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?

I did a similar thing when I was about to leave school in the mid 1970s. I sent my CV to all the accountants and lawyers in town and received a reply from all of them, and a job offer from two.

I do remember many years ago receiving a letter saying I was unsuccessful in a job application which I had made 6 months prior! I just remember thinking how inefficient it was and being grateful I didn't work there :)

I feel your pain op.

I had the third stage of an interview on June 5. Followed up on June 7th. They replied saying they were still finalising things. No news since 🙄

Haven't heard anything since.

I think they're offering it to other people and I'm 4/5/6th choice, I think because I've asked for more money (or other candidates are better!)

Just comes across as totally unprofessional and puts me off working there!!

YANBU, it's rude, unprofessional and lazy. If there's a reason for the delay, then they should say so (and apologise for the delay in outcome!). I'm sick of people justifying this trend in modern business practice. We have technology to help us now, it's not onerous to contact people who've taken the trouble apply, let alone actually have an interview. It's a quick and easy job.

He decided he didn’t want to work for a company who couldn’t spend a few minutes responding.

Good for him. Move on.

I worked in HRM for a famous NGO. One of my jobs was to sift through about 200 CVs hoping for a job without any job openings being advertised. Maybe 1% I could pass on to my recruitment officer because they had relevant experience.

Even doing voluntary work in whatever job shows you are willing to work.

I did a similar thing when I was about to leave school in the mid 1970s. I sent my CV to all the accountants and lawyers in town and received a reply from all of them, and a job offer from two.

This was my reality too in the 70's. Was a teenager, early 20's. Worked in offices, pubs, and all kinds of jobs.

But that was then, this is now 2023. yes it's shit for youngsters

That's what my old boss back in the nineties called them.

Whether it is now or then is immaterial when it comes to replying to people who take the trouble to apply for jobs. It is so much easier now to send an email than it was in the 1970s, when an actual letter had to be typed and mailed. Many businesses now seem to have dropped the ball when it comes to being professional - and I will be applying for jobs again soon, with little expectation of hearing back about some of them.

People keep on commenting and making up all these excuses. Maybe you just didn’t get the job? Yes they should have let you know but many, many companies don’t so it’s hardly surprising really

No 😂 that poster is just very worried about the feelings of an enormous corporate for some reason.

I’m guessing they don’t work in anything like that environment.

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.

I think this is a lot of the problem with recruitment. Most organisations assume they hold all the cards and that you're desperate for a job with them. The reality is the interview is a two-way process and some of it is about the candidate deciding whether they want to work for them. And not just work for them, but whether they might want to be a customer in future. There are various organisations who don't realise how tainted their reputation is because they are rude and unprofessional during their recruitment process.

Fine, we all know they've got to turn down the majority of applicants. But be polite and prompt when you do it. Don't just decide it's a difficult conversation you don't want to have, and leave them hanging there.

To be honest OP, if the job is managerial level especially, I would have expected you to take initiative to speak with someone directly to find out the outcome rather than just writing an email and leaving at that.

This is a common everyday working situation where you have to take matters into your hands. For all you know, it was part of the interview process, to test candidates on how they took initiatives to resolve an issue.

Oh please

Not much has changed.

Yeah. No. I don't think it's up to an interviewee to solve other people's problems. Pretty much any good candidate will solve that 'everyday working situation' by thinking 'fuck that for a game of soldiers' and going to work elsewhere.

Agreed it's very likely you are the second candidate and they are doing references/checks etc of candidate one before letting you know.

I do think the days of being told the day of interview are mostly long gone. Busy departments and many people involved in hiring often mean that interviews happen over the course of a week or two. I was hiring somewhat recently and interviewed about 6 people and had to do it over about 8 business days. But I was also very upfront and let people know timelines and communicated the whole way through to be fair to them.

Hope you hear soon @MrsClusterduck