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?

It doesn’t surprise me unfortunately. I used to work for a big 4 company and they had the poorest HR coms/organisation I’ve ever experienced. Hopefully they’re better with numbers then they are with people!!

I work in big 4. We outsource the HR back office and there can be big disconnects between those of us that interview and those that communicate with the candidates. Plus lots more process than there used to be - ten years ago it was down to the individual interviewers' decisions; now (and rightly, as then it was about who you knew not what you knew) there are lots of layers of review, considering diversity, social mobility, and general consistency. That's also the reason why I can't arrange work experience for a client's son or a friend's neighbour. Quite rightly, there's a centrally run process that aims to ensure everyone has a fair chance.

That's no excuse for not communicating well though.

I think it's more likely there's no news rather than it's a no. Terrible communications but typical from them.

Their values include respect and treating others with dignity

Their "values" include respect and treating others with dignity

This happens in other places too. I went for a job at a council and was told I would hear by the end of the week. I needed to know by a certain time because my resignation was due in if they wanted me to start on the date they wanted and I made sure they knew that. They were insistent I'd know by the end of the week.

Come Sunday evening I'd figured I hadn't got it but emailed on the Monday to enquire, mindful of my resignation date. And got an out of office reply and that he would be back in a week!

I wouldn't have been so annoyed if he'd told me he had annual leave the week after the interview and that I'd hear the Monday when he got back. But he was so insistent I'd hear by the end of the week, then he buggered off knowing full well he hadn't informed the unsuccessful candidates despite telling them they would know.

It's so rude, and I don't blame you being annoyed, OP.

I once had a first and second interview at a City law firm as an associate. Went well, told they couldn't commit to a timeline for a response as they had some other candidates currently interviewing.

Didn't hear back and ended up taking a role with another firm I'd interviewed for at the same time and who offered me the job the next day. Forgot about the first firm tbh.

SIX MONTHS LATER their HR woman called me to say 'Congratulations!!! The role is yours!' Um no thanks 😅

I work in big 4. We outsource the HR back office and there can be big disconnects

Why? You're supposed to be one of the biggest companies in the industry, why can't you do it properly?

Had a misdirected email from a big 4 person that we were working with. Saying (pre-covid) that half the new graduates hadn't turned up for their new job. Put it down the the new grads being too rude to say that they'd got other jobs. But wondering now if the grads hadn't got (or had got too late) confirmation of their roles!

If it’s really a big firm (ietens if thousands of employees) there will layers of bureaucracy which can b3 soul destroying. Often most of stuff like HR is offshored. We’ve lost good interviewees this way, but it’s the nature of such a large organisation unfortunately.

Yeah come on @Captainj1, time you sorted it all out and took responsibility for the whole situation instead of explaining why problems can sometimes arise 🙄🙄

I was recently offered a job in the NHS. It took them four months to sign off my references. There was no issue with the references, they were just incredibly slow between HR and the hiring manager.

But the time they'd actually got themselves sorted they said my DBS would have to be done again as it had expired in the time they were messing about. I'd been offered another job meanwhile and I took it because if they can't sign a reference off in good time, what would they be like as anything else!

Definitely poor form.
Back in the 1980s after I graduated I picked ten firms in my field of interest and sent them my CV on spec. I did get a couple interviews, but also EVERY single one wrote back to me! Even if it was a 'thanks but no thanks'. And this was when you had to actually write letters!

Sigh. "You" did not refer to the poster personally. I didn't think I needed to specify that because it was so bloody obvious.

If she knows why they're so shite, maybe she also knows the reasoning behind it.

😱🤣 Did you express confusion at them having taken so long?! What did they say when you said no?

and I'd be glad to be removed from the shortlist of an organisation that calls an honest account of a rude prospective employer given anonymously unprofessional. How pompous.

Load of bollocks and box ticking. I’ve worked for a big 4 accountants (French name) who are one of the worst companies I’ve ever worked for, not necessarily treating you badly but not dealing with others who treat you badly or throw you under the bus at all levels. A NDN also worked for them and warned me off them and I didn’t heed his warning.

