I really want this job but is this a red flag?

[sundayclean]

I'm looking for a new job and have been invited to attend an interview this Thursday at 2:30. Unfortunately I have a dentist appointment on Thursday at 2pm which has been booked for well over a month. I have an NHS dentist and they are very very strict with cancelling and rescheduling appointments. I cancelled once last year (first time in 7 yrs) due to an emergency and they said if it happened again then I would be taken off the register. It's not great but I only stay with them as I can't afford to go private.

Anyway, I spoke with the hiring manager at the beginning of last week and she contacted yesterday to arrange the interview. In all fairness I never mentioned my appointment when I initially spoke to her as it just slipped my mind but she also didn't mention what day the interviews would be on if I was successful getting to the next stage.

I've asked if she can accommodate another day/time to which she's said no. I really want this job, but she does seem a bit inflexible/awkward. Or am I the one being awkward? I don't really want to risk losing my dentist for a job that I might not even get and I think expecting someone to cancel a prior appointment with 3 days notice is a bit unreasonable. Would this put you off?

Yeah I agree a bit of a red flag.

You aren't cancelling. You are just rescheduling. The denture ought to allow that.

It could be an indication that they have a good pool of applicants and are confident they will recruit without you and/or you are not a stand out applicant that they feel they must see.

@SapphOhNo I guess so

You have a dentist problem, not an employer problem in my view.

If it's a permanent job you really want then don't lose that chance just for a dentist appointment.

@PrimalLass it's not just the appointment though unfortunately, I would have to find a new dentist.

Is that easier or harder than finding a new job?

@PrimalLass much harder, it's extremely difficult to find an NHS dentist these days. I can't afford to go private.

Retired manager here. If we had loads of good applicants, then we'd be less flexible than if we only had you or if you were gobsmackingly outstanding. There's the issue of the availability of the panel but honestly if you have got a lot more good applicants than jobs and are going to be taking up time to interview people you KNOW you won't have a job for, then its a bonus if someone rules themselves out because they can't make the offered interview slot. That doesn't mean that we wouldn't be flexible for employees.

I'm not sure I would see it as a red flag particularly. The hiring manager isn't likely to be the person interviewing or employing you, and we've all met some awkward people before in different positions. No doubt they have people muck them about in the past.

I think I would ask for earlier times on the Thursday - It's still the day they want to do it, but you can keep your appointment. You can't really do it after a root canal!

This doesn't sound like a company that values your skills and experience. What's it going to be like two months down the line when they've got you and have the upper hand.

I'd view it as a lucky escape to be honest.

it may be that they have plenty of other applicants with equivalent skills and experience.

But on the flip side of this, I would always tell candidates what the next steps are during an interview anyway, including giving an indication of when the next interview is likely to be if they're successful. It is very entitled to expect people to be able to drop everything and take time off work with very short notice.

Agree. Or they have a very strong field. I'd skip it.

I work for a company that is not flexible and I've missed a lot of things due to this. They expect shift changes last minute (even those against company rules) but are so poor with giving even an hour off for appointments. If they won't change the interview take it as a lucky sign. I wish I'd never joined.

I have to admit, I wouldn't look too favourably upon a candidate who wouldn't move a routine dentist appointment. An emergency appointment due to pain would be different. It's so hard to reschedule interviews. Calendars are often packed because of the interviews themselves and business as usual doesn't cease. It's hard to find spare time for the 2-3 people on the panel and if it's too long after the original date then it's completely unfair to the other candidates because they'd have to wait much longer for the outcome. It's not just a case of an unwillingness to be flexible in most cases.

I think there's a difference between "I've got a dentist appointment" (which can always be changed) and "if I cancel my dentist appointment then I will be kicked off their books and lose access to NHS dentistry".

Have you tried contacting the dentist to explain the problem? They've obviously got you on a two "no-shows" and you're out policy, but if you contact them now and explain why you would like to cancel and reboot, they may be happy to offer the cancellation to somebody else and give you an appointment in two months. It's not quite the same thing as cancelling on the day.

I don’t get why you can’t ask the dentist to move the appointment. They can’t ditch you for asking.

It's not always possible to pull together the same panel for a single interview.
Imagine they have a post and 5 applicants
4 are interviewed on one day and then someone else wants to be interviewed a week later, then is ill and wants to reschedule again?
You would have to have the same panel, book a room and make everyone else wait 2 weeks to find out-its not going to happen !

@Midlifecrisisxamillion it's not a routine appointment though, it's a dental treatment. I've had a terrible infection in my back tooth effecting a further 2 teeth and I require root canal. The appointment has been arranged for over a month.

@lanthanum unfortunately I can't wait another month etc - I've had an infection in my back tooth for over a month and require root canal.

I have withdrawn my application anyway, thank you for your replies and suggestions.

Nasty. I agree - you can't wait for that - especially if you've already had to wait that long.
Your original description did just say "a dental appointment", and so again, making sure the company know that it's not just a check-up might be enough for them to rearrange if they can.
However it isn't always possible to arrange things for a different date, however much they might sympathise, so I guess you may end up missing out.

No you can't miss your nhs dentist apt these are the ridiculous rules and the times we live in right now. You might not get the job and have no nhs dentist. No thanks...so I would just chalk this down to experience..if they really wanted you they would make some accommodations so yes red flag. Sorry OP..hope you get another interview soon.