,y, or, z happens".

Not blaming anyone but their process / advertisement.

It would be ridiculous to contact a potential employer to ask if it was likely that their job advert would close earlier than the posted date.

OP sorry this happened, I usually submit applications towards the closing date ( thankfully internally) because I want to triple check the form and polish up any little bits I think need more attention.

I was applying for a job under the guaranteed interview scheme

I think you took this far too literally, assumed it was in the bag and frankly got cocky.

Be careful, because it sounds you will apply to many more jobs (or just one, I don't wish you to fail at all!), so you need to remember it's up to you to bring something to your job, not the other way around.

It's hardly cocky to assume the stated closing date for an application is in fact the date you need to submit your application by.

It's hardly cocky to assume the stated closing date for an application is in fact the date you need to submit your application by.

I was talking about the general attitude.

Fair enough to be disappointed, but come on. And I especially dislike people playing the "women and mother" discrimination card, when presumably the application was not left opened for male candidates, was it?

People leaving everything last minute or until the end is also one of my pet hates, but I accept that's just me

I was talking about the general attitude

The attitude of equality? I did assume I would get an interview because that is exactly why guaranteed interview schemes exist (as I had hit all the essential and desirable criteria)

I also assumed that the deadline would be the deadline, because, well, that is what was stated on the information.

Because there was no reason it would have closed early
We're in a pandemic. People desperate for jobs. We hear enough about jobs attracting 100s of applications.That's certainly enough of a reason.

I also assumed that the deadline would be the deadline, because, well, that is what was stated on the information
And maybe just maybe, it did say somewhere, in one of the attached documents that they can close the date early but you missed it since you didn't have time to give it your full attention.

I'm sorry but it's not a big secret at all that a job advert can close before its end date.

@dontdisturbmenow Well as the person who, you know, actually read the documents - several times, there is absolutely no mention of any possibility it would close early. They have actually said there was no mention of this in the advert or supporting information

Sigh.

dontdisturbmenow Sorry that should not be reason - no hint that it would have closed early.

Scheme or no scheme, isn't it in your best interest to try showing you are the best and most motivated and enthusiastic candidate about the role?

Job applications closing early is such a common thing, and even so, if I find a job I am REALLY keen on, I try to show I am keen. It's not always a great look to wait too long.

Perhaps if you had spent less time reading and re-reading the documents, and just applying, you'd have got the deadline.

You seem intent that this was discriminatory. It wasn't. It was unfortunate for you, I can see why you are disappointed. But their policy of closing early was as equally as unfair to anyone else with other commitments or those who chose to take a slower approach.

I recruit and we close adverts when we feel we have enough applicants (no closing date stated). At the moment we are deluged with candidates, hundreds and hundreds. It just isn't practical to leave these open when we are confident we've got enough in the pool.

Hopefully next time you can apply quicker. Adjusting statements and answers for each specific job shouldn't take more than an hour or two.

On a practical note I'd suggest you contact them, explain that you just missed the deadline and can they consider your application.

Absolutely worth asking, worst they can say is no.

@BigPyjamas I did several re-reads of the documents after I found out it had closed - for clarity and to ensure that I was correct in thinking that early closures were not mentioned.

@BigPyjamas

On a practical note I'd suggest you contact them, explain that you just missed the deadline and can they consider your application.

Absolutely worth asking, worst they can say is no.

such a better attitude than whining about (unfounded) discrimination against women and mothers!