They knew their decision before interview

[jalepenocheese]

I applied for a higher position in my branch but was told my management team could not interview me because they knew me as such. Therefore I had to wait for someone else be available to interview me.
Fast forward over a month later I got my interview date so I prepared myself very well. My interviewer was another manager from another branch who I knew (previously worked in another branch together) my interview was over within half the expected time and I was told I would hear back in 3 days.

A few hours after my interview I got told the decision that I was unsuccessful in passing the interview by just 2 points. And they told me who did get the position. I know the person in question and they knew the interviewer very well (they worked together in same branch) this person also handed in their resignation about a month ago with the company! They are good at their job and had job offers with other companies.

I feel like the company didn’t want to lose her so offered her a higher position more £££ and already knew they were going to give her the position. But had to interview to be ‘fair’

Thoughts?

Of course they had. It's really obvious at times.

I had the wonderful time of hearing my boss leading somebody into my specialist work area, not realising I was in there at the time, telling them this would be the equipment they'd be using. Their face dropped when they realised I was in there and scuttled off pretty sharpish. Moreover, the person was somebody I knew well outside of work, although neither of us said anything to let that be known.

On the positive side, it meant I knew I was being actively lied to throughout the redundancy process in a bid to get the maximum amount of unpaid work out of me - before fucking me off at minimum legal notice at a time of year where they knew I'd find it impossible to get new employment in the same sector/very little chance of anything else being recruited in others. And the candidate knew they were obviously lying to them about many things, including not mentioning that the entire place was closing down and they would be out of a job within twenty weeks.

Yep it happened to me. In my case though it was my managers role i went for. I had the experience to do this. They moved in someone from another department who had handed her notice in to get the company to offer her more money to stay. She then expected me to train her from day 1. She told me she knew i had gone for the job but she was obviously more qualified but didnt want it to get in the way of our working relationship but we could put together a development plan as to how to get this role (i was doing her role already and had been without a manager for nearly 3 months). I went out got a new job 2 days later and then went on sick leave for the rest of my notice with my prexisting condition.

I heard she lasted 6 months in the new role before handing her notice in again (expecting to be offered another role interally) except the guy who wanted to keep her had been moved away into a non management consulting position and as such had no control on any teams hiring policies.

Honestly this sort of thing is rife. Everywhere I worked, half the jobs advertised were obviously going to go to a known internal applicant. It’s a reflection on the employer, not the applicants though.

Happened to me too. Promoted someone who knew far less about the role and was much less experienced. Then asked me to teach her the role - which I couldn't refuse to do. She was an absolute disaster.

I applied for two promotion positions in my last company, to be told by my direct manager that they knew who they were going to hire and had only advertised the roles because they had to and to not waste my time applying.
After the second one, I handed in my notice.

Happened to me; got down to the last four for a job. Didn’t get it. I had to go to the place on many occasions and never once did I see any of the other three working there.

It isn’t a legal requirement at all. www.acas.org.uk/hiring-someone/check-if-you-need-to-advertise

I wish companies wouldn’t waste everyone’s times

This used to happen when I worked for Social Services - they had to advertise internally, even though they knew perfectly well who they planned to appoint.

@Jangle33

It’s a corporate company not a charity. These things happen. They offer who they think is best…

How can they know who is best before interviewing them?

it happens sadly , im in retail and iv seen it happen , someone in the store applys for the position , but it still has to get advertised anyway to be fair , so some poor fucker wastes their time coming along for it and yet we all know whos getting it as we work with them ! its so far from fair , but there you go , its shitty i know

I feel like the company didn’t want to lose her so offered her a higher position more £££ and already knew they were going to give her the position. But had to interview to be ‘fair’

Absolutely nothing wrong with that approach whatsoever. Also complying with employment law

In current climate, whilst not legal requirement
A company would be very very reckless a s not looked upon favourably by court if they didn’t advertise and were then accused of discrimination

@NeverDropYourMooncup

Of course they had. It's really obvious at times.

I had the wonderful time of hearing my boss leading somebody into my specialist work area, not realising I was in there at the time, telling them this would be the equipment they'd be using. Their face dropped when they realised I was in there and scuttled off pretty sharpish. Moreover, the person was somebody I knew well outside of work, although neither of us said anything to let that be known.

On the positive side, it meant I knew I was being actively lied to throughout the redundancy process in a bid to get the maximum amount of unpaid work out of me - before fucking me off at minimum legal notice at a time of year where they knew I'd find it impossible to get new employment in the same sector/very little chance of anything else being recruited in others. And the candidate knew they were obviously lying to them about many things, including not mentioning that the entire place was closing down and they would be out of a job within twenty weeks.

shocking , no wonder so many people have no loyalty to their company , i dont anymore .

It’s annoying but it happens unfortunately.

