Job Interview Disappointment and Disability

justontime

I would welcome a bit of advice please. My husband works for a very large company doing a very specialised (desk based) job. He was approached (via a senior manager) by the MD, to apply for a job in a different but linked company that the MD is just about to move to. They even allowed him to apply after the closing date. He was well qualified for the job and was given lots of help to prepare by the MD and a senior manager. He was well prepared for the interview and he felt it went well. He knew of the other candidates for the job and he was the best qualified in terms of experience and knowledge. He felt the interview went well and was moderately hopeful. He didn't get the job and he was determined to learn from his experience, so he rang for feedback. The feedback was all good and he received lots of praise for his turnout, presentation and clarity. There was nothing to point to where he went wrong and HR told him that he did not have enough experience in one specific area, but they knew this when he applied. The candidate who got the job has less experience in a large part of the job responsibility. I know he can't do much about it for this job, but honest answers would really help as he feels that either he must have let himself down big style or even worse that he has been rejected because of his disability. His disability is physical and does fall under the disability discrimination act, but does not impact on his work at all, in fact it is not obvious to anyone who does not no him well and it does not cause him to take time off work. He was completely honest about his disability in his application. How can he get more honest answers? The companies involved are in the railway industry.

dmg24

The company have given feedback, and I feel you would be making a mistake in pursuing it any further. I see no reason why your husband's disability would be a factor?

justontime

Husband has been able to take further advice today and it seems clear that something odd has happened here. All he really wants is clear feedback, not just gloss, but he has been told that a formal investigation has been instigated (not by him). I think we just have to wait and see if he gets any more information.

Horace

You have my sympathies I too am disabled and have recently been made redundant because of it. I am taking my ex-employer to an Employment Tribunal for disability discrimination and unfair dismissal. I would seek some legal advice, speak to the Disability Rights Commission and more importantly speak to a union rep (hope your husband is in a union?). The DRC are particularly helpful as they can advise you, via them I have previously asked for details of others applications (with their personal details blocked out) as well as asking whether all applicants were asked the same questions etc.

check out drc.gov.uk website for info - they also have a freefone number.

Good luck

justontime

Thanks Horace, that is really helpful advice. Husband was born with this disability and does amazingy well all things considered. He is honest and matter of fact if asked about it, but tries to just be himself, not a man with a disability. It is hard to explain how something like this can make his confidence plummet. He would be better able to cope if someone either told him what he did wrong (or not well enough) at interview, or if it is a disability matter he would have liked the chance to demonstrate that it would not adversely affect his ability to do the job. Hopefully he will get enough information to put his mind at ease.

Fleago

Here's a link to the Disability Rights Commission website for you justontime, but if you want to contact them be quick as the DRC will merge into the Commission for Equality and Human Rights in October and their own website is, I think, due to come down very soon.

For others who might be interested, here's the link to the Commission for Equality and Human Rights website. It will be interesting to see whether the new Commission will be able to give the same level of assistance to people with disabilities that the DRC did.

Good luck to your husband and I hope that he can get to the root of whether discriminatory practice played any part in him not getting the job.

Fleago

grannybroon

justontime

I am so sorry about your and your husband's disappointment. The feedback is just what they feel you need to know. Years ago I went for an interview for a job I really was more than qualified to get. The office it was for was staffed by all folk in the local area who were slightly family connected (aunts, cousins etc). I didn't get the job and the feedback was well, the person acting up we know, you might have made too many changes. Made representation to Personnel (local council) at the time but said they couldn't do anything about it. This was before the big discrimination laws kicked in.

After a few days fuming, I decided it was the right decision. I did not really get on with the Head teacher (as a parent and he was due to retire having been Head there for 30 years!) and my two kids were attending the school. Probably not a good idea Mum was there too.

Take care

GB

justontime

Husband has been advised by someone very senior to make a formal complaint. It seems that there has been some sort of irregularity. My main worry was that husband's confidence had been badly damaged by how this process was managed. A formal complaint feels like revenge and may not help his prospects, but others seem to feel differently, he is now very confused. Does anyone have experience of anything like this?

justontime

Husband got some more information from the company this afternoon. The company have admitted that they did not appoint according to the advert, job description and person specification. They also admitted that husband was the best qualified/most capable if they had appointed according to their own specification. It seems that at the last minute they gave undue weight to a very narrow aspect of the job description. They also believe (but have not yet proved) that husband's application details were passed by a third party to the successful candidate. They have said that the HR person was incompetent and they have now put in procedures to avoid this happening in future. They do not intend to discipline anyone with regard to this and they have not admitted that husband's disability was a factor. They repeated the glowing feedback and said his interview and presentation was excellent. It seems very unfair but I don't see what he can do about it.

Savvy_Sue

justontime wrote: »

They also believe (but have not yet proved) that husband's application details were passed by a third party to the successful candidate. They have said that the HR person was incompetent and they have now put in procedures to avoid this happening in future.

I find it very hard to put those two sentences together!

I don't know if it's worth putting in a formal complaint or not, or just writing a letter along the lines of "I was very disappointed not to get the promotion but I will continue to work my little cotton socks off on behalf of the company. I would welcome any opportunity to develop my skills through training or mentoring, and hope that future applications for promotion will be successful." If he's going to have anything to do with the successful candidate than a final "I wish Fred Fleabag every success in his role and will do my best to support him" would be a nice touch.

Then you sit back and wait for Fred to mess up, leave, and step into his shoes.

justontime

Sorry if I didn't make myself clear, I will try again. My husband had a meeting with a senior manager (from the company he applied to) who had investigated the situation and was told that

The company had not appointed according to the advertised Job description and person specification, but if they had husband would have been appointed.

A new procedure had been imposed to prevent this ever happening again.

That they had been informed that the senior manager (line manager of the successful candidate) had passed the application form details of my husband to the successful candidate. They now have to prove this.

He also said that the HR person was incompetent and should not have let any of this happen.

Husband asked if anyone would be disciplined because of this and was told no. He commented that he had lost out big style but everyone else seems to have suffered no consequences for their errors. He was told the investigation has not yet been concluded.

He can not write the letter as suggested in the above post as he does not work for the company he applied to. He works for a different company.