Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think this is so RUDE and unprofessional?

91 replies

MrsClusterduck · 26/06/2023 18:08

Had 2nd interview at a big 4 London firm almost 2 weeks ago. Interviews involved travel into city so quite expensive. Interviews went really well and I was told a decision would be made by last Monday.

I was actually offered two other roles in the same week as the interview and put them on hold until I’d heard back from this one as this was the big one. I informed them of this at interview.

I emailed the HR lady last Wednesday asking if I could be informed of the outcome and have not had a response. She was very positive and chatty in previous emails as lots going back and forth. The director even moved their diary around to accommodate the interview as they were so keen to see me on the feedback from the 1st interview so I don’t know what I did wrong!

Obviously I’ve taken one of the other jobs now and will assume I haven’t been successful but AIBU to think this is really bad form from a very large firm?

OP posts:
Dotcheck · 26/06/2023 18:10

I would assume someone else got the job and you are being held in reserve.

Very unprofessional

Jmaho · 26/06/2023 18:13

I would say the same as the previous poster
If you do get a call or email offering you the job I'd keep them waiting for a response and then say no. But I'm petty like that

neverwakeasleepingbaby · 26/06/2023 18:16

So frustrating! I work in a professional services type role. Not big 4 but top tier type firm. The recruitment dept are so disorganised that candidates have contacted the partner interviewing directly to ask what's going on, and the partner has no idea why recruitment haven't offered the candidate the job because that was what they were told to do. It's a shambles. But working here is actually very good, and it seems to just be that the recruitment dept are overwhelmed.
Maybe you could give them a deadline to offer you the job?

WunWun · 26/06/2023 18:16

It's annoying, but in my experience this is just what it's like when applying for jobs. It could be any number of reasons.. you're on a reserve list, they're waiting to hear about funding for the position, the person you're emailing hasn't heard and doesn't want to say anything either way, they've got some other massive thing going on that's taken precedent..

NotSorry · 26/06/2023 18:19

This happened to my son last year - got to final stage (won’t mention company as it’s very well known) then nothing. He followed it up with “any more I can show you, or if I didn’t get hob could I have feedback?” Radio silence. He decided he didn’t want to work for a company who couldn’t spend a few minutes responding.

NotSorry · 26/06/2023 18:20

Hob = job 😆

FatAgainItsLettuceTime · 26/06/2023 18:22

Or she's out of office and doesn't have an external auto reply on. I often don't, I have OOO replies for colleagues within our address book but not for external emails because I get loads of contacts from alert services that I wouldn't want a reply to go to, I also have 3 aliases so my email address is either [email protected], [email protected] or [email protected] depending on who I'm emailing and OOO replies just go from the main account email address.

Topseyt123 · 26/06/2023 18:24

Frustrating, unprofessional and poor form, but in my job seeking days it was all too normal, unfortunately.

Original poster
MrsClusterduck · 26/06/2023 18:27

WunWun · 26/06/2023 18:16

It's annoying, but in my experience this is just what it's like when applying for jobs. It could be any number of reasons.. you're on a reserve list, they're waiting to hear about funding for the position, the person you're emailing hasn't heard and doesn't want to say anything either way, they've got some other massive thing going on that's taken precedent..

I’m aware that there may be other things going on and normally if they say a decision date themselves, you hear within that time frame IME. I didn’t ask, they said it themselves as they wanted someone in quickly and wanted to know when I would be able to start.

I’d expect a smaller firm with less manpower to not bother getting back to me but not a company like this. Their values include respect and treating others with dignity 🤨

The HR lady could have just responded that she would come back to me/I’d been unsuccessful etc, rather than just ignore my email!

It was a quick turnaround for the interviews. 3 days in between.

OP posts:
DrSbaitso · 26/06/2023 18:28

Yes, but normal in my experience.

DrSbaitso · 26/06/2023 18:30

Their values include respect and treating others with dignity

Unlikely.

Trez1510 · 26/06/2023 18:32

I'd have phoned the company, assuming the person I'd emailed had gone off unexpectedly (sickness, bereavement, lottery win etc.) and hadn't received the email. Also, if she's off unexpectedly, and for an undefined timescale, it may take some time for others to pick up her workload.

Elieza · 26/06/2023 18:33

Perhaps she’s off sick and the rest don’t know what going on.

DrSbaitso · 26/06/2023 18:36

Elieza · 26/06/2023 18:33

Perhaps she’s off sick and the rest don’t know what going on.

What a cohesive and organised place to work. And a Big 4!

GoodChat · 26/06/2023 18:37

No more unprofessional than slating a potential employer online

LadyLardy · 26/06/2023 18:37

I think it's poor form, and it would put me off working for them.

DrSbaitso · 26/06/2023 18:37

GoodChat · 26/06/2023 18:37

No more unprofessional than slating a potential employer online

Why shouldn't she? She doesn't work there.

Original poster
MrsClusterduck · 26/06/2023 18:43

Trez1510 · 26/06/2023 18:32

I'd have phoned the company, assuming the person I'd emailed had gone off unexpectedly (sickness, bereavement, lottery win etc.) and hadn't received the email. Also, if she's off unexpectedly, and for an undefined timescale, it may take some time for others to pick up her workload.

Good idea but unlikely as I’m sure the director would have chased it up with HR by now as they wanted someone in quickly.

Other job starts next Monday which I’m looking forward to and better fit probably in terms of me no longer being young and dynamic as slower pace and local with no commuting into London twice a week but I would have liked to have known what happened as they were so keen!

OP posts:
Createausername1970 · 26/06/2023 18:43

Perhaps they have offered it to someone else, but want them to accept before telling the others they haven't got it? If you have two good candidates but can only chose one, you don't want to immediately turn the other one down and lose them to another offer, if you don't definitely know the first one will accept.

Sausageeggschipsandbeans · 26/06/2023 18:44

This is typical of the big 4 and I could guess which one this is.

The department are probably stuck waiting for HR and it’s frustrating. They will let you know one way or the other but take too long.

DrSbaitso · 26/06/2023 18:57

Createausername1970 · 26/06/2023 18:43

Perhaps they have offered it to someone else, but want them to accept before telling the others they haven't got it? If you have two good candidates but can only chose one, you don't want to immediately turn the other one down and lose them to another offer, if you don't definitely know the first one will accept.

I don't know why. I once missed out as the candidate who came second and they told me, but then the first choice declined the offer so they got back to me.

GoodChat · 26/06/2023 19:04

@DrSbaitso that's not how it works and you know it

DrSbaitso · 26/06/2023 19:05

GoodChat · 26/06/2023 19:04

@DrSbaitso that's not how it works and you know it

It is exactly what happened to me. It wasn't a Big 4 company, though.

3isthemagicnumberrr · 26/06/2023 19:07

I’m in a similar position, although at a large law firm. Spent time preparing a presentation for a 2nd stage and they haven’t had the courtesy to get back to me.

WisherWood · 26/06/2023 19:11

Their values include respect and treating others with dignity

I have, in the past, emailed a company who hadn't contacted me 2 weeks after an interview asking them how this matched their mission statement to treat people with respect and dignity. I copied in others, not just HR. Was told HR thought the manager would contact me and the manager thought HR would. They were very apologetic and said it wasn't how they acted. I pointed out it was exactly how they acted - by this stage I didn't want to work for them anyway, I just wanted to make sure they weren't quite so bloody rude to other people in future.

Sadly, whilst it's unprofessional it is common and personally, I know call people on it because it is rude and very upsetting when you're on the receiving end.