to think the successful candidate is contacted within a day?

[QueenKit]

I had a job interview this morning (NHS management). At the end they said I would hear the outcome early next week and 'if you haven't heard by next week that's just because of the time it takes to go through the process'. Surely this is just them covering themselves for in case the first choice candidate negotiates/turns it down and they don't get to the second choice candidate for a few days. Our HR is pretty (very) inefficient, but even they would contact the successful candidate within a working day.

AIBU to think that if you don't hear within the day then you haven't got the job? (Or aren't the first choice)

You are assuming all the interviews will take place on the same day

I don’t know about the nhs but where I work, it can take weeks to confirm with a successful candidate. Obv not good, but that’s how it works here. Definitely not within a day or so!

Of course not.
The only time I was offered the job on the day was as a Christmas temp in WHS.

I'm a hiring manager. Any number of things can come up to delay. I wouldn't bother driving yourself crazy thinking about it.

This is the NHS! It could be weeks
Probably needs to be signed off at all sorts of levels by people who aren’t necessarily in the office today (from a lot of experience, I’ve worked in the nhs for 25 years and efficient they are not!)

Interviews often take place over a week or two

Well you need to get through the interviews, have a wash up with the interviewers to decide who to offer, get sign off for the offer and then speak to the person who you are offering to. I've worked in HR for 20 years and only once have we made a same day job offer (and that is because the candidate was the last person to be seen)

We get back to candidates as soon as a decision is made. Sometimes that's the same day (if straightforward), sometimes it takes time (if interviewing over several days, considering requests for job shares, if decision needs signed off somewhere else)

Interviews often take place over several days or weeks. Often interviewers have their day job to do as well and prefer to fit in one interview per day rather than do them all at once. This also allows them to be flexible as they don't have to be so concerned with keeping to time.

Wow, I'm surprised by this. The interviews were definitely in one go as the interview date was in the job ad and I had a 'pick your time' email through when all the choices were the same day. Plus they said in the interview they were doing interviews that day.

I interview (as a panel member) fairly often - we always discuss and agree immediately after and pass the outcome to HR who contact within the (working) day.

Not that it affects the outcome at all, but interesting to know how it works elsewhere

It depends on the organisation I would think - in ours, the interviewers also have their "day jobs" to do and might have other deadlines which would delay finalising the offer process, and that's ignoring the need for sign-off from others.

Good luck and I hope you're successful!

Not in most private sector placed where discussions may be held over a period of time and there may be subsequent interviews etc.

My DH interviews on panels often and as well as interviewing over several days they then have to complex matrix / competencies for each candidate as individual panel members and then put them together for overall scoring etc. takes bloody ages!

We say up to a week, same even before Covid. We have to confer and agree, the hiring manager has to update the HR system with decisions, then you need 3 more signatures to agree to hire including one from a very senior manager. Then you get to call the person to tell them. I hate hiring.

Every NHS job I've interviewed for I've heard the same day if I was successful - but these weren't management level so that may take longer?

90% of time, if successful, you'll hear very quickly.

However I have been contacted over two weeks later for some positions

Very rarely will we reach out to successful candidate immediately after the last interview. Usually takes 2-3 days. Sometimes even a week.

In the public sector these things can involve Byzantine bureaucracy.

In any sector, there are lots of reasons it can take ages.

A day would be unusual , but when interviewing I always give the candidates a timescale . for example I might say that we are interviewing a number of candidates over the next few days and would anticipate giving a decision early the following week or whatever. If there is a delay I to this timescale would usually make sure that the candidates are aware of this , either by contacting them direct or via the agency putting them forward or whatever .

I mean, they literally told you what to expect.

If they knew you were surveying the Internet, they might not rate your comprehension too highly, or your patience/understanding of norms.

YABU I'm HR and sometimes we will offer the same day, other times it can take up to a week.

I've just interviewed for a role and it took four days to make an offer. That was lightning quick for us.

Managers need to discuss the candidates, verify qualifications, talk to HR about the offer letter and right-to-work etc.

It takes time.

In my experience of being interviewed for nhs roles is if successful I've usually heard the day of the interview or if interviewing all day, the following day. It is usually a member of the panel who phones to offer pending references etc so not through hr at this stage. It may be that they aren't contacting unsuccessful candidates by phone only letter. I agree if you've not heard by the beginning of next week you've likely not got the job.