Disheartening social situations

GlasweJen

Just a vent really. I had a job interview today and was told the preferred candidate would be called at 5 today - no phone call.

I know it could be because the job went to someone better fitted to the role but I do feel that being stuck in this chair goes against me in these situations. I've had to learn how to make eye contact due to autism and I found it hard to meet one interviewers eyes today and it was because he was avoiding mine. I think his questions were phrased awkwardly too, one of the questions was about fine motor skills and mine are excellent (or at least my hands are which was the important bit) and he kind of muttered the question "I'm sorry to ask but it's on the paper and everyone gets asked the same questions, this job involves fine detailed work, could you cope with that?" I really don't think that's how he asked everyone else.

I met all the essential criteria and the only desired I miss is the drivers license. I have experience in the role, relevant degree when they were just looking for the HNC, evidence of independent study at high levels, really good examples to give to answer the questions they posed and some really unusual relevant experience that very few other applicants could have as its in a restricted environment that I only managed to access through my current role.

I'm going to ask for feedback of course and I'm sure it will come down to driving but I'm really disappointed as the job is perfect for me and me for the job and I feel like I've been robbed of a chance because other people feel awkward. The role is with my current employer but due to policy I needed to apply as if I was an external candidate so they wouldn't know that I am excelling in my KSF scores, have had letters from patients about how well they perceive me doing my job, have put myself out there to get extra experience in other areas, and that my managers references would have been amazing and she was really rooting for me.

I'm just disappointed, a job like that is unlikely to come up again. I love my current job and I won't be unhappy going in tomorrow and I would have regretted not trying for this one.

kazzah

unfortunately I think that the current climate of having to ensure we are all " PC" can leave people who are not experienced in interviewing/dealing with people with disabilities feeling awkward about how they should best phrase their questions.
I had a meeting with two people today who deal with a lot of charities for a variety of conditions and one of the trustees just could not find the most appropriate words - he struggled with handicapped, diseased, afflicted etc etc- now I KNOW he was a lovely gent and was simply unused to discussing disabilities in depth, so NONE of his words worried/annoyed/upset/ offended me BUT I know that some people would have been offended and upset and possibly complained about his attitude.

I am sorry you didn't get the job -and I suspect you are correct in your assumption - I am just saddened that people can be so worried about appearing to be NON PC that they are unable to get past their concerns and actually TALK to the individual.

ab1982

Apart from not getting the job is there any evidence whatsoever of discrimination? Because if not its a pretty nasty accusation to make withouth it.

DomRavioli

Your feelings and what actually happened are usually polar opposites. I worked in a very niche role for the NHS for 10 years, and although I had knockbacks in that career, it was because people were indeed more experienced.

Unless you know every single person who interviewed, your accusations are just plain barmy. There are over 60 million people in the UK, I'm guessing that there are others with the same experience as you; and there may well be candidates from the EU who again have that same experience.

Alice_Walker

If the interviewer was avoiding eye contact, perhaps he has difficulty with this also? Perhaps you were not the only disabled person in the room.

teddysmum

Not getting the job could be just due to the fact that someone else was more suited.


In every set of final candidates interviewed all but one are usually not selected.


I used to teach and went for a job for which I and four others were more than qualified, but as the LEA had to find a job for one person, whose school was closing, they were chosen.


On another occasion, someone with far less experience (in fact new from college) was chosen; purely for economic reasons, as they would have a much lower salary.


My point is that you can be an excellent candidate, but someone else has the edge. In your case others will probably meet the need to be able to drive, this being a particular requirement of the post.

GlasweJen

It's not the not getting the job, I have very obscure experience but others may well have had it too or had some other edge. It was the awkwardness of the interviewer, there's no way that's how the question was phrased to everyone.

It happens so often, people talk to whoever is hovering behind me and not me, even when that person is a child or not with me at all. People move me out the way, "park me up" without asking etc. Some people would rather burn their eyes out than speak to the person in th wheelchair.

I'd love to see him when we are 2 professionals working together or even him just passing through my unit and seeing me work and not just being "the two ticks interviewee". Some people never experience a full time wheelchair user and I get that. I once attended an interview run so far behind that while I was waiting the next candidate came in and she was a MTF transgender and the person who was supposed to be taking documents to photocopy kept calling her by her dead name (she brought her birth certificate and a legal form to prove she was the person on th SQA certificates) and the employee just couldn't look at the interviewee and I felt so sorry for the person who just turned up for an interview and was clearly flustered and embarrassed before getting near the interview room.

I felt like her on Wednesday, it was like the wheelchair was a huge elephant in the room. No one spoke of it but it was clearly on their mind.

GlasweJen

teddysmum wrote: »

Not getting the job could be just due to the fact that someone else was more suited.


In every set of final candidates interviewed all but one are usually not selected.


I used to teach and went for a job for which I and four others were more than qualified, but as the LEA had to find a job for one person, whose school was closing, they were chosen.


On another occasion, someone with far less experience (in fact new from college) was chosen; purely for economic reasons, as they would have a much lower salary.


My point is that you can be an excellent candidate, but someone else has the edge. In your case others will probably meet the need to be able to drive, this being a particular requirement of the post.

The job doesn't involve any driving at all

Andypandyboy

Nothing constructive to add, but I would just say that taking my MIL on holiday whilst she was temporarily in a wheelchair did open my eyes. It was as if she wasn't the same person, people spoke to us not to her and in lifts it was astounding, they crammed in, bags on shoulders bashing into her, ignoring her sat there, and their bottoms were almost in her face sometimes, yet they seemed oblivious. As I say, it did amaze me how in their own little bubbles some people are.

ab1982

Why is it so natural to look past a wheelchair user at the person pushing it, I did it the other day without realising, I know its rude, wasnt intentional but I just did it. Sureley someone must have done some studies on it...

The bum in face thing in a lift is probably unavoidable though.

Alice_Walker

GlasweJen wrote: »

It's not the not getting the job, I have very obscure experience but others may well have had it too or had some other edge. It was the awkwardness of the interviewer, there's no way that's how the question was phrased to everyone.

It happens so often, people talk to whoever is hovering behind me and not me, even when that person is a child or not with me at all. People move me out the way, "park me up" without asking etc. Some people would rather burn their eyes out than speak to the person in th wheelchair.

I'd love to see him when we are 2 professionals working together or even him just passing through my unit and seeing me work and not just being "the two ticks interviewee". Some people never experience a full time wheelchair user and I get that. I once attended an interview run so far behind that while I was waiting the next candidate came in and she was a MTF transgender and the person who was supposed to be taking documents to photocopy kept calling her by her dead name (she brought her birth certificate and a legal form to prove she was the person on th SQA certificates) and the employee just couldn't look at the interviewee and I felt so sorry for the person who just turned up for an interview and was clearly flustered and embarrassed before getting near the interview room.

I felt like her on Wednesday, it was like the wheelchair was a huge elephant in the room. No one spoke of it but it was clearly on their mind.

What would you prefer they do? If they'd talked about you being in a wheelchair and then you'd not been successful, would you still feel you'd been treated unfairly?

I can't see how the employer can win here, and it comes across that your (understandable) disappointment is clouding your judgment.