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.

Apply. As others say, this really actually unlikely to happen, and far more likely your friend trying to put off any competition. It’s pretty much down to how you each do on the day.

Do contact the person named on the listing to introduce yourself, and find out more about the service. It’s good to go in with them knowing you are keen and have already made an effort to research the post.

I agree with this

I was promised a job over and over by my manager and the director. It went to an external applicant. You should go for it. Promises mean nothing!

in my case they only advertised it for 24hrs externally just to make it “right”

I'm not sure we can do that, although we can say we will close it when X number of applications have been received.

They may also not want another vacancy to deal with at band 5 which works against your friend when there is a better offer from an external person.

This is so true. Band 6 jobs are scarce, and if you give it to an external candidate who looks 10% better (and you never really know), but lose your best band 5 and unsettle the other good band 5s who see no progression...you are not in good shape. Band 5s make the world go around, and a decent one can walk into any other band 5 job tomorrow. Attracting and retaining them is much more of a headache than who is in the Band 6.

They may also not want another vacancy to deal with at band 5 which works against your friend when there is a better offer from an external person.

Oh no, I misread that! No, we would never give it to an external just to keep a band 5 in place, because they won't just stay there.

Sorry to say I have seen this in action. Candidates were already chosen prior to the interview. HR don't tend in my experience to attend interview and the scoring is not an exact science, almost laughable. If the manager wants a certain person it will happen.
Having said, that if they really want a ward shake up and matron attends it, could go to external candidates.

Definitely apply if you would like the job @PositivelyFine !

I sit on interview/recruitment panels in the NHS. We absolutely can't guarantee posts to people - everyone has to go through the same process and there should always be an external/neutral interviewer on the panel.

A job should always go to the appointable applicant who interviews best on the day.

In fact, if I know someone with whom I'm friends is applying, I'll ask someone else to do the interview if possible, to ensure impartiality and avoid any unconscious bias.

If you think you're appointable, go for it! Band 6 jobs can be like gold dust in some fields so don't let someone else put you off.

They haven’t been promised the job. I assure you. I applied for a job that had been “promised” to an internal applicant, I was the one who received the offer.

If it was meant for your friend, surely they would have advertised internally? Go for it! You’ll never know if you’d have got it, if you don’t even go for it. Good luck.

I don't think this is a hugely unusual situation?

A couple of times in the past year when we've had vacancies we (we as in the panel) have known we'd like to appoint certain internal applicants, but the process is that we must advertise. We don't have a choice in that.

We're not allowed to just offer it to a certain internal person we knew would apply, and from experience working with them we knew they could do it.

I'd love to not have to waste my own time and the time of others on pointless interviews when we already know we have the candidate we need.

I don't see why you think it's wasting all yours time- only one person can get the job anyway so if there's four apply, three applications will be 'wasted'. So apply, and something similar may come up even if this one doesn't come off.

I don’t know why people think it is more fair that someone who has been performing excellently in a team (the internal candidate) loses out on a role to someone whose performance is unknown because that person interviews well on the day?

They're the same people who think GCSE exams are the best way to measure and compare children about to step into an adult world.

This is regular in the workplace. However your friend should have kept quiet. You are usually told to keep it quiet. So I am inclined to think she may be trying tie stop others applying.

well you can’t say anything because there is no proof and they will deny it.

you should apply.

your friend may be wanting to put you off. Her manager may have just been polite/your friend may have misinterpreted some encouragement.

I’ve seen similar situations in the nhs and the internal candidate thought the job was theirs. The manager had said they had a very good chance of getting it. Then an external interviewed better and got it.

I completely agree - interviews are a substandard approach to assessing whether someone can do a job - but the OP has not done the increased grade role - being great at your current job is no guarantee of being great at your promoted role. Promotion is mostly always done on potential - unless you;'ve had a opportunity to have a trial.