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?

This happened to me recently. I am convinced that I wasn't given a new role because they knew that I was trying to get away from my team leader and they already knew she was going to be leading the new team I was applying for a job in. It's all politics. I interviewed well and had lots of experience. the reasons they gave in feedback as to why I didn't get it were ridiculous and just confirmed that I was never intended to get it.

I once had the pleasure of being on an interview board where the recruiting manager had the most say, but there were two more of us.

he obviously had his buddy lined up, but one of the other candidates was head and shoulders above. Quite outstanding.

Pleased to say he got it and has subsequently been a great asset.

The buddy hadn't even bothered putting up a good show.

@user1471462428

Also have worked in the nhs and now work in private. Have seen happen in both. I didn’t bother applying for a promotion when my then boss referred to the vacancy as “Lizzie’s job”. Lizzie and another nurse with more experience went for and she still got it.

This has happened to me very recently (NHS). To the point where when discussing the potential position, I was told that if anyone else applied for it the questions would be such that only "Lizzie" would be able to answer..... this was kind of said in good humour and at the point when the job hadn't been advertised but needless to say, when it was open to expressions of interest, I didn't even bother reading the job description. Would have much rather "Lizzie" was simply promoted, pretending the opportunity was open to the whole team felt incredibly patronising and I'm still pretty pissed off!

@PigletJohn

I once had the pleasure of being on an interview board where the recruiting manager had the most say, but there were two more of us.

he obviously had his buddy lined up, but one of the other candidates was head and shoulders above. Quite outstanding.

Pleased to say he got it and has subsequently been a great asset.

The buddy hadn't even bothered putting up a good show.

Was the recruiting manager your boss?

@jalepenocheese

Thanks everyone It just seems completely unfair tbh

I've been on both sides of this. Both losing out due to a 'foregone conclusion' interview, but benefitted in my last role by being the strongest candidate, right place, right time.

It is really painful when you feel like you really gave it your best shot, but 'miss out by 2 points' - it always seems to be 2 points - but use it as interview experience, keeps your hand in. It's really a numbers game so don't get put off especially if you apply for a different role where you are.

You will be seen as mature, resilient and determined.

I went for a job at a local college & the blocks the two department managers put in my way were hilarious once I realised what was going on. It was like I was the classic scapegoat; the classic golden child was an ex-student of theirs, who was feted the whole time we were there, while I was sneered at, criticised, left hanging about so that GC went first at everything, etc.

When we got to the panel interview, one chap who wasn't involved in the department was shocked at what these two b*tches had written about me, as it didn't match me/my experience & qualifications at all. It was nice to think someone saw the truth of the situation, but I wouldn't have worked there for any money & I knew they wouldn't offer me the job, so I withdrew my application.

I had the last laugh, as the college closed down that department not long afterwards.

@Mischance

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.

I was the nominal ‘other’ at an interview, I had to sit outside for 25 minutes after my interview time, listening to laughter coming from the room as the interview panel and candidate had a cosy chat. When asked into the room the head of the panel said ‘I suppose we’d better hear your presentation’ 😳 I was too nervous to make a formal complaint; the other candidate was the wife of the trust Finance Officer and it was obvious what was going on. I left shortly afterwards, got a far better job!

it's exceptionally common and for interviews to be 'fixed' to enable the preferred candidate to perform.

I was a teacher who eventually got 2 secondary headships. Along the way, I was interviewed for 2 deputy headships where it was clear the preferred candidate (in both cases a local authority advisor who wanted to go back into school) was 'enabled' (example: I was asked a complex question about data that I had not been given as my 'final question'. When I compared notes with the other candidate who got to the final 2, she said hers had been "What makes you laugh?" and she was never asked the data question).

The thing is, I don't mind at all if there's a 'preferred candidate' - just don't waste other people's time with an interview if you know there's no chance of them being successful. And no, I don't think you give people the "experience" of an interview if you do this because it's just fucking annoying.

Yep. I've done an interview knowing it was just for practice.. I got the next job and it was pretty much a given. I felt a bit sorry for the other person interviewed, but I guess it may have been a learning experience for them also.

Happened to me for a Board level role. It was through a major headhunter and was to partner with a newly appointed CEO. I went through long list, shortlist, psychometric testing, headhunter interview, interview with the CEO, second interview with the CEO, interview with either Chairman, 4 interviews with other Directors, a site visit, dinner with the CEO. I didn’t get it. The feedback? Nothing negative to say at all as I was far and away the better candidate. However the successful candidate was a former colleague of the CEO and he felt more comfortable with someone he knew.

I check their share price every so often, it’s down 65% since the CEOs appointment. I can probably explain why.

@PotteringAlong

It happens. When my DH went for his first assistant head job the school published the SLT list for the next academic year the day before the interview (it was an internal promotion). He wasn’t on it; the other person they were interviewing was

That's not uncommon, my late OH used to drive back from Germany for interviews where there was an internal candidate who was clearly going to get the job. Having said that I went for an interview for a temporary one term job and when the Secretary saw how nervous I was, just getting back into the swing of work after children, she showed me the Break Duty lists with my name on there.

@CottonSock

Yep. I've done an interview knowing it was just for practice.. I got the next job and it was pretty much a given. I felt a bit sorry for the other person interviewed, but I guess it may have been a learning experience for them also.

It's not, you know - unless you mean, the person learns they were used.

@Hertsgirl10

Happened to my husband but he was the one that was getting the job, lucky! They had to put an advert out and interview people but everyone knew he would get the job. I think it’s very common.

Extremely common especially in places where they HAVE to advertise like public sector. There is often someone already doing the job on a temporary basis and obviously it would be good for those people to continue, but then they have to go through the farce of interviewing and wasting other people's times. (I do also know someone who failed to 'get' the job he was already doing though).

