To be annoyed work posted this job in this way?

[7stripybaskets]

I’m on annual leave from work this week for half term by chance I logged onto our companies’s intranet.
There is a job advert for a job within our department that I wasn’t aware of this would be the next step up from my current role there is 8 or so of us in a similar role to mine that would probably want to go for it. I haven’t been told it was coming and it’s advertised for internal department applications only and with an opening application window of 4 days which closes today. So, obviously they had someone in mind which wasn’t me but I think that’s not good practice for half of us that are off with children this week it was a well timed way of reducing applications I suppose. I feel really demotivated I suppose.

A four day window is too short, especially given it is half term, however, it depends on what they require for the application. If it were something I could produce this afternoon, I would say nothing and get an application submitted. Were it a huge application, with CV, competencies and a 1500 statement, I would contact the vacancy holder cc your LM and perhaps HR querying the very short deadline, especially given it is school half term and many parents are on leave.I definitely know it has been a thing with some teams, especially those that consider they attract high flyers; they give some candidates the heads up the vacancy will be advertised and then advertise it on the last day of term, say before Christmas, and then can give a long deadline but still make it difficult for some, including parents, to apply. I suppose it may be their way of testing whether you would be willing to pick up work in your time off.

Ah ok - different industries and practices I suppose. OP must be aware of this then.

When did the application go out last week Friday? did you not see it last week when you were at work? But anyway the time it took you to write that post on here you could have been getting on with the application.

You’ve chosen to see this as a slight against you whereas you could apply and see if you get it.

You were on your phone and could have polished your CV and made a draft application. Then come home a bit earlier than planned and finished the application. We all make choices.

We pay lots of attention to half terms because staff and clients and contacts do. Basic relationship management to be aware of the needs of your audiences and contacts.

@7stripybaskets this is a crappy way to advertise a role that several staff are eligible for. I think I’d possibly flag with line manager or HR (depending on who makes the decision and your relationship with them) because it could be seen negatively and creates bad feeling. Four days is quite a short window to anyway, when did the ad go out? I’d be conscious that eligible staff would go quiet and apply for the job instead of working.

Yes it's frustrating but could it not be the same if it had been next week and a different colleague had booked a week off as they want term time holidays. I think you are perhaps overthinking, but as you mention it's an internal job then you are probably right and they do have an idea of who they want.

If you wanted to, you would. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Drop everything and get your application in.

If you seriously can't as you're away, reach out to HR and explain how posting the advert quietly when all the 'parents' (presumably mums) were on leave this week and timed the responses to be in before any of them were back in the office looks. Emphasise this is personal leave they'd booked and were entitled to take as part of their compensation package, and what a bad look for the company this is as it looks discriminatory against parents of young children.

Imagine it might have been 'shared' that the position was available differently based on how the company has done this....

@BringBackCatsEyes yes if I need someone in quickly and there are likely to be plenty of applications. Lots of adverts close early when they get a number of applicants. Be on the ball and take responsibility for it. When I wanted to progress I checked my list of websites twice a week!

Yup, I'd be annoyed at my line manager for not giving me a heads up in this situation, and think it was quite unprofessional of them.

But, I'd also change my plans so I could get an application it. Your career is surely more important that what you have planned today?

Even if you knew part of your team wouldn’t even see the advert due to AL (and I hope supporting not checking work issues while on leave)?

I think some of these replies are very harsh. Companies absolutely do this on purpose when they have someone in mind. I’ve been the someone before and it’s worked in my favour but it’s not really fair. So I can understand why op feels fed up and that it’s a foregone conclusion as it very likely is. It’ll be a stressful afternoon managing the kids and hurtling through a likely pointless application.

Saying that I do think it’s still worth trying to get something in as it might help her long game to show the interest now. Even something fairly quick with bullet points. But depending on the workplace some applications can take hours and hours to write something decent. Not everywhere is a quick CV! In some places I’ve worked if wouldn’t be unusual for an application to be 20/30 pages and may also require a CV and additional tasks!

Whatever you decide to do OP definitely arrange a conversation with your line manager to discuss this and your next steps.

I don't know why so many are wittering on about CVs and ChatGPT. A lot of the time you have to fill in an online application, the best CV in the world would be useless.

