Agency decides my g/f lives too far away for a job

spiritus

scubaangel wrote: »

OK assuming you live in North Bolton or at least near the m'way you've looking at a 40 min drive with no traffic, assuming the m'way like everywhere else is much busier at rush hour you can add up to another 20mins to that just to get to Preston, if the job is another 20/30 mins the other side of Preston in good traffic conditions you can easily double that for the rush hour traffic....is a commute of up to 2 hours reasonable?

It takes 45 mins to get to Blackpool from Bolton so Preston would be quicker but of course you know better.

And besides, if it's two hours or 20 mins isn't that a decision that the job applicant should make and not the job agency ??

mountainofdebt

The issue with regards to who made the phonecall is irrelevant to the OP's query but look at the situation from the agency's point of view - the girlfriend has now given the impression that she needs someone to fight her battles for her and will probably give her a wide berth from now on.

Also if the girlfriend had rung there would have probably been a more meaningful discussion with the agency - the outcome of which may have resulted in her being considered for the job.

scubaangel

spiritus wrote: »

It takes 45 mins to get to Blackpool from Bolton so Preston would be quicker but of course you know better.

And besides, if it's two hours or 20 mins isn't that a decision that the job applicant should make and not the job agency ??

Its been a while since I had to drive to Preston in rush hour but I do remember it as having a lot of traffic, and I'm not all that close to the m'way where I live - its about 15 mins from door to getting on to the m'way hence my rough guesstimates for driving times.

You're right it should be the applicant but the agency won't put a candidate forward if they believe that things like the commute will potentially affect the chances of the person being late due to traffic conditions - I know when I briefly worked at a recruitment agency it was one of the filter criteria we used to differentiate between 'good on paper' candidates and 'good in reality' (sometimes the potential issues with the commute were the only thing to separate candidates).

ETA

It is however well worth your gf giving the consultant a call when they're back in the office to check if the distance issues were the only reason she wasn't put forward, and if thats the case requesting to be considered should the role/a similar one come up again in future.

Welshwoofs

spiritus wrote: »

I am not going into the reasons why I made the call as it isn't anybody's business. My question was whether an agency can arbitrarily decide whether or not a job is within "commuting distance".

Yes they can.

All of you say that an agency can do exactly as they please when it comes to this but taking it a step further - could an employer reject an applicant who lived in the same town but not in the exact postcode where the job was based ? Would it not be unfair/illegal then ?

No it wouldn't be illegal. They are not allowed to discriminate on the grounds of age, sex, disability etc but they can certainly filter out applicants based on location to their heart's content.

Really you need to move on from it. Even if she hadn't lost the chance because of her location, she certainly lost it the moment you phoned up on her behalf. Sorry if you don't like that opinion, but I'm afraid it's true.

getmore4less

!!!!!!,

The response to this rejection is you(thats the job applicant not some BF) are willing to move if the job needed it and don't expect any relocation package if you need to move.

Get the job first then decide if you want the commute and accept

Roobarb73

From what you have said, I don't think it would be unlawful unless there are unlawful discrimination issues.

Who knows why they turned her down, there may have been issues they've had in the past from other people from that area being unreliable/blaming transport or traffic issus and that's why they've decided to turn her down. Who knows?

As for the OP emailing for his gf - who knows whether his gf has dyslexia/communication problems/learning difficulties or suffers something like depression or anxiety and getting the rejection caused her to relapse - OK maybe not but none of us know!

spiritus

mountainofdebt wrote: »

The issue with regards to who made the phonecall is irrelevant to the OP's query but look at the situation from the agency's point of view - the girlfriend has now given the impression that she needs someone to fight her battles for her and will probably give her a wide berth from now on.

Also if the girlfriend had rung there would have probably been a more meaningful discussion with the agency - the outcome of which may have resulted in her being considered for the job.

We were well aware we were "burning our bridges" with this particular agency but to add clarity to a point a few other people have made.

A different approach would not have changed the outcome. My girlfriend received an email stating quite clearly that her application had been rejected as the company involved does not "support relocation".

wontfallforit

From what I can gather from the original post, girlfriend had already received a rejection, stating the travel distance as a reason.

It's not like the OP rang up for the original decision. The die had already been cast. Yes, the girlfriend could have rang back herself and challenged the point - but who here really believes that it would've made any difference? Who here has never had somebody else make a phonecall on their behalf? Especially if you're feeling hurt/rejected/confused, etc.

I really don't see what the big deal about OP calling up on his girlfriend's behalf is. I certainly don't believe that it cost her the job, given that the decision had already been made (if the agency was willing to negotiate, then why bother submitting a seemingly bizarre decision in the first place?).

It sounds as if the agency - or the employer, or whoever - decided they simply didn't "like" the girlfriend (it happens), and played on the fact that she lives a few miles out of the way.

OP - for clarity - why did you call, instead of your girlfriend? Thanks.

Welshwoofs

wontfallforit wrote: »

Who here has never had somebody else make a phonecall on their behalf? Especially if you're feeling hurt/rejected/confused, etc.

For work? Me.

Being hurt, rejected or confused is just the way it is, you grow a pair and get on with it. Getting friends or family to interject on your behalf simply gives the impression that you've got no confidence, no initiative and the company will always be having to deal with an 'extended network' when dealing with that candidate if they should hire them. As someone who hires myself, I'd run a mile from anyone who got their family/friends to discuss their application on their behalf.

She obviously had no chance with that particular job, but it was via an agency so getting stuck in on the girlfriend's behalf could well mean they now won't consider her for any other suitable job which crops up.

What the Op should do is take the opinions here as a lesson not to interfere in future applications or he may well hinder his girlfriend's chances of getting employment and staying in it.

poppy_f1

Welshwoofs wrote: »

For work? Me.

same with me, only once in my entire working life so 15 years has someone else called my workplace and that was my mum calling in sick cos i was in hospital (which i know is an entirely different kettle of fish)

OP you definately havent done her any favours with that agency, as your girlfriend is a adult then she should be able to deal or learn to deal with these things and not have someone else deal with them on her behalf