More employers should tell people if they're unsuccessful

[ChimneySweepLiverpool]

I did an interview last week for a panel. The interview took 1 hour and 10 minutes, was pretty full on. They were very positive towards me. Its a more junior role than the one I currently have but I want to leave management as I'm currently in quite a toxic environment.

They said I would hear early this week. Monday and Tuesday I jumped every time my phone rang or made a noise. I'm assuming now I didn't get it and I wish they had emailed to tell me. They are a small team but one of the panel was a HR representative so I'm assuming part of her role is to email unsuccessful candidates.

I email every person who comes for an interview. The company I interviewed for have just received a large amount of funding for hiring and I'd love to work for them if I didn't get this role, but I'm put off by the lack of communication now

They might not have actually decided. Half term. Inset days. Waiting for first choice to confirm before letting you down. Could be a range of things. Annoying, but not really unprofessional until it's been a week since the anticipated date.

It’s appalling that they treat people like this.

When I was managing a team and interviewing I gave feedback to everyone who applied and gave very quick responses to whether they were successful or not. Its basic good manners.

Some companies are appalling. I has an interview a few years ago for a managers role. I had 3 interviews and was told by HR I was being offered the position but the dept head was on AL until next week and he had to sign off the offer so it would be a few days before I got the formal offer.

I hadn’t heard by the end of the following week so called them. I was told by HR it’s all in hand. This went on for several wewks which time I knew I hadn’t got the job but I wanted to keep on at them until they actually told me.

Finally after 7 weeks the HR lady called and said that due to restructuring the role was no longer being filled - no apology or anything

And then about 3 months later they called me about another told that had become available if I was interested!

Errrr why would I work for a company that treats people so shoddily?

Nothing new, I used to get this 20 years ago. Apply, no response. Attend interview, no response. Sometimes attend second or even third interview, still no response. At least these days if you apply via an agency you do usually get an automatic email saying thanks for applying, and if you haven't heard in x days then assume you won't be called for interview.

But I know that in recent years some companies don't even bother to tell the agencies they are using that a candidate isn't on the shortlist, or won't be taken on.

I always ask at interview what the process will be going forwards including timescales, and assume that if I haven't heard a few days later than their decision date then I haven't got the job.

The organisations that really drag things out definitely lose out on good candidates. More than once I've interviewed for a number of jobs over a week or two and been offered one (and accepted). Up to a month later one of the others has called to offer me the job - I take great pleasure in telling them that not only had I got a different new job but had already started there. And no I would NOT be interested in leaving the new job immediately to work for them when they ask (as some have in the past) - I wouldn't want to work for a company that a) takes so long to get back to me and b) would accept someone untrustworthy enough to accept a new job then walk out after a few days. Plus do they not think that someone who would do that for them won't just up ship as soon as something better came along?

Two months ago I had a second round interview for a company. The first interview was 30 minutes. The second one was 2.5 hours long (which included a 45-minute writing task). I was told at the end of the interview I would hear back in 2 - 3 weeks.

3 weeks went by, and I had heard nothing. I emailed the in-house recruiter (who, prior to this, would respond to emails in about 10 - 15 minutes when arranging the interviews). I didn't hear back from her. Two weeks later, I followed up again - still nothing.

I gave this company three hours of my time, and they have ghosted me. They still haven't even had the decency to send me a two-sentence, "thank you for your time, but we are not moving forward with your application" email.

do you really want the job op?

Yeah I really want the job @steamingbeet. I have done a few interviews over my years and normally am not so nervous but it's because this would be a big change for me I was itching to hear back after one week

It might be that you are a close 2nd choice and 1st choice are taking their time to accept and they aren't ready to let you go. I've been in that position a few times when hiring and I would always try and avoid telling a candidate they were 2nd choice as I dont think its a very nice thing to hear. Hope you get a response soon.

even though the company seems pretty poorly organised and thoughtless?

only 12 staff and this delay and inefficiency?

I absolutely agree with you, OP. I watched my kids go through this numerous times when they were looking for a job. The effort needed for a simple "thanks but no thanks" is minuscule compared with the emotional and physical effort that goes into applying for a job and sweating on the result of an interview, and I find it hard to accept that organisations can't find the resource even for that.

I'm trying to give them the benefit of the doubt @steamingbeet

They are an adoption charity so I'd like to believe they're somewhat organised. The interview was over an hour long with three people including the CEO so it didn't feel as casual as they seem to be taking the job offer bit

the HR contact… is she only HR?

Yes she's the only HR person @steamingbeet. She seems to work flexible times too rather than 9-5

for just 12 people they have an sole HR person who can’t even do her job properly!

Before e-mails, a family friend went to an interview. About 10 days later, she got a phone call from the potential employer asking would she like to start next Monday. They only sent said she was successful in a letter which was lost in the post two days after the interview.

Because she needed 2 weeks notice to leave her job, she was able to defer the start date of the new job to coincide with the start date. She had leave to use anyway so her first 2-3 days of her new job, she was paid leave from her previous employer.

On a couple of times I had to make some BS to my employers when I had interviews (didn't want to mention the i word) on my days in. They had to get colleagues and myself to work different days, it is very frustrating that you put in the effort of researching the company, think of suitable scenarios of "tell me a time when/where....." questions.

Then the potential employer makes zero effort in responding to you about you weren't successful. Sometimes the reasons why you weren't successful do help in future interviews which I mentioned in a pp.

I also find they can be very casual about the whole feedback thing after an interview but pretty efficient once they want to arrange a start date 😂

Not necessarily, especially in a big organisation when they have to get through various levels of approval. Also, even if you're not top of their list, you might still get an offer in the person above you turns it down, which would take a bit longer.

I do think not letting applicants know that they are unsuccessful is very rude, especially in the age of mass emails. At the very least, they could say that if you don't hear from us by a certain date, assume you didn't get the job. It's not that difficult.

It's a small company, and just last week was the half term holidays. So there's a fair chance someone crucial to the selection has been off all last week & is plodding through their in box in the order the emails came in rather than on an urgency basis.

3 years? That is just fucking ridiculous; and pointless.

I think allergictoironing has hit the nail on the head.

no it isn’t

he didn’t get the job
they kept his details on file
when the vacancy came up again for similar or same position… they contacted him

OK, that's not really how you put it initially though, is it?

Yeah now that they've said it's delayed, I can see why and I'm hoping they're being genuine (not just delaying unnecessarily)

I thought they simply didn't tell me I didn't get it (which seems to happen more and more these days)

Job interviews are a bit like dating 😅

Fingers crossed for you @ToBeOrNotToBee