I Hate The Hypocrisy Of Employers

[Data]

I applied for a job in a company and they contacted me and invited me to come for an interview at their office, which was 80 miles away. I received the email at 7am on the 5th of June, and the interview was 11am on the 6th of June!!!

I politely asked if we could do a telephone interview instead. I said if that was successful then I could come to their office.

They are aware that I am currently in a full-time, permanent job.

Perhaps I should have said:

"Yes, I can come to the interview. I'd love to work for you! Although, I might just take a few days off work if I don't like the job. And I won't give you any proper notice, I'll just say that I won't be in work tomorrow".

And then we had the interview, and they said they'd call me back on the 21st with a view to arranging an interview on the 28th, so I booked that day off work. And they didn't bother to call me: I chased them up but they said they are busy, so I lost a days holiday and didn't get an interview.

I am busy too. Perhaps they think I have all the time in the world just to be fucked about?

I had another day off for an interview on the 12th (another day's annual leave used up). And it took the WHOLE day. That was over 200 miles from my current workplace. I had to stay overnight in a hotel, at my own expense. They said they would reimburse travel expenses but that never happened (although maybe that is my fault for not asking them). He said he would call me on the 15th to give me feedback. And guess what - he didn't bother.

I'm going to ring him on Monday and ask him politely whether they have any feedback and whether they are going to give me a job.

Perhaps instead I should email and ask:

"Hi Prof. I noticed on the 12th that you like the sound of your own voice a lot, so I am surprised that you have not contacted me to let me know whether or not you are going to give me a job. Do you treat everyone with such disrespect, or just applicants? Or maybe its just that you are a poor time and project manager?".

[Endoftheroad]

Just replied to your other thread mate; ask yourself, is this a company you'd be happy working for? Doesn't auger well does it? Sounds like a bunch of clowns to me. You're better off without them, it's their loss. Chin up (or should that be chins?

[starryeyesee]

Hi Data

You must be fuming, I know I would be.

A little while ago I was looking for another job and all the interviews or training were on days I was working so I didn't get anywhere. My present job have told me because I missed two training sessions due to nhs appts on my day off I would be suspended if I missed another. II have phoned a workers rights advisor but she is only available on wednesday when I am at work.

Sometimes it feels like we are fighting a losing battle (sigh)

hang in there

xxx

[Data]

Thanks Starry1 and endoftheroad. Maybe I am better off without them. I wonder if you have some rights because of disability discrimination, starry?

I am not keen on the sort of programming I am doing in my current job. However I am lucky in some ways. I have a well paid job - nearly 3 times the minimum wage. And my employer treats people with respect - they get back to you promptly after interviews with feedback. And they let me have holidays when I want them (23 days a year - which is more than the legal minimum).

[Data]

I had two calls from agencies whilst at work on Friday, I had to call them back at lunch/afterwards. One sent me an email. This is part of my reply to him:

Availability

Telephone interviews: I would prefer to speak to someone from the company first on the phone. This would give both myself and the company an idea of whether it is worth taking things further. The best times for me to have a telephone interview are:

• before 9am, or
• between 12-1.30pm, or
• after 4.30pm

In-person interviews: I prefer to have in-person interviews on a Monday or a Friday. If it must be midweek then I might be able to accommodate this, as long as the initial telephone interview went well. If I took a holiday from work on a Wednesday, it would look odd, considering my family live quite far from my work. I need a few days notice to book a holiday (ideally a week but I can get away with 2 days at a push).

Holiday: I am on holiday from 29th July to 2nd August (inclusive) and during this period I am not in email contact and unavailable for in-person interviews. However, I could do a telephone interview during this week at any pre-arranged time.

I hope this is of interest to your client. If you want to contact me next week then I check my email regularly. Its difficult to take phone calls at work but you can call me or text me and I'll ring you back whenever I can.

I think the problem is that I have had to suffer with so many fuckwits that they have made me paranoid! And so I am ending up going in to a lot of detail and spelling things out for them.

I try to treat my current employer with respect and keep a good relationship with them. I'd also try to do the same for anyone I worked for.

[boots]

having just started a new job myself i sympathise about how annoying it is when people just dont get back to you cos you have no idea what's going on.

