Didn’t get job

[tiredsotired6]

I’ve been working as a temp for one company for over a year. They’ve been very happy with my work, giving me a lot of good feedback. A few people (including the manager) have said they would really like me to be on permanent staff as I do a great job.

Anyway, a few months ago a perm role came up, which was essentially my role to the letter. Having had the good feedback I decided to apply as felt I had a very good chance.

As I’m sure you’ve already guessed, I didn’t get the job. I’m now feeling like my confidence has been shot and my manager was just leading me on.

The new person has now started and seems fine but no better than me at the job. Worse still, I’ve been asked to help them out if they have any questions about how to do the job that I’ve been doing for over a year.

The result is that a job I used to look forward to every day has now left me feeling deflated and upset. I now dread work and generally just feel my confidence has been shattered.

AIBU and WWYD?

That's awful and so deflating for you. Job rejections are awful as they take so much work.

If i were you id look for something else. It sounds like they want to have their cake and eat it.

Is there any mention of a second role that might come up? If not, then id vote me my feet and ask the temp agency to find you something else ASAP.

They are taking the piss if they expect you to help settle in the new person. Good enough to help, but not good enough to do the job permanently. Though through this, remember that the person who did get the role won't have any idea that any of this was going on

It’s not taking the piss to expect them to train and support the new person. They’re still being paid to work, it would be really out of order to refuse (well, you can’t refuse really)

I’m sorry this has happened to you. It’s particularly galling to be asked to support the new person.
Are you temping through an agency? I would definitely be looking for another job, permanent or temporary as I’d struggle with being built up and then feeling not good enough or, I guess, not good enough at the interview but good enough to show someone else how to do the job.

Why would past or current performance be irrelevant? That sounds crazy to me! What would be the point in anyone making the effort to do their job well and go beyond, if all of that is completely ignored at interview and a person who can sell themselves better gets the job, even if they'd actually be shit on the day to day (while the temp has proven themselves day in day out for months)?
The whole point of sending your CV is for recruiters to judge past and current performance, the temp has done that in front of their eyes, that should count.

Because the external applicants could be equally great at the job but you don’t know about their performance.

what people are suggesting is unfair interviewing. The internal would have an advantage every time.

Maybe because it's not okay to give internal candidates preferential treatment? If a company sets out their recruitment process as a CV and an interview then that's what they should stick to. Otherwise why bother to look externally at all? If the employer prioritises knowing the candidate in role then they could miss out on some great external candidates.

I have seen so many job threads on here with posters complaining that a company has wasted their time because it was clear the company wanted to promote an internal candidate. It's odd how on this thread the company are getting slated for doing a fair recruitment process.

@Bambamhoohoo @GAJLY very interesting perspectives, thank you.

I used to recruit in public sector and they had a terrible interview system based on ticks/points. Whoever had the most got the job. Fortunately, their interview process was overhauled.

I recruit in the public sector and have done for years

This happened to me in the public sector and truthfully it broke my heart. I bided my time and didn’t leave straight away and remained professional but I did start looking and (literally a couple of years went by when I was was suddenly essential in the pandemic) and I found my dream job in a promotion and left. It was a big learning curve for me. Hang in there and leave on your terms.

I LOVE this - and wish I had thought of it when absolutely the same thing happened to me.

Christ alive, some of the answers here are awful. Absolutely zero loyalty shown to hardworking staff who do the job well and should be rewarded for that.

Some vile workplaces out there.

@tiredsotired6 I would be strongly inclined to tell your manager that if you’re not good enough for the role you’re not good enough to train someone to do the role. Work to rule and look for another company.

I’m sorry Op this is naturally upsetting .

This could be a number of situations including any of the following or others and they will probably never tell you the real reasons. Obviously I don’t know you so I can suggest scenarios from general experience - please don’t take any of this as a slight.

• your manager had no intention of appointing you but is a weak manager and conflict avoidant so didn’t want to be honest with you about feedback/ your chances/what he actually thinks. Or he wanted to make sure you hung around whilst they recruited someone else so breadcrummed you. He may have (legitimate or illegitimate) concerns about whether you are a good fit longer term. Including discriminatory concerns like might you go off on mat leave/request flexible working etc and he is never going to say that out loud.
• someone in the chain of command has blocked you because they don’t rate you or don’t like you and it is above your manager
• they have strict Hr procedures and you didn’t do best at interview - eg you interviewed assuming the role was yours and that has frustrated them
• the appointed candidate has skills and experience you don’t eg they can see them growing into more senior roles, they have helpful language skills, whatever.

