Interview-was this ok?

[Interviewmare]

A good friend is upset about an interview she had. It was for an organisation she works in but was a promotion. She thought she had a good chance of getting it and had been asked a few weeks ago if she was applying/encouraging her to apply by one of people on the panel.

day of interview she saw a guy who works in same role but different office. And thought he must be there for the interview. Then goes into the interview and the first thing they say is that it’s been decided the role will involve working every Saturday. This really threw my friend as she a) knows the guy from the other office works Saturdays and b) she is a parent carer to young disabled children so hard for her to answer on the spot.

she didn’t get the job and feels it was always destined for the guy from the other office.

probably sensible to move on but did the organisation do anything wrong with the every Saturday thing? I’m so angry on her behalf as this organisation doesn’t value her enough.

thanks

I'm a bit confused.

The job involves working on a Saturday and when asked whether she was able to meet this requirement she couldn't answer? I'm not surprised they went for the candidate who said they could.

They haven't done anything wrong. They need someone to work Saturdays. There's no point being angry.

I think as the Saturdays we're only mentioned the day of the interview OP is asking if there was a chance the job was rewritten for the other candidate.

In answer, OP, it sounds likely. This happens all the time in lots of organisations - things will be changed to give the 'right' candidate the edge in the scoring.

I'm sorry, but I don't think there's anything she can do. Although I always recommend asking for constructive feedback.

The Saturday thing wasn’t in the job description. The first time it was mentioned was at the start of the interview. So friend is annoyed as it sounds like the job was intended for a specific candidate but she’d been encouraged to apply. Also annoyed as it completely threw her and she couldn’t think properly in the interview.

Thanks. I feel for her. She’s had a lot of dashed hopes from this organisation. I was shocked when she’d told me they’d started by needing to know if she could commit to working every Saturday. They know her home situation so it’s shitty behaviour imo.

They can't make assumptions based on 'what they know' to discount her from an interview. She couldn't meet the job requirements. It wasn't the role for her.

Yes but they could have specified the requirements in advance of the interview.

Plus it was the perfect role for her and she was encouraged to apply but by the time the interview arrived it was like the job had changed…..to basically be perfect for the guy from the other office.

Poorly handled by HR / Hiring Managers

I woild offer feedback to the panel as to best hriing
practice

Bad job ad and interview practice not to have stated the days/hours and then to ask that at the start. A complaint (would need to be fast, within a day two of the interview) would be justified but unlikely to help your friend get the job.

Being encouraged to apply is by the by, standard practice to get good candidates.

Totally wrong that this information wasn't in the job description, it does look like it was added to get the candidates they wanted. This would galvanise me to look elsewhere.