However, if you really truly wanted a new job you would bend over backwards to get to the iinterview you had been offered. Most employers have some flexibility on when they can see people but realistically they're seeing more than just you so why would they see you one day and everyone else on another? They've probably had the day booked in a diary for months before they even have candidates lined up and they are unlikely to be abble to change it.

If i was interviewing you, you'd not get past the initial sift if i was given that wole raft of stuff on when you can't attend! Sorry but who does interviews before 9am? and on their lunch break? or after work?

YOU are the one selling yourself to them and (not so much) the other way around. and to me, you give off a bad, inflexible attitude. perhaps that's why people dont call you back?

[Data]

having just started a new job myself i sympathise about how annoying it is when people just dont get back to you cos you have no idea what's going on.

However, if you really truly wanted a new job you would bend over backwards to get to the iinterview you had been offered. Most employers have some flexibility on when they can see people but realistically they're seeing more than just you so why would they see you one day and everyone else on another? They've probably had the day booked in a diary for months before they even have candidates lined up and they are unlikely to be abble to change it.

If i was interviewing you, you'd not get past the initial sift if i was given that wole raft of stuff on when you can't attend! Sorry but who does interviews before 9am? and on their lunch break? or after work?

YOU are the one selling yourself to them and (not so much) the other way around. and to me, you give off a bad, inflexible attitude. perhaps that's why people dont call you back?

I completely disagree with you.

When I was unemployed, last year, I had someone ring me up for an interview on the same day, and it was 120 miles away. And I still made it! I also had someone who rang me up about 4pm, wanting me to come the next day for an interview at 9.30am, and that was over 100 miles away. I managed to pick my kids up from school, book a hotel, pack, and drive down there that evening; I was ready for them in the morning. If you are unemployed, you can demonstrate your keenness by just jumping to it when they ask.

Now since I am employed, I give the maximum flexibility, whilst also respecting the relationship with my current employer.

[boots]

sorry i would swear but it would only get censured.

i spend a lot of my time interviewing people and i can tell you that if those requests came through i'd not be seeing you even if you had the best CV on the planet. interviews are at the COMPANIES convenience not yours. And anyone who thinks they're good enough to specify when they will and wont be seen is likely setting themself up for a huge fall and wont find a job (sound familiar?). You are NOT the best at what you do and therefore you are the same as the rest of us, at the whim of the person holding the interview.

I get the telephone first cos it is the best way but i've done 1st round interviews in person on many occasions and then not got the job. Most people NO LONGER pay expenses for travelling cos they can't afford it. They sympathise that you've paid out but its not realistic.

You obviously dont have your job that much or you'd make more of an effort.

Oh and just so you know, you aint te only person on here who works. I do, and trust me, I would not employ anyone withj your attitude! In fact, I'd interview you at my convenience just to not give you the job

[starryeyesee]

I understand the difference in opinion but boots there is no need to be insulting.

please keep personal arguments off the forum

starry

[Data]

i spend a lot of my time interviewing people and i can tell you that if those requests came through i'd not be seeing you even if you had the best CV on the planet.

I'm not desperate for a job as I am already employed, if they don't want to interview me then thats their choice. Not everyone thinks like you do.

interviews are at the COMPANIES convenience not yours.

Yeah but the problem is that time off work is at my employers convenience! They don't have to give me time off when I ask for it; they do so only because the relationship is a good one, of mutual respect - and I want to keep it that way.

And anyone who thinks they're good enough to specify when they will and wont be seen is likely setting themself up for a huge fall and wont find a job (sound familiar?). You are NOT the best at what you do and therefore you are the same as the rest of us, at the whim of the person holding the interview.

I don't think I am the best at what I do. In fact, I don't have a lot of commercial experience as a programmer. I have never claimed to be the best at what I do. But there is plenty of work around in software development at the moment, and not every employer or interviewer thinks like you.

You obviously dont have (sic) your job that much or you'd make more of an effort.

I wouldn't say I hate my job, it just doesn't fulfil my ambitions. I've worked in call centres for years - now THAT was a job I hated.

I'd interview you at my convenience just to not give you the job

That sounds incredibly vindictive and - fortunately - I've never met anyone like that. People just haven't got the time to waste giving pointless job interviews just out of spite. And its also unprofessional and would be frowned upon in any reputable company.