Maternity cover candidate - help!

[OttersPocket]

I'm not sure if this is a non-issue or not so I'd appreciate some advice.

I'm going on maternity leave in July and interviews to cover my post are taking place at the end of the week. I was involved in short listing the applicants for interviews (I didn't really want to be involved but there you go) but I won't be on the interview panel.

One of the interviewees has contacted me directly (although I wasn't a contact on either the job description or the invitation to interview letter) to ask if they can meet meet for an hour this week to chat through the job etc in more detail. This person is an internal applicant already in the organisation. None of the other 3 interviewees will get this oppertunity. I feel a little uncomfortable in doing this, almost as if I'm giving an unfair advantage to this one candidate. Am I being a bit daft or should I agree to it?

The other dimension to this is that if I am asked about the role by this candidate as to the 'enjoyability' of the post I feel that I shouldn't lie, the job has, in the past few months, been a bloody nightmare! Also, my department is undergoing review by an external consultant at the moment with a look to making changes to the way the department is structured. In reality, his means that my job, and therefore the successful candidates job, will likely undergo quite a lot of changes in the coming year and may move department, management etc completely. I feel uncomfortable sharing this information with one candidate not all of them in advance iyswim?

Crikey, that was a bit long. But basically, should I agree or not to meeting with this candidate before interviews?!

I think that's surely something to ask the person who will be making the recruitment decision.

I'm in a similar position, although due to the nature of our structure, I am on the interview panel (and am doing most of the leg work too ho hum...)

I have always spoken with those who bother to do a bit of research about the job as it shows they are serious and want to understand what it really entails. Perhaps if they are internal, they know (of) you or the role and quiet fancy a change.

Probably best to run it past whoever is in charge but this is certainly not unusual in my organisation by any means.

Thanks for your thoughts. I discussed it with person making the recruitment decision who really didn't mind either way! I'm going to meet with the candidate over coffee and answer a few questions honestly but won't be volunteering too many of my own (negative) opinions on the role.