AIBU to think this is pretty poor form (job interview related)

[Itsmeanttobesummer]

Went for a job interview last Tuesday. Bit of a long story but the interviews were being held in central London, despite the role not being located there.

I know from where the role is located that none of the candidates, including myself live in or near central London.

For me, it was 3 hours on a train each way which cost me £78 return. All day travelling, days preparing for the interview etc, time off work.

I’ve heard nothing so I’m assuming I didn’t get the role, which is fine but AIBU to think it’s really poor form dragging people down for an interview (which in hindsight, they really could’ve just done over Teams) hours from where they live, knowing that it would’ve cost them a lot of time and money, only to not even be bothered to tell them they haven’t got the job?

I chased yesterday and haven’t heard anything.

Is this what the job market is like nowadays?! I wouldn’t be bothered if it had been a local interview that was an hour of my time and a fiver in fuel or whatever, but this really wasn’t and it makes me angry they can’t even be arsed to email and say ‘sorry, you’ve not been successful’ over a week later!

YANBU, although they may not have decided for whatever reason yet.

When did they tell you to expect to hear back? A week isn’t an unreasonable amount of time to still be holding interviews/wash up sessions/getting HR sign off.

I was on an interview panel on Tuesday last week, so same day as your interview, and we only managed to offer the successful candidate the role yesterday (due to having to iron out some things with HR, e.g. agreeing what salary to offer) and then the candidate requested a couple of days to think about the offer. We haven’t yet contacted any of the other candidates because if our first choice declines, we will go to our second choice candidate, and if they declined, we would go to our third choice.

So basically what I’m saying is, be patient, and don’t just assume they are sitting on their hands because there could be a lot going on behind the scenes.

They said Monday or Tuesday of this week. I mean, I guess there’s a small chance they may still be deciding but I have a feeling not!

Like I say, it’s fine if I haven’t got it (it was good interview experience if nothing else. Though I do stand by the fact it was nothing that couldn’t have been done over Teams and would’ve saved me £80 in travel fares and a day travelling!) but I do have a feeling they’re just dragging their feet with the rejection list.

I haven’t interviewed for a role in a long time (and have never had to wait over a week for a decision before) so wasn’t sure if this was fairly typical now of employers.

I think it is poor form to hold interviews away from where the job will be located unless for a high paying senior regional role which has to be agreed by corporate central office.

Is the actual job based any nearer to you or would you still have had a long journey if they'd held it at that location?

I'm assuming London was a fair compromise between where everyone lives/ has access to?

Although 3 hours each way is a lot to ask.

They may have offered it to someone who hasn't decided yet, so don't give up....

Well it’s certainly not unusual, as PP said they could be waiting for 1st choice to decide. And it’s not unreasonable to them to want to meet you in person. You just need to be patient really, but I do agree it’s poor form if they never get back to you

Maybe you’re the interviewer Hi B if that’s you, was lovely to have met you

Haha, I am not based in London so it wasn’t me but I will keep everything crossed for you!

I do think it must be very soul destroying to go for an interview and then not be giventhe outcome. It’s just basic communication and decency. Hopefully you will hear very soon.

I do think it's only good manners to tell candidates what day a decision will be made so they are not left in limbo, and a follow up email if a decision is delayed. In these days of group emails this is hardly a big admin job! I also think it is poor when interviewees are not sent an email to tell them if they have not been successful. Again, a 5 min admin job but brings appropriate closure to the process.

It's an interesting one. I assume it's a very junior role that you're in for as for senior roles you'd expect face to face, to travel and for the selection panel to take their time. That said, I'm not sure where the tipping point is.

Personally, I wouldn't dream of final interviewing someone online at any level although I know some do for the type of junior/entry level role that you've gone for. If they don't get back to you at all then yes, that is disgraceful, but 8 days on is waaaaaaay too early to make that assumption. They may not even have finished their interviewing, let alone made a decision.

I don't think you can argue with the travel. They may have candidates all over the country, they can't travel to every one.

I disagree, this may be industry and company specific. I am aware of friends and family in senior roles who have completed the entire interview process via Teams.