In fact after my recent experience it really hacks me off how they talk the talk on so many levels but it really is a load of spin on lots of them. All this bank’s bollocks about women in business, championing them, breaking the glass ceiling etc it might be true in some ways but I find most industries are still male dominated. Thus bank is still so they say one of the better ones re diversity, equality and values etc but if they’re one of the better ones what about the other 3 key players in the UK? You don’t tend to research stuff like this on them and all you see is sometimes adverts about it, which is a load of PR/marketing/advertising rubbish. And the women there mostly have to behave like men if they want to get on.

You could have got the job - there’s a good chance they are just being slow. I would have used your other job offer to get them to respond quicker (with hopefully a job offer too!) and then use both offers to negotiate a higher salary at whichever one you wanted to take

We are not big 4 (but one down!) And we let people know what is going on. Still interviews can take place over a period of weeks and we wouldn't want to accept anyone until we'd finished the interviews. So you are most likely still in the running if its only been 2 weeks but it is unprofessional not to have told you that.

Did you email and ask for an update? If it were me I'd be letting them know that you have other offers and need to make a choice. Force them to decide.

I once had deloitte badger me to interview with them and I explained to the recruiter that I was very happy where I was. They persuaded me into a telephone interview which I was expecting to be them explaining how the new team they were setting up would work.

The interview was a recruiter asking me things like my experience and salary expectations. I had to remind them they had been the ones who'd asked me to interview and that in terms of salary they could make me an offer.

So I gave up time on my non work day to take this call then I never heard back. It was very strange and I was left with the impression that their recruitment team was disorganised and didn't have a clue.

I think its often the case that in professional services recruitment they are used to recruiting for audit or tax and not very good to getting experienced hires into advisory.

My recruitment team are bloody awful at sticking to the graduate recruitment timeline for notification. They let good candidates go whilst we await first choice reply. First choice often has something else lined up. It's like HR expect everyone interviewing to automatically want the job when of course the good candidates are doing multiple interviews. It's a nightmare.

Actually it depends on the department of the huge corporation. My experience involved the admin staff of the exec office of this UK bank. I was very surprised that only a PA and the Business manager at this level interviewed me and followed up after my second interview and the first one. Nothing from HR, talent acquisition etc at all which in my experience all other companies tend to do. I think it was because it was for the exec office that they chose to handle it there. The situation with the internal candidate doing the job already and who ultimately got the job over me I sort of guessed was handled by their HR team. Maybe she’d wanted to be moved and had over 2 years service.

Just fyi, not heard good things about Deloitte at all, loads I know have left. You’re correct their recruitment team don’t have a clue, when they recruited me they were based in Eastern Europe and Poland I think. Nothing against that at all but I find in those circs they’re a bit removed from the real time processes.

I would assume that you were on reserve list and if it doesn’t go well with their first choice they’ll send an apology for the delay email and ask when you can start!

without outing I’m senior in a big 4 firm and do a lot of 2nd round interviews.

i have interviewed 5 people in a week before. In reality the director has a day job and it’s not good but they may have forgotten to give feedback to HR on time (there’s usually a form to be completed) and HR May in then take time. And if there’s an agency that can add to the delay

Absences can then make emails be missed

tjis doesn’t make it ok but there can be a lot of people and red tape involved so I wouldn’t take it personally - yet

It’s massively shitty of them but you having to commute for an interview and it costing you isn’t really their problem

You are not their first choice and they are keeping you 'warm' or at least not blowing you out until the first choice accepts.

Or it could be disorganised HR or some key decision makers are not available to discuss the candidates and come to a decision.

Either way, it is not uncommon, having been on both sides of this. It's frustrating but it is the name of the game. If you went with a recruitment agent, they are often able to chivvy things out better.

You have accepted your other offer so this big firm lost out. That is the risk they take by not getting back to you in time.

To cut costs and maximise partner profit share.

A lot of the client facing work is offshored/ outsourced too.