Is there a real job on offer? Anyone with personnel experience please!

[debs40]

Hi

Here's a strange situation.

I applied for a post with a prominent government organisation in November. I was amply qualified for it but I was not short-listed.

I pushed for feedback and when it was given (after several weeks) the scoring of my application made absolutely no sense at all. It was clear that either the selected post holder was already in situ or the application process was not fair

I pushed for further feedback and an explanation.

I have now had a call asking from their recruitment team telling me there was some mix up about feedback but that anyway there is a new post - they're not sure if it's permanent - and would I like to be interviewed for it. They said it had happened to several others.

They insisted on speaking to me on the phone about this and would not commit it to writing.

This is a sensitive issue given the nature of the organisation's work.

Do you think there is a job or that they are just interviewing me to shut me up? If there is a post, shouldn't it be advertised too?

mmm, I know it is a government agency but I'm suspicious that my time is being wasted

What do you think?

I would go for the interview.

It sounds like they already had a candidate for the first position. Maybe they have yet to advertise the new position?

Thanks. I thought that.

They've offered me an interview in a week's time so there wouldn't be time to advertise and shortlist other candidates - the posts are advertised in national newspapers. Or do you think they could advertise it later after seeing me?

Sounds weird. Govt organisations usually have quite rigorous recruitment procedures as far as I know, and ringing up candidates for other positions and getting them in for an interview doesn't sound very rigorous.

Difficult to see why they would do it unless there is a job there though. There's not a lot you can do about it if you feel you should have been shortlisted and weren't, unless you have reason to believe you were discriminated against in some way, so if there is no position there's really no need for them to bother.

I'd go and see what it's all about.

Thanks. This is helpful.

It is a new organisation hence the recruitment drive.

I did suggest that they may not have shortlisted me because I wanted part-time/flexible working because of my domestic circumstances as I knew this might make them take me more seriously!