Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be upset that I didn't get an interview?

72 replies

Sundaycoffee · 20/12/2023 12:38

I have worked within my team for the past 5 years and was actively encouraged by my manager to apply for an internal role after a development meeting (working within the same team). She is the director of the team but not the line manager of the role. It would have been a promotion on what I do now and although I didn't have as much experience for the role as others may have, i have a lot of transferable skills and have obviously already built relationships within the team which helps. She told me that I should apply and would be happy to give me a chance and I could definitely do it.
Today I received an automated email from recruitment saying that I have not been selected for an interview.
AIBU to feel a bit put out by this?
Would have understood had I been unsuccessful after the interview but why encourage someone to apply then not even give them the chance? And then to just receive an automated email rejection...

OP posts:
CornishPorsche · 20/12/2023 12:40

Well, clearly there were issues with your application if it didn't meet the threshold for an interview. Was it a full application or expression of interest internally? Did you have to write full examples to satisfy the initial sift?

You may not be entitled to feedback at the stage of a recruitment process but you could ask for it.

LoobyDop · 20/12/2023 12:40

Yeah, that’s crappy. You should ask her for feedback, given that she encouraged you to apply.

shearwater2 · 20/12/2023 12:40

Yeah, that is crap.

Did you make as much effort in applying for it as you would for an external role?

I'd ask for feedback.

AppleKatie · 20/12/2023 12:41

Yeah that is shit. I would (politely) ask her directly for feedback.

likely she encouraged you to apply but didn’t actually have anything to do with the shortlisting.

if it makes you feel any better the first time I went for the job I have now I wasn’t shortlisted. Shortlisting is often rather arbitrary.

Original poster
Sundaycoffee · 20/12/2023 12:41

CornishPorsche · 20/12/2023 12:40

Well, clearly there were issues with your application if it didn't meet the threshold for an interview. Was it a full application or expression of interest internally? Did you have to write full examples to satisfy the initial sift?

You may not be entitled to feedback at the stage of a recruitment process but you could ask for it.

It was just an upload of CV for the application

OP posts:
biedrona · 20/12/2023 12:43

It's not like you had to write a covering letter etc. Obviously there were stronger candidates with matching experience.
Move on.

AlisonDonut · 20/12/2023 12:46

Just uploading a CV isn't enough though. What you need to do is to rewrite each time you want to apply, showing how you match the role in your experiences. It gets a bit tedious but if you want interviews, its what needs doing.

redalex261 · 20/12/2023 12:46

I don’t feel your rejection has anything to do with the person who suggested you apply. If you had an automated email this indicates the content of your application did not score sufficiently highly to qualify you for an interview. Usually the scoring is done by a blind blind sift in large organisations and the line management for the vacancy are not involved to avoid bias. Ask for feedback and look critically at whatever evidence or examples you chose for your application.

CornishPorsche · 20/12/2023 12:49

Did you tailor the CV to this role specifically? Unfortunately if you don't make the sift, there isn't necessarily any fault on the part of the boss who recommended you apply. They only recommended it - they won't be able to influence you getting an interview if others hit higher on the scoring.

Loopytiles · 20/12/2023 12:51

Ask for feedback from the recruiting line manager. Perhaps your CV was poor or there are other candidates with more experience / skills.

EvilElsa · 20/12/2023 12:51

As you've said yourself, you don't have as much experience in this role yet and there would have been stronger candidates so try not to take it to heart. Your manager clearly thinks you are capable which is great and promising for next time. If you would really like to progress in the role can you ask for training or opportunities for experience?

Loopytiles · 20/12/2023 12:52

Similar thing happened at my work: the team member had put in a crummy CV.

MargotBamborough · 20/12/2023 12:55

AlisonDonut · 20/12/2023 12:46

Just uploading a CV isn't enough though. What you need to do is to rewrite each time you want to apply, showing how you match the role in your experiences. It gets a bit tedious but if you want interviews, its what needs doing.

