To think this is so RUDE and unprofessional?

[MrsClusterduck]

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?

@DrSbaitso no I mean slagging a company off online isnt ok because they haven't given interview feedback yet

Oh, sorry.

I don't see what the problem is. She doesn't owe them anything, she's just a member of the public describing her experience with them. She hasn't even named them.

@DrSbaitso it's just not a good look - especially as she doesn't even know why there's a delay yet.

If I was recruiting and could link this post to someone on my shortlist they'd be removed from it imminently.

Goodness. Can you not think of anything to post? I doubt the company will be emotionally affected or upset even if they did happen to read it on here and knew who they were.

I think it’s common courtesy to inform candidates of the outcome of interviews they’ve been invited to after putting time, money and effort into researching the company. Only takes a 1 line email.

Quite a few of the "top" firms are very unprofessional.

My son went through this over the Winter applying for graduate jobs, and was basically messed around by several firms, by not following their own time-lines, not following their own published processes etc.

He got two job offers, and took what he thought to be the best, but in the months since, the communication and information from them has been absolutely shocking. He's had chaser/warning emails saying he's not e-signed his employment contract, not uploaded his passport photo, etc., and he's had to keep replying saying yes, photo uploaded and giving them the screenshot of the acceptance screen (he is good that way to take evidence due to previous fiascos), and he's still not got access to their portal where they keep chasing him to e-sign the contract of employment and other starter documents.

It does sound like they have chaotic, inefficient or incompetent people in their recruitment/HR departments.

@MrsClusterduck but you don't know if there is a genuine reason for the delay. People are only human.

It's a shame you wouldn't see it as an opportunity to improve the way you treat people, but that's upper management for you, I guess.

I’ve had the exact same similar experience from a large high street firm recently. I actually bank with them too. I do wonder where they get off with this and where exactly their moral compass is.

I haven’t actually bothered to email this company as I couldn’t be bothered to waste my breath on threm but all their PR and comms spin on them means nothing now - it shouldn’t do generally but they sell themselves as one of the better banks in a lot of ways especially diversity, inclusion etc.

Sadly I think it’s par for the course these days. Doesn’t stop me mentioning them in a bad way to family and friends though, never professionally. I secretly hope they get back in touch with me as they’ve kept my CV on file and I’d be so pleased to do a F you no thanks politely by phone or email.

In my case they were arsing around delaying getting back to me for a month because they already had an internal candidate for the role, who was possibly being redeployed for various reasons. To go from in first interview to “how soon can you start this week?” And giving me details of this person covering including her first name and that she was covering already - quite easy to find her on linked in and her job history. There was no genuine delay reason apart from maybe one person being on annual leave. In that time I turned down another perm job offer as I really liked this company and its morals and ethics (how wrong I was!).

'Inhuman' resources are a chilly bunch

Er why not? It’s rude and unprofessional and she hasn’t named them. OP has every right to vent.

So basically yes very rude and unprofessional but sadly quite common.

If you were in recruitment and had a backlog of candidates to get back to, you’d be much better served spending your time doing that than trawling MN.

I never named them but alluded to my experience the other week with another rant on linked in but didn’t go into detail. If someone from this bank recognises their experience with me well stuff them. I’m soon going to be moving all accounts to ones with their competitor.

Human Remains.

If a government org can give me a decision by personal telephone call on the same day as the interview (I’ve been unsuccessful with two roles, successful with one), I fail to see why a corporate company can’t give a decision via a short email nearly two weeks later!

There is no ‘genuine’ reason for the delay. There were 8 people involved in the interview process. They can’t all have had an emergency. They simply can’t be bothered to spend time getting back to candidates unless there’s something in it for them, which there isn’t with unsuccessful candidates. Very rude!

Sadly it was ever thus. Back when it was the Big6 in the 90s, they ran around like headless chickens screwing the medium sized firms by under-cutting their audit and accountancy fees.
All along, pontificating on platforms such as Accountancy magazine that such a thing did not, and never had existed.

Professional my arse. Load of bollocks.

Not great but I’ve lost track of how many times it happens

After some experience recently job hunting I would say that rude and unprofessional is quite common these days. I found some businesses were very good, but sadly they were in the minority. I always told myself that I wouldn't have wanted to work for them anyway if that is how they treat people, and I certainly would never have become a customer of those providing a service I might in future have required.

Ha this is exactly what I'd do lol

In every job my v high earning stbxh went for, he was dicked about before they'd invariably offer him the role. Not sure exactly by whom - HR or whoever. It was so frustrating and time wasting.

I had two interviews with a company, plus calls with four members of the leadership team and joined them for a planning day to give input. They didn’t confirm I was unsuccessful for 5 MONTHS!

I didn’t chase them because I was sick of being given the run around but when they did contact me I asked for £300 for my time and they paid it the following day.

Have I missed the bit where she named the firm?

This is so poor. A big 4 aswell!

Common as this experience seems to be, it pales into insignificance beside the horror stories I have read about with recruitment in American firms.

There, it is not unusual to have 4 to 6 interviews, including being asked to give lengthy presentations. Often the presentation is about a very detailed treatment of a specific issue that the company is facing. One theory is that the companies are using all these presentations as a source of ideas and inspiration, a kind of free consultancy from fresh minds. 😱