Remind HR that job interviews are a two way process

[wannabewhat]

I know the job market is tough right now, and employers have a lot of candidates to choose from, but honestly, that is no excuse to treat people like crap during the hiring process.

I had an interview two weeks ago, and they said they'd be in touch the following week. Nothing came. I chased politely, and got a vague "still having internal meetings, will get back to you by Thursday." Surprise surprise; still nothing. It's now Monday. No update, no rejection, nothing.

This isn't even a one-off it's just the latest in a string of terrible recruitment experiences. Ghosting after multiple interviews, jobs being pulled without notice, automated rejections minutes after sending a carefully tailored application... the list goes on.

AIBU to think that if you actually want to attract the best candidates, you need to treat them with a bit of basic respect? The interview process is a two-way street, I'm assessing them as much as they're assessing me. If this is how they treat potential hires, it doesn't say much about how they treat staff. I am also a customer of this company and starting to think I should place my business elsewhere.

Rant over. Just so sick of the whole process right now.

I'm not looking to burn my bridges???? Expressing on mumsnet that HR promising you a response on one date and missing that deadline by a country mile is as frustrating as fuck is not looking to burn bridges.

Hopefully a few HR managers might read it though and realise that it is an approach that might lose them the odd candidate that isn't as desperate as fuck.

Fair enough. I misunderstood your point about reconsidering whether you want to work for them at all or use their product/service any more. That's all.

no, we do not, as per previous reply.

A couple of months ago, I got a rejection from April the year before. So don't give up hope...

Maybe someone should start a website so that companies who lack such courtesy can be named and shamed. A league table of those where say more than ten people have responded.

Dead right. In contrast, I had a great interview today and I feel like a million dollars. Panel were warm, open, rigorous but not rigid, and respectful. I don't think I'll get the job but I will sing their praises. I've had some terrible experiences lately so this was refreshing change.

Omg yes. My partner had two nterviews recently with the same company. They said they would be in touch in the next week. That was 3 or 4 weeks ago now. It's so rude! If he hasn't got it, tell him! He's been holding off on going for other interviews in the hope he would get this one.

There is already - Glassdoor where people can give reviews of their experience either working there or interviewing

He's been holding off on going for other interviews in the hope he would get this one.

Unfortunately you have to keep going with them until you've got an offer from one.

Hope you don't mind me pointing out - as it seems relevant to your role - that it's negotiations.

it s not particularly relevant to my role, no, or at least not beyond getting the best person in the role my department has created. I d happilly let HR deal with time and salary negociations, given that i have no role in time or pay - yet HR send all negociations queries past us alongside their recommendations.

Applicants who try to negociate out of scope points (e.g. WFH for on-site only role, or salary brackets explicitly requiring a specific degree they do not have) only 1) delay the process, 2) cast a poor image which makes me regret offering to them. These same people often do not accept that, yes, they can ask, but we are also free to reject their ask(s).

Agree. The challenge is sometimes I think that hr aren’t affected by the person getting fed up and walking away. Meanwhile you as the manager are desperate to get that person on board as you are a person down or you’ve found the most perfect person.

Keeping people hanging is not acceptable. Ever

If you had offered to your first choice and were waiting to hear back, would you say as much to your reserve choice?

Exactly.

My employer has got rid of most of the more experienced HR staff, and it's now mainly run by junior (cheaper) staff who don't have the experience or maturity or gumption to make an autonomous decision or the time to work closely with a manager to move the HR process along. This never used to happen.

These days, if I want HR support, I have to create a 'ticket' in an online system. It's infuriating. A quick phone call with a real person used to be able to sort things out. Now I wait up to a week for a reply to my 'ticket'. And people wonder why UK industry lacks productivity and growth ... well, there's one reason.

ahh... the tickets. I see we use the same excellent system, @ExpressCheckout

I hate to point this out again but the PP was just saying that you have repeatedly mis-spelled "negotiations".

Whether or not it’s an employer’s market there is no excuse for not conveying a brief no to a candidate who has taken the time and trouble, not to mention the expense, of attending a physical interview. That is just poor organisation or poor manners.
I do understand that a company flooded with applications might screen them and not offer interviews. I don’t see lack of notification then as so much of a problem.
My daughter recently applied for a job around 15 miles away, and was asked to attend an interview with the recruitment agency which was 30+ miles away, and on the day a 90 minute journey. They had checked twice with her that she still planned to attend and she had confirmed that she would be there.
She arrived in good time. The recruiter was busy. He blocked calls from the receptionist. With no update my daughter left 35 minutes after her scheduled appointment time. He eventually called her about 30 minutes later.
Fortunately for her she had other options and calmly told him she wouldn’t be attending another interview.

In those circumstances I’d have been tempted to invoice the recruiting company for my travel expenses, with a charge for a few hours of my time too.

They’d probably not bother to pay, but it might drive home the point that their unprofessional approach has real-world costs.

I like this idea!

I 100% get why they don’t give feedback as people can be a nightmare when they don’t like what they hear

as for not letting you know piss poor someone has processed your application and updated the system yet can’t even send a no thanks unsuccessful pre formatted email

Often, by the time we are down to the interview shortlist, any of the candidates would be fine, so it’s quite hard to give useful feedback (X had a bit more experience of Y than you is about all we usually can say)

I worked for a small charity which was recruiting a new member of staff to replace me. The interviews were in early May and the chairman of the charity would not allow me to contact the unsuccessful candidates, both the ones who had interviews and those who didn’t, until early June, when the new post holder was in place. I thought it was very rude, having been on the other end of things many times.

It’s not ‘pandering’, at all - it’s being professional and treating the candidates with respect.

Yanbu. It is a jungle out there.
I hope you land a great job soon.