Apart from which your post is fairly condescending to the OP.

I think there is a lot of dreadful behaviour by employers hiring mainly because they can get away with it because the market is so shit

Seriously poor form. Most interviews are online now or they will reimburse travel costs. I work in academia and even a few years ago during my last interview they reimbursed me for the travel. It’s shocking to be expected to pay so much to attend something they could (and should) offer online.

On the not hearing back, chances are it’s negative as you know. When offered roles I’ve always been told within a day or two, twice on the same day in fact. When declined, it takes days, sometimes even weeks and I’ve had to chase.

Incorrect. Some people interview for senior roles with companies based abroad for example, or at the opposite end of the country in fields where perhaps the panel are scattered all over. Just makes logistical sense to offer it online sometimes.

Ive only ever had the HR filter conversation over teams. Proper interviews have always been face to face.

I would never hire anyone without an in person interview as I don't want people using technology to inform their answers. Via teams someone could have another person off camera prompting answers etc.

I would have the interview where the role was located though, or if necessary offer to reimburse people's travel expenses.

When i was hired for a senior role (remote) with a company headed out of Switzerland, I had to travel there for the interviews.

Sadly standard these days. Ask for expenses. I had a long trip for one in march and after much chasing have only just got the expenses out of them. It took them a week to reject me too. If they don't ring you next day IME they're not interested.

How can dragging everyone down to the far south east of the country be 'a fair compromise between where everyone lives/ has access to'?

The OP said the job was local to her and she travelled 3 hours by train, so e.g. she could be in the North East of England or the South West. Surely it would make more sense to hold the interviews local to where the job is so candidates who are not local have an opportunity to see what the area is like. And if I was a Scottish candidate applying for the job I'd not be impressed at all to be dragged down to London for an interview for a job role in the NE. Particularly, as is suggested by the OP, travel expenses weren't paid.

ETA just realised she didn't say local to her, just implied it. But that does potentially mean she e.g. travelled from the NE to London for a job based in Scotland. And I still think interviews should be local to a job location.

As someone who generally works contracts, the job market is the worst I've ever seen it and employers currently hold all the cards. Some of them are behaving decently and some are taking the absolute piss, and so consider carefully while you're going through the process. Remember you are interviewing them as well. I don't expect immediate responses, but I expect the employer to give me a timeframe for responses at the end of the interview, and if there is a significant delay in that timeframe, to be notified. A two line email saying 'process is currently taking longer than expected, we expect to inform candidates around x' is plenty. That's what I've done when I've been administrating grant funding for example. If they strung candidates out forever with radio silence, I wouldn't take the job anyway.

It's normal IME for the employer to pay expenses in these circumstances. My DC recently went to a Central uk assessment centre for a grad job, along with 20 odd other people from all over the UK, and they were all paid reasonable expenses.
In our business we pay expenses if someone has had to travel to us to interview e.g. if they are relocating

I went through 4 rounds of varying interview over 2 weeks for a role I'd applied for. They'd told me they were really pleased, said they wanted to offer me the role, agreed to a slightly adjusted office time no problems and said they just needed their boss to do a quick hello over teams with me first. After a few days I popped a follow on email over (because I'd got their direct email from several emails conversations as well as the interviews) then a few days after that the recruitment company chased. They just never came back to either of us. Not even to the recruiter to say close the role down we've changed our mind, just ghosted everyone involved.

A few months later I applied for a further 50ish jobs over 3 weeks, and I heard back from 4. 1 interview and the other 3 were no's.
In my experience I've had a job offer within an hour of interview and one within a couple days of interview, but if you have chased then they should give you some kind of response whether that's we need a couple more days to let you know or sorry it's not you.

Candidates are usually reimbursed for travelling any distance to a job interview.

I'd give it a fortnight, they may have to check references or the first person on their shortlist may back out.

For many years now it has not been uncommon for unsuccessful candidates to hear nothing but I would have thought, given the amount of travel involved to get to the interview, it would be courteous to contact.

Good luck whatever happens.