You wouldn't be able to have a decent stab at an application in an afternoon either with or without ChatGPT. A 4 day window is ridiculous, anything less than 2 weeks is too short if you want people to see the job and make a good effort at an application.

If it takes you two weeks to draft an application you’re not suitable for the job. 5 hours is plenty of time.

How long the application process takes is a huge factor. Do you simply express an interest or is it full CV and application.
See it as an opportunity to give yourself a nudge to update your CV so that it's ready to go for the next one.
I'm self employed but I do my husband's CV for him as writing CV fits my skillset better than his. He's more manual hands on type skills. If a job came up this afternoon I could fire off a CV pretty quickly as it's always updated

Predictable leave and the relevant cohorts is basic HR stuff.

Ramadan - more likely to have your Muslim staff taking some time off.

School holidays - more likely to have your female staff taking some time off.

Diwali - more likely to have your Sikh or Hindu staff taking some time off.

Not considering basic and predictable things during recruitment drives quickly adds up to a problem.

And no, I have no kids, no family caring responsibilities and no religion so I have no skin in the game beyond what I see as common sense and fair play.

@BringBackCatsEyes its not my job to remind people to check for a job. I took ownership of it on my way up and il do it again if I need to. It’s personal accountability, like I said I checked for jobs twice a week when I wanted to progress. I’m not saying it isn’t personal in OPs case but she assuming it is. I’m just saying it often isn’t.

I work with a mum of similar age children to Mine and I really like her, I like her work too. But the moaning that nothings advertised for the specific hours she wants/the location of the office/a job is always going to go to someone else. It’s boring. And it’s always because she’s a mum. It really isn’t because she’s not applied for a single one!!! I’m not saying it never is but this attitude is so off putting.

the job wasn’t advertised long enough, my manager didn’t tell me about it, I’m too busy today. - this from the op? Then I don’t want you. I’m not asking you to sacrifice your children on the alter of a job. But show some initiative and problem solving skills FGS.

Some incredibly harsh responses here! The OP has not said how old her children are or what they are doing this afternoon. It could be something that had to be booked ages in advance and/or extremely expensive and/or involving other people. I can just imagine the AIBUs from the others affected if OP did drop everything to apply for this job (with no guarantee whatsoever she's going to get anywhere with it)

AIBU to be pissed off with my friend who's just messaged to say 'Sorry, can't go with you as planned today, can you manage all the kids on your own? I've just seen a job vacancy I want to apply for and I have to get it in by 6pm.' We arranged this after Christmas and it's cost us a small fortune to book all the tickets. No, I can't manage six kids on my own! They won't even fit safely in my car ...

AIBU to be fuming because my SIL has pulled out of bringing the kids to see my PIL who is just out of hospital so that she can apply for a job she's only just seen?

AIBU to be really upset because my DP isn't coming on a long walk we've planned with the kids and the dogs because she wants to apply for a job that frankly she stands no chance of getting? It's the only day we're both off and we've all been looking forward to it for ages ...

The issue here is that the job is only open for applications for four days over a period where a lot of staff are on annual leave, and those staff are disproportionately going to be women of childbearing age. This is obvious discrimination. It's inconceivable that the department manager was unaware that so many staff would be off during the period this job is open for applications. The way this has been done absolutely stinks.

I applied several times during my working life for jobs which it then emerged were basically always going to go to someone else, for various reasons. It's extremely demotivating. If I had my time over again, I'd have moved employers to a place where staff were treated with more dignity and respect.

I don't get the issue.
Businesses do not stop because of school holidays or because people have taken AL to be with their kids. Think this is just when they put it out

Come on.... If you are on a time crunch its often helpful.

I would make a complaint that is was advertised during a school holiday and it had such a small window of application.

They are disadvantaging those on AL, you'd have a really good case for them extending the closing window to Sunday 12pm.

I would consider whether this is normal practice of the company then. If it's normal that any vacancies are sent out by email and no other communication then I don't see they have done anything wrong. If a line manager usually calls everyone who might be interested into their office or has a one to one chat mentioning it to them and they haven't called the OP because they are on holiday then yes it's wrong.

Sounds like it's just a formality and they either know already who will get the job or someone needs to interview for their own job for some reason