Job (posted externally) I planned to apply for has already been promised to an internal applicant. Is there a way to report this without getting my friend into trouble?

[PositivelyFine]

My friend and I are both Band 5s in NHS (will keep clinical area anonymous for obvious reasons). We graduated at the same time. There is a Band 6 job coming up at their place of work that has been posted externally. I asked my friend about it and they told me that their manager has pretty much promised that if my friend applies, they will be given the job. The fact it has been posted externally is merely a formality. My friend told me this to save me the hours of effort I would have spent enquiring, researching and applying for the advertised role.

The thing is, lots of other people on our old uni whatsapp chat are also interested in the role. They are talking on there and helping each other on how best to answer the questions and make themselves stand out. I've of course promised my friend I will say nothing but i'm really annoyed on behalf of the others that they will be spending lots of wasted time and energy applying for a job that has already been awarded to someone else before all applications have been received never mind them going to interview!

Band 6 roles in our clinical area are few and far between with many graduates remaining in band 5 roles for decades. There's not likely to be many opportunities for promotion which is why it has really annoyed me that not everybody will be treated fairly and equally.

I'm sure I already know that there is nothing I can escalate here without asking my friend to corroborate and risking their job (that would never happen!). So now I can only sit back and watch my old uni friends have all this hope when i know it's for nothing.

Yes, the interview experience and feedback will be useful. But not worth the time required for writing a brilliant application form. Also, how relevant will that feedback and experience be when the next band 6 role might not be advertised for another few years? Then the next job might also have been promised to an internal candidate.

Ranting i know, but it's so unfair. Is there nothing that can be done (in all fields of work) to stop this kind of thing? It just feels so corrupt that my friend (who is lovely and talented of course!) will get the job just because their manager likes them and thinks are a right fit for the team before anyone else's applications have even been considered.

I'm of course trying to be happy for my friend. They have acknowledged how messed up the 'system' can be but that they'd be an idiot to refuse to apply for a better paid post on the sake of principle. The good thing out of all this I suppose is that my friend's band 5 job will be available in time for the 2023 graduates. It was a struggle for us finding enough full time jobs when we left uni five years ago. The job situation is even worse now.

My friend told me this to save me the hours of effort I would have spent enquiring, researching and applying for the advertised role.

Are you sure your 'friend' isn't just trying to discourage you to reduce the competition to their own application?

Your friend might not be telling the truth. Or an excellent application and interview might make the interview panel think again anyway.

It’s not possible to change this unless the NHS creates a proper mechanism for internal promotions.

Your friend surely will still have to score best in her interview? I've been in this exact situation where a job was basically promised to me but on the day someone got a couple of points higher than me and swiped it 🤣

There's no guarantees. I've known other situations (not NHS but teaching, other public sector) where jobs have been 'promised' to internal candidates and then an external candidate has blown them away and then the internal candidate has been left very upset.

It's so possible she's saying this to discourage the competition.

If other candidates prove themselves to be better on application and interview then she might not be given the job. I doubt her manager will be the only person in the panel.

Apply, your friend may just be trying to put you off applying.
Plus I imagine NHS recruitment works in a very prescribed way (could be wrong) so just giving her the job may not be possible.

Apply anyway. Tell her you need the interview experience for next time. Nothing is guaranteed.

She may be promised it but a better candidate may come along.

Thank you. there are some hopeful replies here. There will be a panel but they're all my friend's current colleagues. I don't think they'd lie about being promised the job. Apparently the manager came and said to them a few weeks before it was advertised that it would soon be going up and if they apply, they will get it. But have to apply and interview like everybody else as a formality.

I may still apply and see what happens.

I've worked places where a job has been promised internally but an external applicant was the better fit for the role, apply anyway!!

I don't believe it's possible for this to happen in reality. Two people will be interviewing and have to score together. If your friend's manager is trying to skew the points above clearly better candidates the other interviewer will notice! Of course your friend will get a certain leg up being known but that's inevitable, but she can't leapfrog the scoring system. I think you should apply.