I don’t know what the excellent feedback is you’ve received but I would be cautious in translating that into that meaning everyone thinking you are a perfect perm hire. For example this week I sent a note to a junior in another department thanking them for their efforts in getting something done and how one piece was done very well. I’m pretty senior so that goes a long way. But that junior is temp and their manager has previously spoke to me on what I think about keeping them on as perm and honestly I think whilst they do some things well that isn’t consistent across their job and so I don’t think they would get a good fit long term. But I’m still going to say well done, good job when that is warranted.

In your shoes I would work on the assumption that there is no permanent role available and that sooner or later you will have your contract terminated. I wouldn’t make a scene but I would lick my wounds and start looking immediately for alternative roles quietly.

It makes so much sense. My boss literally came to my desk and said along the lines of ‘would you like to stay on as permanent staff?’ I said yes please. Signed contract. Done. Stayed around ten years as perm, (but only six weeks as temp). Why is this not a thing anymore?

This ‘star’ crap is unfuriating. My best interviews have been organic not this stupid box ticking that feels more like a script that you have to learn and recite.

She’s a temp. She’ll be gone in a week.

Was it one of thise interviews based on points? Tbe other person scored higher so they got it?

Did you ask for feedback?

I had this when I was a temp at royal mail. I thought I was great at the job, I applied to work for royal mail directly about 4 times and got turned down. I sent a really shitty reply last time basically telling them to get fucked (mature I know, but this was once I wasn't working there anymore anyway)

This happened to me a few years ago. 2 people in a particular department, one leaving so one thing led to another and I was expecting to get the job. And of course I didn’t ! I was gutted. Then around 6 months later as I got to know the person staying a bit better I realised that I didn’t actually get on with her that well, so I was actually kind of relieved!

The same thing happened to me when I was doing zero hours at a bloody supermarket. I’d been doing the job for a couple of years without complaint but I didn’t know about this box ticking crapola, so my answers weren’t scripted or rehearsed and I was taken aback by them. I had been a sahm for many years and things had changed dramatically, unbeknown to me, from ‘my day’. Fair enough if you’re going for high powered jobs but all this box ticking ‘star’ crap for minimum wage? Fuck off!

That’s very disappointing and disheartening. Personally this would cause me to lose all loyalty to that employer and I’d be seeking new permanent employment elsewhere. You’ve got this experience under your belt now so I’m sure you’d have no problem finding a new job, for better money too. I always jump up on salary when changing jobs.
It’s also possible the employer knew they would have to increase your salary going from temp to perm, and maybe the new employee came in at a lower salary than would be expected to give to you. Either way, I feel it would be hard to move on from the resentment and stay there long term, unless they changed your employment status soon…

I disagree. Of course a good internal candidate should get the job.

What annoys me is when a job is advertised because the recruiting manager has been told by HR that they have to advertise when they know full well who’s going to get the job.

If you have a good internal candidate ready to be promoted then just promote them. Stop wasting every else’s time.

I completely agree! They're living in lala land! Expecting Einstein to apply for minimum wage jobs, so they can answer unnecessary questions. What ever happened to common sense?! Surely someone already doing the job well, for years is better than someone new, and they won't require training!

Doesn’t happen because it’s harder to prove you are not discriminating against people with protected characteristics. So do they have 5 temps, 4 are black but the final white one is offered the job permanently.

It’s made me very anxious about interviews now. I’ve never been good at ‘scripts’ or rehearsing answers because my brain and my mouth don’t co-operate with each other that way. I’m too busy trying to remember the gist of what I am meant to say but I’m not a good actor playing out a rehearsed scene! I end up babbling 😭 Give me a naturally flowing interview any day. One of the best ones I ever had we ended up talking about our grandfathers, no box ticking, no ‘star’ just getting to know each other. I got the job. This was in the 80s.

I agree that this is a bit nuts for a NMW job, but at the same time surely the interview process and criteria should have been produced and absorbed?
Or at least showing initiative by contacting the hiring team before hand to ask the interview format/process?

In the 90s I was taken on perm after temping with just a ‘sign this’, but really poo-pooing fair process is a sign of privilege, many of the processes here avoid ‘face doesn’t fit’ type stuff and not just related to protected characteristics.

And for those saying past in role experience should count - it will, if you bring it up in the interview!