To feel a bit annoyed this is why I got rejected?

[ToeSucker]

I completed 5 rounds of interviews for a company. For the final interview, I had to travel across the country for an in-person meeting.

At this meeting (I met the whole team) there was a coffee break where we popped out to the local coffee shop.

The hiring manager asked me what I wanted. She also asked me what the team members next to me wanted. She paid for everyone's drinks.

Today I received a call from HR saying I was rejected, but mentioning I owe the hiring manager £3.70 for a coffee.

I'm shocked by this. I'm not sure I should be. I should have offered to pay I suppose but you're not in a normal frame of mind during interviews. I'm more annoyed I had to pay almost £240 for the train tickets and got rejected with this seemingly contributing to why.

Five rounds of interviews? And £240 train ticket cost - where was this final interview, the Moon, via both Penzance and Edinburgh?

I'd be invoicing for the train ticket and let them know they can knock the coffee cost off that!

5 rounds of interviews… you know what there’s some draw backs to self employment but today I’m feeling pretty happy about it.

Do not pay them. Also try and get it in writing or an invoice and I’d try and sell the story to a tabloid.

OP, can you tell us how this request was worded? A little context is needed.

Plus, definitely name and shame.

HR on a power trip trying to make themselves look important

What exactly did they say that has made you think you were rejected because you didn’t offer to pay?

I voted that you are being reasonable to believe you weren’t offered the job because you didn’t pay for the coffee.
The two things are separate.
Did you ask for feedback ?

They are incredibly mean to ask for the cost of the coffee though!

I voted YABU because your thread title suggested that you got rejected because you accepted their offer for a coffee, which unless the rejection email actually says that, I highly doubt was actually the case.

They are being U, extremely tight and completely ridiculous to bill you for it though and I absolutely wouldn't pay, and, as pp's have said, would feel like I'd dodged a bullet if that's what they're like to work for!

I've always paid too but the destination has invariably been within reason. This cost £240 and although I'm very out of touch with train fares, I would imagine that equated to a journey from Bristol to Glasgow!

Ha ha, good one OP.

I presume this was for a 6 figure salary OP? Like 5 rounds and extensive travel for an interview?

This is absurd. Firstly every company I have worked for (I currently work in a different profession but worked in corporate companies and management consulting for 20 years) offered travel expenses to candidates. Its probably not worth it, but gosh you must be itching to send a sarcastic response.

Dont get me started on the intellectual capital that companies seem to expect from candidates. My partner is looking for a senior role at the moment. And for every interview he has been expected to develop a presentation setting out his strategy and ideas for the next couple of years. Hours of research, etc. The companies are then completely free to take and use those ideas of each candidate without employing them.

And 7 interviews is a power trip. Especially as research shows that people make their mind up about a candidate in a few seconds.

You do realise that when multiple interview rounds are requested, it's usually more interviews with the Line, or with the main Client depending on sector/industry or it may be for technical assessments or presentations right?
HR can't just decide to add interview rounds randomly.

You should not have had to pay for the coffee or the train tickets.

Are you saying they rejected you because you didn’t offer to buy coffees for everyone? They sound like leeches.

God Almighty you certainly dodged a bullet there! Rail fares are insane btw 😲

This.

I've always had reasonable travel expenses covered for in-person interviews.

Lucky escape.

Do u think all the others go a bill for coffee? How pathetic 🙄

HR - Human Remains a friend calls them...

What sort of company is this? We would pay in country travel expenses and supply refreshments to candidates being interviewed in person or attending one of our selection sessions (for junior roles).

That sounds quite shocking and deserves to appear on Glassdoor at least!

This! 👏😂

Wow

I'd be incredibly pissed off!

I can’t imagine you were rejected because you didn’t pay for the coffee. It’s ridiculous they are asking you for the money though.

At my company they reimburse all travel expenses regardless of role level and at all stages of the interview process (to be fair there is normally only a single stage of interviews). I seem to recall they also provided lunch and drinks throughout the day. That is what a company you want to work at does.

Tell them to deduct it from the £240 they owe you.

I know people who work in HR and they do a lot of interviewing. Including for specialist/technical roles that they know fuck all about. I’ve given presentations in interviews before, but it’s always been as part of the main interview. Not a special separate interview just for a presentation. How can it possibly be justifiable to have 5 interviews?

Companies who do this should be legally required to pay people for their time and all travel costs. I’d be fuming if I went for 5 interviews and then didn’t get the job.

what role was it, mi5 ? @ToeSucker

I don’t think five rounds is particularly excessive but I am surprised that the sort of company which will do five rounds of interviewing would be so tight that they would try to claim a few quid back from a job candidate!

An investment bank or a law firm might do five rounds of interviews but that sort of company wouldn’t be cheap enough to try to claim back a sum of money that their senior managers would make in about a second!