This.

You need to go through the job description and pick out all the key words and then make sure you use all these key words in your CV to show how your experience matches the profile they are looking for.

Basically you need a different CV for each job you apply for.

SquirrelRed · 20/12/2023 12:56

I was once working for an agency doing a temp role that was then advertised by the actual company as a permanent position. I obviously applied and thought I had a pretty good chance seeing as I was actually doing the job at the time and I didn't even get an interview! In your case, I would definitely ask your manager for some feedback, just so you don't feel resentful.

Darkenergy · 20/12/2023 13:00

Definitely ask for feedback as everyone on here is guessing - it might have been the quality of your CV, the quality of the other applicants or something else. It's important to find out so you can decide whether it's just bad luck, something you could improve for next time or whether they just don't think you're promotion material.

Kingoftheroad · 20/12/2023 13:04

Going against the grain here but as a ceo this is absolutely awful.

I would be horrified if any of my team treated an employee like this !!!!

this may be standard procedure, if so, procedures need to change. Workforce is your most valuable asset.

my advice is to ask for a meeting with the decision maker and explain your disappointment.

Take your experience and skills to an employer who will highly value you. This lot are unworthy of you

best wishes

Asiama · 20/12/2023 13:20

I would ask your Director for feedback in case it was an error. Similar happened to me and when I asked the hiring manager for feedback, it turned out I shouldn't have been rejected and ended up being offered the job!

PeachBlossom1234 · 20/12/2023 13:20

I'm in the charity sector and most places have a policy of always interviewing internal applicants regardless of their experience. At my current place we had someone from a different department entirely (think care staff role) apply to be our Social Media Manager.....he wasn't successful but he did an amazing interview and only got beaten by someone with more experience - we had no idea he'd be interested and probably would have overlooked him but he did great and with a bit of cross team working we can support him to get where he wants to be.

I have been overlooked for promotion in the past and when I got overlooked the second time that was my cue to leave, I applied for one role, much more senior and got offered it the same day as the interview - sometimes you have to cut your losses and realise that other people will see your value even if your current employer doesn't. I'd be looking around if I were you, and I'm so sorry this happened.

theexceliconisgreen · 20/12/2023 13:20

This happened to me earlier in the year. Promoted post came up in another team in the same department, hiring manager in the team wanted me to apply said it would be great to have someone with the skills I have and they knew I had already done temporary promotion at that grade. Put application in and received automated rejection email 3 weeks later, no interview. When asked for feedback, told they only give feedback if you get an interview, no feedback on application. Just more annoyed at the fact that this person asked me a few times to apply!

Only advice I can give OP is to take your talent elsewhere, I ak actively searching other jobs!

TrainedByCats · 20/12/2023 13:37

You should flag this up to the manager just so she’s aware, she may follow-up. Many large companies are struggling with their internal HR people having a very rigid view of what they should be looking for when they don't properly understand the job requirements and rejecting good candidates.

snowitall · 20/12/2023 13:39

I would assume that this was an admin error to be honest! Did you let her know that you’d applied when you did?

ActDottie · 20/12/2023 13:43

Yeah I think that’s crappy of them.

Lifeasiknowitisout · 20/12/2023 13:46

You don’t know if it’s crappy or anyone until you actually speak to someone and get some feedback.

It could be an error or that there’s something missing from your CV/ application.

Ansjovis · 20/12/2023 13:49

As an internal candidate the least you should expect is for an actual human to tell you the outcome of your application. I would 100% raise this. As others have said it may be an error that their ATS is set up incorrectly. I know our ATS is set up to block automated emails to internal candidates so maybe there is an error in the config or a defect.

TheSpruce · 20/12/2023 13:50

As I work in this area, my first thought was rather an admin/system error or something fishy going on (they already have someone in mind). It would be rare not to interview internal applicants unless they were absolutely rubbish...

Swipe left for the next trending thread