Husband failed interview for own job, panicking!

[UpsetAtInterview]

Name changed for this one. My husband has been on fixed term contracts for 4 years and interviews came up for permanent positions. He placed high in last years interviews and just missed out on a job, but the wait list ran out so there was a new round in interviews. He was in a pissy mood leading up to it, annoyed at having to re-interview again. He just found out he failed the interview. We're now facing a cliff edge financially as we can't get by on just my wage and his contract finishes in 6 weeks.

I'm so angry at him. I was the breadwinner until our first child turned two. Then he got this job and it was great, he doubled his salary just as the cost of living increase hit so we were okay. I worked so hard for years, I even did interviews heavily pregnant to get us in a good position financially and he's just thrown it all away because he couldn't get out of his own way and actually apply himself for a few days. He didn't take the prep seriously and was blindsided in the interview.

He's devastated, doesn't want to go back to work for last few weeks of his contract, doesn't want to complete his remaining projects. I am trying to comfort him and can see he's emotionally fragile but I just want to scream at him 'Why did you let us down? Why didn't you do the work to make sure your family is looked after?'. I wouldn't mind if he tried his best and it didn't work out, but he didn't. Am I unreasonable to be so angry? Should I tell him? Should I just try and help him get a new job first?

You should leave him immediately

This is rubbish, discrimination is very common in interviews and he may not be given the job because of things out of his control

Ok so in your panic your first reaction is to entirely shit on your life partner and blame them for things out of your control?

I wouldn’t be with my husband if he treated me like that

Hrft but basically they didn't want him, bc they want someone else, maybe younger, cheaper, newer ideas or whatever.
Best thing is to minimise any blame to him and help him move on.

Maybe a killer financially but being angry at him won't help.

Cheaper isn't a thing in the CS, posts are advertised and subsequently recruited into by grade and their aren't bands anymore that you progress through.

I think you are very unreasonable - 4 years on a fixed contract and then made to interview again. Poor man. And what’s worse is his DP has reacted by being angry at him. Glad my DP is more supportive than you are.

I agree with ☝️. OP isn't asking for employment law advice really and has explained the sector etc, she's asking about whether her emotional response is reasonable - and it is of course. OP works full time and they have 2 toddlers. The stress is real. I reckon the above is an emotionally intelligent bit of advice.

LOL

Harsh. I think OP is voicing her worries and anger here. Not to her husband.

If you need a job - create a job somewhere that you CAN do
Details ARE insignificant - make it WORK (pun not intentional)

The job you ARE lookin for IS in here

Human workers' rights in the workplace include

> protections against discrimination, the right to a safe working environment, fair remuneration, and the right to organize and bargain collectively. They also include the right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion, and expression, as well as the right to a private and family life.

Are you feeling better today?

You've both had a shock and you're both scared, and you're reacting in your own ways.

You're exasperated and angry, with a touch of I told you so in the mix.

He's embarrassed and ashamed, realising he screwed up, that he should have done this preparation and is probably feeling a bit cut down. Rejection is hard. Especially when we know we're responsible.

Time to get over yourselves. You have children and your own job to think of.

I hope he's got more rational over the last few days and knows he must finish this contract, for his reputation and his reference. And the possibility of a future contract if he stays in the FTC game.

Has he reviewed his CV yet?

What does he think happened at the interview? Does he think the interview itself was unfair in any way. He could possibly appeal but it kinda sounds to me like he needs to move on.

religion, and expression

This IS the target area
The workplace satisfies the requirement HERE
With YOU a team member

Thank you @Kitchensnails - for the people who quoted me, I absolutely dont disagree that sometimes these processes are an excuse to get rid of more expensive staff. But there are organizations which do not work like this, and I work in one. I just got a job after an internal interview at age 60 - one of the most expensive people who interviewed, but got it on my experience and what I bring in. In the position where I was the interviewer, we always wanted to hire the people who were already working for us. It was horrible to not be able to offer to those who did badly. I asked one what he was thinking, and he said he did not think he needed to prepare because 'we knew him'. I had to explain how interviews work and show him how his answers had not hit any of the points we needed him to mention.

