Internal job applicants grrr....

[NameChange245]

I'm in a job where, to make the leap to the next pay band is hard as 1. There a few posts nationally, and 2. Within my own organisation the 2 people in this role are not planning to leave any time in the next 10 years (and even if they were, there are others on my pay grade who'd go for the job and may get it ahead of me).

I have applied for jobs in this higher band elsewhere I the country 3 times in the last 3 years (that's how often they come up). The last two times the job went to an internal candidate. The most recent interview (last week) I got the distinct feeling an internal candidate had already been picked. I am waiting to hear if I have got the job but am 95% sure I haven't and an internal candidate has been safely secured the job since before my interview

AIBU to hate the fact that jobs who have already been ear marked for someone often have to been advertised externally? It's a waste of everyone's bloody time and money. I bought new clothes for the interview, wasted time preparing, travelled quite far (so had to take the whole day off for the interview). Not to mention the emotional toil (I loved the job spec, the panel, the role, everything! I realllly wanted this job!! and had the skills and experience)

I have been on the other foot as an interviewer, where I have a great employee wanting to step up, but have to go to the faff of advertising and interviewing just to select the candidate I had in mind all along. It's unfair on the external applicants and a big waste of time for them and me. It is pointless.

I work in the public sector and it worries me how much money is wasted needlessly advertising posts externally which are unlikely to go to an external.

Having been on both sides of the coin here, I just find that I hate the process so much! Why can't we have a process of promotion - so if someone is doing well we can step them up to the new pay band without the need to advertise and the person have to be interviewed against external applicants? It would save so much time and money, not to mention that it would mean when a job is advertised externally, external candidates do actually stand a chance.

Grrr... rant over!

You're lucky! It happened to me 6 times with NHS advertised posts !

On one occasion the manager told all of us in the dept (separately) that she wanted to promote from inside', to encourage more applications, no doubt. Then when we all applied, she appointed a 'stranger'.

On another occasion myself and another lady applied for a promotion. She got the job. I was told by the boss that it was because she was a lot older and it would help make sure she got a bigger pension.😮
6 months later she died and no-one from the dept applied when the post was re-advertised. Mainly it was because she was the 2nd person to die in that post and we felt it was a bit odd.😨

I had this a few years back. Went through three interviews in addition to the initial screening. All three interviews involved taking a day off as there was travel involved and they were in-person. One required a 30 minute presentation with slide deck.

Internal candidate was a better fit for the role as although I was more experienced and senior, they had X system experience. I sent back a very polite but candid email expressing disappointment at the recruitment experience. Pointing out that the system experience they claimed was so vital for the role, was never going to be possible for an external candidate as it was the firm's own bespoke software, and was not listed on the role description as a requirement.

Never got a response, but six months later I got a phone call from them asking if I was still interested in working there. I made suitable noises long enough to find out that their internal candidate had decided that after giving it a go they didn't want the step up after all as they didn't have enough experience. Told them I'd have a think about it and let them know and then ghosted the fuckers.

I think it's some kind of massive misunderstanding. There is no law requiring jobs to be advertised externally. Yet, so many firms, HR depts, and managers seem to think it's compulsory. Then everyone's time is wasted, not just the applicants, but also HR and management spending a day doing multiple interviews when they already know who's got the job.

I've been on the other side. I was an external auditor/accountant who went monthly to do management accounts etc for a fast growing firm, and they wanted an in-house accountant. I was offered the job informally (they were sounding me out as to whether I wanted it or not), and we agreed terms, wages, etc., and a start date. There was no formal "recruitment" for me, I never gave in my cv nor even an application form. Then they said they'd "have to" advertise it externally but it was "just a formality". I felt really bad and guilty as I knew there'd be lots of people spending their time making applications and going for interviews, but it was all smoke and mirrors. Needless to say, after all that, nothing changed, and I still started the job on the day agreed, I didn't even get a formal job offer and only signed the contract of employment on my start date! Completely unfair all round. Once I was established, I made sure they became aware that there was no legal requirement and I certainly never put any future jobs under my control advertised for external applicants if I'd already decided on an internal promotion, and over time, I think the message got through to other departmental managers there was no need for external adverts either if they had a "good fit" already.

I've been at an interview where there were 3 external and 1 internal candidates. The internal one had applied for the job 2 times already, and seen it go to external. Then the external had left quickly. She'd actually already been doing the job as the interim HoD but they still advertised and interviewed.

I felt so bad for her. If she's good enough to do the job as an interim, she's good enough to do the job. Luckily, they did give her the job on her 3rd attempt, but she was nervous as hell. It certainly wasn't a done deal.