I thought the NHS has been desperate for staff for years, how come you and your cohort struggled to find jobs?
I confess I have no clue about how it all works but it all sounds a bit dodgy to me.

Yeah even if her boss wanted to give her the job the other people on the interview panel also have to be ‘in’ on it and that’s unlikely. So I’d apply if I were you. It’s quite difficult just to ‘give’ someone a job.

I was told by my then manager and the one above her (who was interviewing) to apply for the acting up role when my manager went on secondment. I was absolutely their first choice. However on the day someone with more relevant experience applied and got it. I know it was regretted by both managers but that's the way it goes. Being encouraged to apply and being the first choice doesn't mean you'll get it on the day.

I’d apply; and prep like a demon. It may be that your friend, thinking she is a shoe in, might not prep so much and therefore not perform on the day. Good luck 🤞

No guarantees for your friend, they might interview really badly. Are they threatened by your experience & tipping the field in their favour by discouraging you from applying? Interview panel is required to go based on interview & relevant experience, not just cos manager likes you.
Apply & if your friend gets the job despite others having better experience etc that is the time to ask them to justify why

Exactly this. I'd apply and just let go if she still gets it. It's a bit crappy your friend can't he simply promoted and they have to advertise and waste a lot of people's time. Even if you don't get this job though, they might keep you in mind for a next one.

Def apply - how would you feel if you didn’t and an external candidate got it?!

If you want it, apply. All good experience and if you don’t get it you may get some helpful feedback. Your friend was unwise to tell you she’s been promised it!

Hmm your friend could be trying to discourage you from applying or she could be telling the truth as sometimes jobs are advertised as a formality with a candidate in mind.

I would say go for it, I’m NHS too and had a job come up in my team and some internal candidates didn’t apply for it as they thought it was earmarked for another internal person from another ward as she had the skill set and experience we were looking for. However on the day she interviewed terribly and I gave it to an external candidate much to everyone’s shock so it does happen, you’ve got to be in it to win it!

I know of plenty of positions where on paper somebody looked perfect.
On the day of interview, either somebody interviewed better or the person who looked to have a shoe on did really badly.

Definitely apply if you fancy the job.

I'm not health but similar in public sector (social work).
I was the swiper once, an internal member of staff had been groomed for the promotion, not promised per se but very strongly encouraged, supported to apply. I came externally and was the stronger candidate on the day. I was very recently in situation where I was approached about secondment, it was evident that wanted me to have the role but I still had to apply, there was internal competition and it was ultimately about the interview and who scored the highest.

Your friend may be at an advantage as they may get support for the interview and also know the landscape better as they are already in the team etc but ultimately if another candidate scores higher then they won't get the job. If they are being complacent and thinking it's already in the bag there's an even better chance of a strong external candidate taking it. As an employer if I have the opportunity to promote internally of course I want to encourage and support that but that does inevitably create job jenga. If an excellent external candidate came along and blew me out the water I'd be very chuffed as now I'd have my band 6 and I don't need to do another round of recruitment for my band 5.

i would apply for it and blow her out the water!

oh please apply anyway - and do NOT discuss anything about your application with this friend. I work for NHS.

There will be a panel and while they might choose the friend, they might also choose you if you are the better candidate - and for the record, I have worked somewhere and had an interview where I was 'sort of promised' the job but the interview panel knew me and I did not perform as well as another and she got the role.

I have found that being interviewed by people I work with and know is actually a lot harder than being interviewed by strangers.

Please apply if you want to, do your best and if you get it great, if not ask for constructive feed back so you can do better at next interview.

good luck

There will be a panel but they're all my friend's current colleagues.

This is very poor practice. If there are internal candidates there should be at least one 'neutral' interviewer.

I think this is a strategic attempt at removing the competition on your friends part... I'd be applying. Good luck!