I was in a contract and had just interviewed for my role as permanent. Then I attended a presentation about changes to the organisation and someone else’s name was on my role. They hadn’t even told me at that point they’d given it to someone else.

I have been the person that was told that I was pretty much guaranteed to get it

I was still rigorously interviewed
Had to do the entire process
Was questioned thoroughly on my responses

Yes I got the job.

Agree it happens all the time - I'm currently in unofficial negotiations for a new role at work (big promotion). The only reason I won't receive the job is if I decline, verbatim my our CCO and my HOD.

Despite this, the job will be advertised internally and there will be an interview process. Crappy for anyone that applies. Although it's a beast of a job that I'm not even sure I want to take on, so I'm not sure anyone will apply!

I once went to an interview at a small local publisher's, thoroughly researched and prepped (I was sahm and very over qualified), bought loads of their books etc.

Anyway just when I was half way through my spiel, the next candidate burst through the door and dived in to my interviewer's arms, hugged him, and said "darling when can I start?". He stammered something about still doing my interview, &cd she wait outside, and she said "but it's raining outside!"
I was dumbstruck and didn't say anything.

she got the job.

Why was the interview over within half the expected time ? Did they rush you?

I’ve been cut off in interviews, not allowed to finish and then criticised for saying ‘you didn’t mention xx’ .. well you didn’t let me! it’s telling when they rush you IMO

It happens all the time as you usually know with internal interviews whether the person is appointable or not. There's a difference between good enough to interview/passing shortlist/ good development to interview and actually likely to get the post.

If you're picking between multiple internals you almost always know who will get it as it's not based on the interview but months or years of performance.

Interviewing multiple candidates is often required even if they know who it is they want to hire/promote.

It really sucks when they are required to interview external candidates when they know the person they are wanting is an internal candidate. The job still has to posted for x number of days and they have to interview x number of candidates. A super short interview is a huge clue you are one of these interviews they just have to do to remain in ocmpliance with HR policy.

I went for an interview for an increased hours position. The other person who had applied was a good friend of my manager, but I knew I had prepared really well, so was hopeful. One of the comments made was obviously a slip of the tongue….“we needed to be seen to interview”! I knew then that it was a waste of time my being there as the decision was already made and I wasn’t getting the job! One of my friends also messaged me later that day and told me that the rota had been signed off and put out the day before and the other applicant had already been put on it with the extra hours! That was 6 years ago and I’m still waiting for my letter saying I had been unsuccessful in my application!

I was really pissed off as I had beaten 7 other applicants when I got my original position. I had then been offered a better position while waiting for my disclosure to come through and had refused it because I had already accepted the other one and would have felt guilty! I was, however, delighted to hand my notice in a few months later for a much better position elsewhere.

I've been on both sides of this with teaching posts. The one I didn't get had interviews during my current school's halfterm, and I actually broke off my holiday to come back for the interview. It was obvious to me that they were going through the motions of interviewing a shortlist when it was already decided, and I might just as well have continued my holiday uninterrupted! I had got wind of the post via a former colleague alerting me to a job at her new school she thought would really suit me. She was irritated and slightly embarrassed when it became apparent that it had been a fix, and later told me that the chosen one had not fulfilled his promise.
The second one was at a school I had originally taken on as long-term supply; they thought of me when a permanent post came up, and encouraged me to apply, because that is how appointments have to be made. I felt sorry for the other people on the shortlist, as I knew, without being smug, that they were having their time wasted. I guess it would have served me right if I'd blown it through complacency!

I'm sure this happens all the time, especially in the public sector. At the end of one interview - that I thought was going quite well, I had all the answers etc - the interviewer told me the'll let me know the same day, corrected herself to say they'll call me the next day. They called me 1.5 hrs later to say how well I've done but they chose someone else with more experience.

It actually gave me a lot of confidence, I went to all other interviews with a 'they probably have someone anyway already, so it doesn't really matter' mentality and ended up with two offers. It somehow stopped me from stressing.

Another time I went for an interview and it went really well, however I got a phone call later that day saying I had interviewed really well, but had been unsuccessful.

Fast forward about 6 months and I ended up working with one of the nurses who had interviewed me. She asked me why I had refused the position when I was offered it! She was furious when I told her that I had never been offered it. The interview had been on a points scoring basis and I had definitely scored most points, but the senior interviewer had put down that I had been offered and had refused the position, so it went to the next best candidate, who just happened to be her favoured candidate. That’s the NHS for you!

I have a few times either put my notice in or applied for jobs knowing that references would be required. In the public sector it was common practice either for roles to be reassessed, upcoming openings or to gain incremental points. I learnt through working in personnel and doing recruitment. We even went as far as to match the job description/requirements to match the intended applicant.

@Jangle33

It’s a corporate company not a charity. These things happen. They offer who they think is best…

I think you’re missing the point. No one disputes giving the job to the preferred candidate. What’s wrong is interviewing people when it’s already been decided that someone else is getting the job.