Increase in hours at work = My job readvertised

[frazzledrocks]

I work for a large public organisation and have two fixed term contracts as work in two different departments. I work 2.5 days for one contract and 0.5 for the other. The 0.5 day contract is for a a service which I have developed from scratch.

One of my fixed term contracts expires this coming week (the 2.5 day contract) and cannot be renewed. In light of this, I asked for an increase in the hours I work for the other department. The business manager was happy to arrange this but when he spoke to HR, they said he would have to advertise the job because there are two of us with fixed term contracts due to expire and the organisation needs to be seen to be fair in offering opportunities.

My colleague never had any intention of applying as (a) she knows it's my job and (b) she's not interested in doing it.

The job was duly advertised internally but on the closing date, they received an application from somebody else (I don't know who). I am now in the position of being interviewed for my own job when all I wanted was an increase in hours.

I am fairly confident I'll get the job but just wondered whether this sounds like standard procedure?

(oh and it's definitely not my colleague who has applied)

I'm no expert, but it sounds fairly standard to me - I get that it's tough having to reapply for what feels like "your" job, but in reality, your job is just the 0.5 day that you're currently contracted to do. The new hours are effectively a new job, and so it's fair to open that up to other internal applicants - especially if there are lots of people on fixed term contracts who may be at risk of redundancy if not renewed.

Don't worry, if you're the only one doing this particular sort of work at the moment, you have a very good chance of getting the job.

Not public sector but I was in the same situation at the BBC. After a 6m fixed term contract I was offered a perm job, but it had to be advertised to internal BBC staff. I had to be interviewed by my line manager and the head of dept. The questions were all aimed at someone not already doing the job, so they ask 'how would you deal with xxx' and I'd reply 'in my day to say work I handle xxx by ...'

It was a really odd experience. Then to rub it in, the other candidate didn't show up for interview so I went through it all for nothing. I got the perm contract but felt pretty disillusioned after the experience, so I moved to another job a few months later.

It's not your job. You still have your job which is for 0.5 days. It's not at risk - they're just advertising a new job internally which you can apply for.

It's good that they are advertising the job. It gives everyone a fair chance to apply and the organisation can use the recruitment process to help identify future development and talent in their existing workforce. You also benefit because you know you got the job on merit.

Many organisations have a requirement to advertise all job vacancies internally to ensure equal opportunity for all - so yes, could well be completely standard procedure.

I have interviewed people for jobs that they have been doing as a secondment for over a year. They didn't always get the permanent job - usually because they assumed it would just be handed to them and didn't do the prep required.

Do your prep and think of some examples where you do a great job ready to wow them. Best of luck :)

Thanks for your replies

It's just really disheartening! As far as I know, there's me and one other candidate - the other candidate doesn't know I exist, doesn't know I set the service up, doesn't know this has all arisen from a request to increase my hours. The job is at a senior level, I've been qualified 15 years and at this level for 8 years - have set up 3 services in this time.

By process of elimination, this applicant must be somebody relatively newly qualified who is taking a punt on applying for a job they're not experienced enough to do, on the basis that it's a good opportunity and they don't think anyone else will apply.

In their position, if I knew the situation, I wouldn't apply as I'd take a good guess I wouldn't get the job. I was told last week I was the only applicant and didn't need to be interviewed and then this application appeared at the eleventh hour and now I have to spend Easter weekend writing a presentation!

Gah!

Sorry, should have made clear, there is only myself and one colleague on fixed term contract and she's not interested in the job. I guess the job feels like my job because there was no job at all until I asked to increase my hours because of my other contract coming to an end. This 'new' job exists precisely because of my own personal circumstances and has been negotiated to assist me in avoiding redundancy.

This is not how we would have handled this at all.

At the end of your contract we would have issued you with a new permenant contract with the new hours.

You have a fixed term contract for 0.5 days per week that is due to end. Do you know what the plan was for your end of contract, were they going to offer an extension?

I would want to know the answer to that question, if they were going to offer you an extension (maybe a permentant contract) you could then have had a change in terms & conditions letter covering the new hours.

I can understand the equal opps side but as this position was original yours you really should have been offered the chance to renew/extend your fixed term contract.

Bohica I don't think the OP's 0.5 day job was ever at risk. The job that ended was a seperate job for 2.5 days with a separate employment contract although still NHS.

Unless I've read it wrong which is quite possible!

No Your right Katie I mis-read.

In that case the role would just be an increase in hours with a change in T&C's letter?

When is the 0.5 fixed term contract due to expire?

They could do that Bohica but they would not be giving the same opportunities to all. As I said in a pp some organisations have a policy that all vacancies must be advertised internally. If the OP is the best person for the job she'll get it but she is not entitled to it.

Also, a recruitment process is not necessarily just about filling a vacancy. The assessments and interviews can be very useful when looking at the future development of those employees. Indeed my first management job was where I applied for a permanent job that someone else had been doing as a secondment. She got the job, but I met standard so I got the next one that came up and I was lucky enough to be quickly promoted as a result of the development I had that began with that interview process. I have also had many, many employees progress in this way through hierarchical organisations similar to NHS.

I'm not an expert on the NHS's processes but I understand there could be someone on a career break viewing internal opportunities as well as up and coming talent and those looking to move from full to part time roles. It would not be fair to deny them the opportunity to at least apply.

Thankfully I did get the job. By process of elimination I worked out that the other applicant was 2 years qualified and not really eligible to apply off jobs at this level. Apparently the interviews were a close run thing, which I find astonishing! I have been working for 15 years and set up lots of new services in this time. I must be spectacularly bad in interviews!!

Great news Frazzled

I'm really new to my role thats why Katies advice was way better than mine and I'm also not great at interviews but very capable hands on.

Really glad things work out for the best.

Well done! The comment about close run thing may be diplomacy - but no harm in asking for feedback for your own development. Try not to think about the other candidate - they're not as important as you and your career - they can worry about themselves.

Hope you're doing something nice to celebrate. If I remember rightly you've had a tough time over the end of the other contract so a little celebration is probably even more deserved!

Bohica I thought you comments and questions were just as valid as mine and it's nice to have a few different opinions :)

Thank you Katie very kind of you.

I'm very new so testing out my new found ideas on MN and learning lots along the way!

Again, I'm very glad things worked out for you Frazzled

Yes the end of my last contract (actually due to expire next week) was a dreadful mess, you remembered correctly. I definitely don't interview as well as I perform in the job. I guess I already knew this, it's a mystery because I'm actually good verbally but bad at spotting questions and knowing what the interviewer wants me to say.

Interviews in the nhs seem to be tick box exercises where a bell rings if you say the right buzz word. Yesterday for example I lost a point for not saying I would print off a safeguarding form and place it in the case notes. To me, this is absolutely implicit and if I didn't know this after all these years then I'd be worried...I was expecting far more complex questions for a job at my level and that threw me. Next time I have an interview I'll be prepared for this but all the same I think it's a poor way to choose between candidates and personally I'd want to know something about them and their experience rather than whether they can tell me the most basic points of their clinical role at this level!

But you're right, the main thing is j have the job! Thanks for your advice!