To not wait any longer?

[AtTheZoo]

Got an email yesterday asking me to come in for a job interview at 10am today.

Arrived on time. Been sat in the waiting room for 30 mins. One glass of water. Told things are running over but no apology.

Weird feeling just want to walk out. AIBU?

I think it all depends.

Waiting an hour is bad. Waiting half an hour is not ideal but hardly the crime of the century, although I'd expect to be treated nicely while I was waiting and apologised to. All depends on how long the interview will last, surely.

I was once waiting for an internal job interview. No where to wait, didn’t want to just go and not be there, no one to announce myself to. No one came out.
After a long wait, I went back to my desk. So embarrassing
One of the recruiters then came to whisper her apologies for being late.
They spent hours with the previous candidate ( who got the job) and when I did get in the main interviewer was combative and unpleasant.
Ugh
I wish I hadn’t even bothered.

I assume this is a job you've applied for.

How much do you want it?

YANBU, tbh - I've had mixed feelings about every job I've applied for in my life.

She didn't 'strop off', she was asking for advice about what to do.

You don't sound very nice. Are you stressed?

I've had this with an interview before.

It ran 45 mins late, and I'd made an excuse to duck out of my normal role to attend it. ( same organisation ) .

I really wanted the job when I walked into to the reception to announce my arrival, but that 45 mins wait gave me the opportunity to get more nervous, and to witness some very morose employees walking backwards and forwards.

I ended up going into the interview, but it was clear the panel were shattered and had just interviewed their preferred candidate, hence the long wait. It was one of those interviews where I should have just got up and said ' I can tell you're not really listening to me, and to be honest I'm no longer interested in working with you from what I've seen today'.

I do think it’s a sign of a shambolic organisation. Even if the shit was absolutely hitting the fan it wouldn’t have even too hard to ask the receptionist to reschedule. I had an interview once somewhere where they gave me 24 hours notice and it was really terribly organised. I was glad I didn’t get the job but once you’ve invested time and effort preparing etc it’s so disrespect of candidates time. As an interviewer I am always conscious of that and try and put candidates at ease and ensure the panel is properly prepared, knows what they’re doing and look professional.

SORRY

I was walking out the door when she came downstairs to get me. I was half out the door. She ushered me back in. Just over an hour late. V awkward. I said I had other meetings and she looked at me like I was up my own arse. I was hurried into the room. I DID THE INTERVIEW.

Safe to say I don't think they'll be offering it me. It was v surreal.

V much enjoying your comments and stories.

Glad at least one person thinks I'm being a right precious cow.

Agree. Anyone who thinks this is acceptable and 'normal' probably does this to people themselves.

It's not.

I think up to 30 mins is ok - ish, towards the end of the day! What the hell were they doing to be an hour late at that time of day. If you feel you need more time with a candidate then maybe accept you’ll have to schedule second interviews by phone or something. Bad planning on their part and if you don’t get it, you’ve made a lucky escape! If they do offer it I’d be candid and ask about the work culture and make your choice from there.

I arrived for an interview at what thinking I was 15 minutes early. I sat, waited 15 minutes, had a glass of water and was then taken through the whole open plan office to the interview room where I was told I was 15 minutes late and hadn't got the job, but on paper I had been a better candidate than the person they offered the job to.

Everyone in that office knew what was going on when I walked through, yes I was late I got the time wrong but I still think that was a dreadful way to treat someone

I think overrunning is fine if they keep you aware and apologise. I think you absolutely did the right thing - they are not respecting you or your time. If you worked for them - this is how they would treat you !!

Well company employees behave the way the culture of the company has taught them.
If they gave you very short notice, then kept you waiting for ages without explanation or apology, then you know what you'd be in for working for them.
Especially if it's the team that was interviewing you.
The day before is very short notice for an interview unless they had given you warning that the interviews would be on certain dates.

I don't think you're precious at all.

The courage to walk out comes with age IMO.

As a 20-40 something I'd have sat there till whenever.

These days no way. I've walked out on meetings when they've left me waiting with no word.

Kept informed and apologetic - no problem.

Kept waiting with no word after 30 mins - I walk.

OP, well done for doing the interview after waiting all that time (& for starting to leave when you needed to). Hope it turns out well - whatever that is in this instance!

Precious to leave because you have other appointments?

I've heard it all now!

@AtTheZoo You know you're probably going to get the job now, right?!

I hope you never look after me I now have a phobia of so called NHS health professionals. You can call me precious all you want you are failing people.

An hour late for an interview is fucking shit and I'd absolutely be gone with a shirty email being sent shortly afterwards.

If they were running that late they should have offered to reschedule. Attending interviews is as much about presenting the company to the potential employee as it is the other way round, and if a company acts this poorly at this state they are more than likely shit to work for.

I hope you don’t lose any sleep over it OP, sounds like you’ve dodged a bullet there.

I have rarely seen such an ill-advised post. Interviews aren’t clinics and shouldn’t be run as such. Being ‘in the NHS’ is not an excuse. Plenty of underfunded, beleaguered organisations manage to do their candidates the basic courtesy of running on schedule.

OP first posted at 10:29 ie 29 mins after the interview was scheduled.

I’m not being horrible perhaps it the difference between public and private sectors hence my coveat that I work for the NHS. Interviews often run late in my world…

Calling OP precious for being annoyed that they were being disrespectful of her time IS being horrible.

@AtTheZoo When you went into interview, did they apologise or say what the delay was? How did the interview go?

@olympicsrock - I have worked in the NHS and DH still does. I have also worked in the charity and private sector. I am still not really sure why you think that gives you an excuse to be so rude to the OP. A clinic is not a series of job interviews. A clinic has many more unknown variables and people have to wait as they need medical help, so entirely irrelevant for comparison. I am sure OP would have mentioned if it was in a medical setting.

I’m not being horrible perhaps it the difference between public and private sectors

Cos we all know how wonderfully well the NHS is working at the moment, right? Perhaps in part because some people who work in it think running an hour late is the norm…