So yes, this process can be a way of saving money, in which case nothing you do will help. BUT it can also be done to ensure fair process is followed, and a lot of internal candidates dont think as much in advance as they would if they were interviewing elsewhere.

Interviews of internal candidates are decided in advance. It is nothing to do with performance on the day. When planning for medium term best to feel your fall back position is the job you can get tomorrow if current one ends, feel no safer than that.

Is this 4 years at the same company?

If so, I'd be trying to take this as the message it is - they don't really want him. He's filled a hole for a season, but that season has come to an end.

I know from bitter experience how hard it can be to swallow your pride, and get up again.
10 years ago I was on a years fixed contract, had to interview for basically my own job, and didn't get it. And to make matters worse, I found out I didn't get it via chitchat on social media. It was absolutely rotten.
I did then get another job in the same industry, but that also gradually fell apart on me, and I had to come to the conclusion that I actually wasn't really very suited to this particular role.
I'm now 7 years in an adjacent but very similar area, and 100% happier.

Or they did want him but because he didn’t take the interview seriously they couldn’t score him highest.

This isn’t true.

absolutely @peppermintcrumble - in almost every situation where we had internal applicants who failed at interview, we would have liked to have given them the job but could not because of their performance. And the one time I was quite pleased to see an internal candidate tank, it was because they had an awful attitude which just skirted the line of what would trigger disciplinary, but brought the whole teams morale down. They got a fair interview, like everyone else, but I cant say I was not happy when the scores put them out of the running. They were appointable, just not as high scoring as some other people.

That is an absolute pisser for both of you. I would be raging if I were you at him but also at the workplace. I hate bloody tick box interviews when a candidate has already proved themself in the job. I have seen it at my own workplace where we have someone fantastic on a shorter term contract who is outperformed by someone else in the interview and you lose a valued member of the team. I always think do you want someone good at the job or good at interviews? Was his complacency actually masking a fear about the interview? I hate job interviews. Often the stakes are so high and find myself clicking into survival mode. However, I always go in well prepared.

Not sure if the OP is aware, but after 4 years FTC completes, you automtically become a permanent employee. The employer would have known this. It could be an internal HR policy to avoid permanent contracts by automatically not renewing his at the fifth year.

https://www.gov.uk/fixed-term-contracts/renewing-or-ending-a-fixedterm-contract

So sorry they treated you so awfully, I'd be so upset too. Clearly not your fault though, you were "good enough" for a whole year when it suited them to call you in for bank shifts. Then suddenly you aren't for a permanent job? Same with OPs husband, he must have been considered capable and good at his job if they kept him for 4 Years! Should be a no brainer going permanent for the same role, why is even an interview needed??

Imhe if they want to give you the job, and they obvs know him and his work, someone let you know what to get up to date on, subtly of course. Perhaps DH knew they didn't want him and was therefore not motivated.

Absolutely, it's such bollocks!
And you're right there is no need once someone has proven themselves, also many reasons people may not interview well but they are still great at the job.

Thank you both for the supportive replies, and everyone else who had been helpful and constructive too. It is still a shock, I keep realising new things like we'll lose our tax free discount for childcare if he isn't working, but he seems to be coming through it. A bit of working from home and space has helped. He's tooling up his CV and is investigating how to formally flag up that he's been working continuously for 4 years. I don't know if it will help, as PP's have said, there are ways around it but at least he's will need a months notice and will be entitled to redundancy.

I've been fully supportive of him in person and have only vented on line here. To be honest, having lots of people say they'd be angry too but it's time to buck up and move forward mirrors what I've been feeling. So thank you all. I appreciate the inner workings of the public sector are a bit of a dark art, but I am thankful for all the legal guidance too.