Employers- opinion sought re odd recruitment stalling

VictorT

I am in a rather strange situation where an employer is trying hard not to give me a job but doesn't feel able to officially reject my application.
They told me 7 days after interview that I had passed an interview, but that they had already filled the vacancy with someone else. And that they anticipated such a vacancy would occur again soon and that they would contact me. Two months later, no job, no contact without me prodding them. And they relisted the vacancy on their recruitment site.
.. This reminded me of when I had passed a McDonalds recruitment test, but McDonalds let my application sit on the system and after repeated checking I found that the position was "no longer available" two weeks later. I concluded that they declined to employ me due to ageism as I was older than 19 of the typical 20 I generally saw staffing McDonalds. Of course they did not feel legally able to officially reject my application...

My best guess is that employer in question sniffed around for references or employment history within their organisation and got scared off by one of them. I have been employed once permanently and four times temporarily in a different department in the organisation and only one old one of those do I think there could have been a problem.
The employer puts a lot of legal care in its recruitment procedures, including not passing on names to the interviewers until the interview. The employer routinely allows interview feedback. Again, I can only guess that what happened is that the interviewers at the time gave me the passing score which remains on the paperwork, but the organisation does not want to be held responsible for a negative internal reference blocking my employment there. Therefore it felt unsafe to tell me I was rejected at the interview stage, and prefers to outdistance me instead.
This is not only annoying but has led to loss for me because it stalled me applying for other jobs, as I have told others that I got a job there which I was to take up soon after my temporary contract in a different department finishing. They have played me like a fool for two months, which I think completely unfair and not in accordance with the overtly very PC ethos of the employer.

I asked which references they obtained, and they responded that they don't seek references until an offer of employment is made. I noted that they responded only with a statement of policy, not what they did, but did not press further in case they used my being a nuisance as an excuse to bounce my application. So, I have requested interview feedback. I am prepared for them to tell me that they only provide this for rejected applications, because this stalls me probing the matter.

Dear employers, are you able to admit to situations where you have to be very careful legally about the way you don't employ applicants, and do you think my guesses here are credible? Does anyone know if I have any redress, even within a company by complaining to higher up? Thankyou for your ideas in advance.

[Deleted User]

You passed an interview but we’re not offered a job?

Where’s the issue?

VictorT

MarkN88 wrote: »

You passed an interview but we’re not offered a job?

Where’s the issue?

That, Hamlet, is the question!

slashlover

I would have thought that "We'll keep you on record" is a standard line, I've definitely been told that several times. It doesn't mean they're going to be in constant contact with you and prodding them isn't needed. There could be 2 or 10 or 100 other people who passed the interview and were told the same thing.

shortcrust

When I was in the civil service they often did big recruitment exercises where they had a ‘passmark' for interviews. So 20 people might 'pass' but there might only be 15 jobs available straight away. The highest 15 scorers are offered those 15 jobs and the remaining five go on a reserve list with an expectation that they'd be offered jobs over the coming months.

Not a great way to do things in my opinion.

shortcrust

MarkN88 wrote: »

You passed an interview but we’re not offered a job?

Where’s the issue?

VictorT wrote: »

That, Hamlet, is the question!

I think Mark's question was less “what’s the employer playing at?” and more “this seems pretty straightforward - what’s not to understand?”.

Blatchford

VictorT wrote: »

I am in a rather strange situation where an employer is trying hard not to give me a job but doesn't feel able to officially reject my application.
They told me 7 days after interview that I had passed an interview, but that they had already filled the vacancy with someone else. And that they anticipated such a vacancy would occur again soon and that they would contact me. Two months later, no job, no contact without me prodding them. And they relisted the vacancy on their recruitment site.
.. This reminded me of when I had passed a McDonalds recruitment test, but McDonalds let my application sit on the system and after repeated checking I found that the position was "no longer available" two weeks later. I concluded that they declined to employ me due to ageism as I was older than 19 of the typical 20 I generally saw staffing McDonalds. Of course they did not feel legally able to officially reject my application...

My best guess is that employer in question sniffed around for references or employment history within their organisation and got scared off by one of them. I have been employed once permanently and four times temporarily in a different department in the organisation and only one old one of those do I think there could have been a problem.
The employer puts a lot of legal care in its recruitment procedures, including not passing on names to the interviewers until the interview. The employer routinely allows interview feedback. Again, I can only guess that what happened is that the interviewers at the time gave me the passing score which remains on the paperwork, but the organisation does not want to be held responsible for a negative internal reference blocking my employment there. Therefore it felt unsafe to tell me I was rejected at the interview stage, and prefers to outdistance me instead.
This is not only annoying but has led to loss for me because it stalled me applying for other jobs, as I have told others that I got a job there which I was to take up soon after my temporary contract in a different department finishing. They have played me like a fool for two months, which I think completely unfair and not in accordance with the overtly very PC ethos of the employer.

I asked which references they obtained, and they responded that they don't seek references until an offer of employment is made. I noted that they responded only with a statement of policy, not what they did, but did not press further in case they used my being a nuisance as an excuse to bounce my application. So, I have requested interview feedback. I am prepared for them to tell me that they only provide this for rejected applications, because this stalls me probing the matter.

Dear employers, are you able to admit to situations where you have to be very careful legally about the way you don't employ applicants, and do you think my guesses here are credible? Does anyone know if I have any redress, even within a company by complaining to higher up? Thankyou for your ideas in advance.

You are over thinking this. You didn't get the job. You application as put on a shelf and forgotten about. Or the interviewer told you what they wanted you to hear and never intended to offer you anything. Your application was "officially rejected" when you didn't get the job that they appointed someone else to. At best it's on a reserve list. Maybe not even that.

There probably wasn't another shooter on the grassy knoll...

[Deleted User]

I recently had an interview on the high street after the orginal advertised interview dates had passed, I found 'myself recalled' when told orginally I'd been unsuccessful after application stage.

So attended interview under what was very possibly the second series of interviewing dates - promised feedback, interviewers said random things, albeit, I do think possibly the accessment was scored.

I'll never know.

The helpful feedback promised amounted to: "Due to the job requirements unchanged, (bare in mind I'd just seen a permanent role re-advertised as fixed term carrying a further third series of interview dates!) you'll need to wait 6 months before reapplying for the same position"

I let them know I'd seen the job advert before being told I was unsuccessful and asked for feedback as what is the point in 6 months possibly, having no idea where you went wrong or could improve on...this was the resourcer reply "Will pass your feedback onto the relevant team".

Fortunately for me, a national tragedy on the High Street 7 days later means I'm not interested in thinking any more about it.

prowla

I think them holding your details on record but not coming back to you suggests it's a no.

[Deleted User]

shortcrust wrote: »

I think Mark's question was less “what’s the employer playing at?” and more “this seems pretty straightforward - what’s not to understand?”.

To be more blunt to the OP, you seem to have a bee in your bonet.

They havent offered you a job at any point, so there is no issue or problem to be addressed.

Many times I have been involved in interviews, and people "pass" but we my only be taking on one person or a set amount and therefore we take the best scoring individuals, regardless.


End of.