@VickyEadieofThigh where I work the interviews are quite specific and you are unlikely to succeed first time. I didn't either, but the practice was useful for second time (a grade lower). Unfortunately its just how some places work in the public sector.

@Jangle33

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

Recruitment practices should be fair though and they weren't here. If they want to just promote someone, they should do that rather than waste other people's time.

There has been a lot in the press about organisations struggling to recruit. We are currently at one of those points in time - I'm old enough to have seen two or three - when it's a sellers market.
This is traditionally when the chickens come home to roost from all that word of mouth about the shoddy practices, management lies and poor treatment that too many employers tolerate or encourage.
When your boss says "it's not a bloody democracy" they're wrong, every day, each and every employee gets a vote, on their colleagues, boss and employer.
Make the most of it, if you're not in the public sector it's a good time to improve your terms - just be wary of counter-offers and letting the cat out of the bag before you're ready to hand in your notice.

You know what they say OP.... its not what you know..

See it as your blessing hopefully another opportunity will come your way

@MsFannySqueers

At one time positions didn’t legally have to be advertised. They were just offered to the preferred candidate usually internally. This was considered unfair so a legal obligation was imposed to advertise job vacancies as mentioned by *@Poptart4*. This legal obligation has not improved anything for jobseekers. In fact it causes people to think that they were not ‘good enough’ to get a particular job. In reality they didn’t stand a chance of getting it anyway. What a waste of time for everyone involved in the job application process.If these ‘false’ vacancies were not advertised at least people would know that any advertised job vacancies were genuinely available. Interesting that PP’s mention teaching as that has definitely been my experience with teaching roles. The vast majority of the roles were already spoken for. I was given so many mealy mouthed reasons as to why the other ‘candidate’ was so much better than me! I am glad to be retired!

I've managed to get a job after going through a fake interview, but it wasnt the job I went for (NHS) so given the choice I would still do the interview. Agree however that it's very unfair most of the time. I wish there was a better way than wasting everybody's time. I bet going through several fake interviews and never getting the job is demoralizing and I can imagine managers having better things to do than holding even a half day for these interviews when they already know who's getting the job.

I did have a part in interviewing for a high ish management role. They interviewed 4 or 5 candidates and already knew the woman was being offered it. She didnt actually want it though and had only applied for practice in interviews. The rest of the candidates were offered one by one and it finally went to the last one. With the lowest score and the least useful skills. Frankly it was way above his level. But he got it and is still in place.

Common enough I’m afraid, but they have to be seen to be going through the motions. Even when it’s obvious that it’s a sham.

@CottonSock

Yep. I've done an interview knowing it was just for practice.. I got the next job and it was pretty much a given. I felt a bit sorry for the other person interviewed, but I guess it may have been a learning experience for them also.

or maybe they had to spend money they didn't really have on travelling to the interview because costs aren't always reimbursed, maybe they were unemployed and desperate for a job, spent a lot of time preparing and got very anxious about it. It's not your fault, but it's pretty awful to just say it's practice for people.

This happened at my place too!
Exact same.

@Gwenhwyfar nope all costs reimbursed and usually internal so all time preparing etc also covered.

It certainly happens. However, sometimes people think it’s happened when it hasn’t as well.

It is awful when you later discover you were essentially there to make up numbers for the interview short list. You put time and effort into your application but never had a serious or any chance. That can come about for numerous reasons;

• it can simply be the other person had loads more experience than you and although you were great, you simply couldn’t beat what they offered. In all liklihood the panel knew that before seeing either of you…but in this scenario both candidates do have a chance to shine or bomb out….the conclusion is almost foregone, but not totally.
• it can be that the job description has been written to describe an exact person they want. Sometimes other internal people know this and so don’t apply,but externals might not realise and put a lot of time and effort into applying. Technically the external could actually beat the internal, although it’s unlikely.
• unfortunately people know as soon as they get to interview that the panel are not interested in them…don’t give them sufficient time and a decision is made and a decent explanation never given.

The worst is the type mentioned above, when someone saw a list naming the new person for the job, before they even have had their own interview. That’s a disgrace. It happens more than people would hope and rarely are employers called up on it…which they should be.

Quite often it feels like a done-deal, but it actually wasn’t. Features of another worker may have all played into them getting the job, rather than meaning you were automatically out of the running. It’s not quite the same. Often, there can be an element of disappointment which makes people feel hard-done by, when they’ve not been…but simply don’t know all the details about the other candidates and decision making process. Or it could simply be unfair sometimes.

The public sector is interesting with a lot of its interviewing. They’ll look at application forms ‘blind’ and they rank every answer so it is entirely fair. I asked my DH who works in government, if they ever ‘adjust’ the scores to give the candidate they really want? I mentioned that sometimes factors like personality,, ability to work in the team, plus especially with internal stuff…the knock-on consequences to other teams seem relevant. Their questions often don’t really pick up on those aspects and you can end up with someone who performed well at interview but when then isn’t ‘best for the job’ in terms of the many facets. DH replied that you have to get your interview Qs right so that all those kind of aspects are included, but he conceded that when the genuinely ‘best’ person gets it, especially if internal or for a secondment, the knock-on consequences for the organisation through loads of necessary temporary back-filling of roles, can create huge huge problems.

But in his mind, the person who performs best at the interview or interview tasks will get the job. I’m not sure where experience fits in, although I suppose it comes out in the answers.

[quote CottonSock]@Gwenhwyfar nope all costs reimbursed and usually internal so all time preparing etc also covered.[/quote]
That's better, but some people find interviews really hard and wouldn't put themselves through it unless they thought there was a chance of getting the job.

That is really common. In one case where I work, the person who wanted the job was allowed to write the job spec. Guess who ended up getting it!

Where was this?

How depressing.