To expect there to be a job at the end of the interview process?

[InterviewNoJob]

Name change as this is a strange enough scenario to out me.

After an application form, online assessment, interview preparation, in face interview (after negative lateral flow tests) and after I had answered all the interview questions from the professional interview panel.

The answer to my first question regarding the start date for the temporary role, was a response that there wasn't a job available!

They were expecting to backfill a team member who was expecting to do a temporary job themselves and their job had not yet materialist yet. The interview panel are unsure if any job would become vacant soon.

One of the interviewers explained that the successful candidate would be placed on a reserve list. In the event that this job or another job became vacant, they would be contacted.

I was completely surprised! I have never attended an interview that didn't have a job at the end of it! I am wonder why the interviews were not cancelled?

In my case it no longer matter, as I have already had a phone call this afternoon from one of the interviewers confirming that I haven't got the job (that doesn't exist) and I will not be held on the reserve list either. Clearly I did very badly at the interview, hopefully I will improve in time for my next one. When I get one, lol.

So I am just be curious, has anyone else found out at or after an interview that there was no job available?

I had this, luckily it was a telephone interview and they explained it would be for a talent pool. This is despite me applying fir a specific role (virgin media)
Decided not to go ahead with an interview that would essentially be wasting my time. 2 months later started a job at a place that definitely had a job role available! Still there 5 years later!

@Danikm151 Glad they were up front, so you had the choice of ejecting the interview. That said I clearly need more interview practice.

I’ve interviewed candidates where there has been a recruitment freeze put in place between the time of me advertising the role and getting as far down the process as the face to face interviews. I have gone ahead in the hopes that I’ll be allowed to appoint someone in the near future because it takes a long to get to that stage. I don’t think it’s that unusual and presumably the rationale in this case.

I've had it happen where the vacancy was pulled rather than never being available. I work in the public sector and there's rules in place about filling vacancies with people on the redundancy list first (even when they are clearly not qualified for the job but that's another thread).

I attended an interview for a job that didn't exist! They claimed the vacancy never existed, that I had applied to and was interviewing for a different role at a different location, which of course was on worse terms, lower pay etc. Luckily I had printed off the application form which had job role and location at the top embedded into the form, so I wasn't mad or making it up after all. I walked out of the interview though because it wasn't on after they already made me feel stupid.

I’d once gone to an interview and when I arrived I was told that HR had forgotten to contact me as they’d already filled the vacancy but they’d let me get experience of a practice interview!

I had this years ago after taking g time off work a day travelling half way across the country for an interview. The guy interviewing was awful and then said "you do k ow there isn't a job don't you? We're just interviewing to get a list of potentials for any roles that might come up in the next year or two." To say I was gobsmacked and furious would be an understatement, and added to that, the people I met and workplace was awful anyway! I've never come across it again despite changing jobs and having my fair share of interviews in the 15 or so years since.

This happened to my niece....a facility was looking at opening up in her area and the company did potential employment interviews.

Yeah I travelled half way across the country to be interviewed for a specific technical job, I even got a new outfit for the occasion, to be told the vacancy that i had applied for didn't exist at all. But they wanted to talk to me about what else I might want to do.

DH drove 3 hours for a job interview which turned out to be a recruitment agency. He'd been led to believe it was an actual job. Nothing came of it and we were very broke at the time, and could have done without all the costs that it incurred. This was in the 90s.
More recently, I had a job interview which went well, was told they'd take me on, had 2 practise mornings, then was told they'd taken on someone else.
I had to fight hard to get paid for the hours I put in on 'training'.
I agree you are not unreasonable OP!

I think it can be quite common in the civil service. Candidates interview and then go into a talent pool which can take many months.

I think candidates should be made aware,ahead of time and cost that a company is taking piss

Yep. After doing loads of research, preparing questions to ask the interviewer etc., I get on the skype call to be greeted with "I've actually already hired someone from X [naming a big company] because they've got loads of material they can bring with them"! I couldn't think of a polite way to ask him why he bothered to have the call instead of just emailing to cancel.

@Policyschmolicy

I think it can be quite common in the civil service. Candidates interview and then go into a talent pool which can take many months.

I've applied for a DWP job and I have a feeling this will be the situation...

DP's had multiple interviews, some in person, some remotely over the last two years where at the end of it, the rejection email if they've bothered to send one hasn't said he was unsuccessful - it's said that they do not have any vacancies at present and would like to keep his details on file. He's also applied for specific positions in keeping with his experience and expertise, been invited to interview and then found out that they're actually recruiting for a Mum a school hours only, three days a week typing letters, answering the phone and a bit of filing job instead of a specialist role. What's most annoying about that is they aren't advertising the actual role, so tons of people who would thrive on that don't know the vacancy exists. Well, that and none of them seem all that keen to employ a 45 year old bald guy with 20 years experience in the industry and specific qualifications to do admin work once they see him.

It's a complete waste of time and mental energy.

It's happened twice to DH, both for senior teaching positions at independent schools. On both occasions the school has revealed at the very end of the process that there isn't a position after all. It's extra frustrating because the process both times requires a full day off school so he's had to prepare cover for his students, his school has had to provide a cover teacher and then he's had to prepare at least one interview lesson. It's such a waste of everyone's time!

Clearly this is more common than I thought. Interestingly this company, has advertised this position again! Maybe they didn't like any candidates today.

Sometimes it can be information gathering by the company. Questions like “how would you deal with this situation?” Are a good indication of this. I think they are more likely to want to be canvassing people in the industry, rather than not finding a decent candidate.

They should be upfront about these things rather than bloody time wasting!

I've had a few where they just wanted to benchmark!
I always ask now if they've finished interviewing internal candidates.
Tell recruitment agencies I won't waste time interviewimg with them, just an actual employer.
So much crap out there.

Our local council used to donsomething like this for clerical work. Not surenif it's still the same.

Kind of the same - I had this in terms of a uni interview that got postponed by two months. By the time ours came around there had been two other interview dates that hadn't been postponed (after our original date) and there were no more places left - they were interviewing for waiting list only. We were all a bit miffed that ours had been scheduled first but ended up being last and they didn't even save a few spaces for us.

I'd be absolutely livid. Just shows a complete lack of respect.

OP sorry this happened to you

Thanks for posting. I had no idea this was a thing! It's dreadful - people could be taking time off work, losing pay if they're not in jobs with PTO, incurring costs...the mind boggles.

Sally is waiting list like a talent pool?

Me!

Went for my first face to face interview in a loooooong time. New outfit, expensive train ticket, partner took a days annual leave to care for baby.

Got called a week later, saying they were going to offer me the job but it's no longer available!

Was tempted to ask for a refund on my train ticket. Was a bit cross but have since moved on. These things happen...