To ask why do companies advertise jobs externally when they’ve already a candidate internally lined up?

[ThemysteriousH]

I finally leaped outside of my comfort zone and went for a job in a different dept within where I work at a lower band (nhs) but good hours.
Wasn't successful, I asked what could I have done differently? They said “nothing, you’re perfect for the job and would fit in, but we’ve an internal applicant on a temp contract who got the job”.

Just feel a bit deflated and like it was a waste of my time :(

I've been on both 'sides' (winner applicant + loser applicant), both times in the NHS.

When I lost, they carried out 70 1st-stage interviews for 7 vacancies, whittled it down to 14 candidates for 14 2nd-stage interviews. The 7 the got the jobs were all internal. I was an outsider.

When I won, applying internally for a different vacancy, I was 1 of "2" candidates and got the job. I later found out that I was the only interviewee, so I had an unfair advantage.

Sure I was grateful to have the job and I still work there now, but I don't agree with the "it's not what you know but who you know" narrative in the slightest. It's not fair and there would easily have been better candidates than me in the job that I won, and also worse candidates than me in the job that I previously lost out on.

NHS and councils - pack it in!

I went for a job once and got told the internal applicant would be unmanageable if I got the job and they didn’t.

it was a risky application as it was very close to home to my existing role. Just a waste of everyone’s time.