Epic HR suck and phone call fail

[Rageaholic]

I'm job hunting again and have applied for a few positions. One of the positions was pretty promising as I had a good reference and had already completed a phone interview. A couple of days ago, I get a call back from the one who interviewed me over the phone. She had to leave a message as I wasn't available at the time, but I called her back.

Now this brings up another pet peeve with phones. You have to call at a time when both you and the other person are available. This can and has caused weeks of trying to get in touch because no one can call at the right time. Even though we have voice mail, a lot of people will only use it to tell you to call them back, not to tell you what they could easily tell you over voice mail. That was the case with the call I received from the company. But I wasn't complaining since it probably meant I'd get an interview. It was well worth the four hours I ended up waiting to hear back from her...

Or it would have been had the call not been informing me I didn't get the job. I waited four fucking hours just to be told that I didn't get the job. And the thing that really grinds my gears is that there were so many ways she could have delivered the message.

-She could have just emailed me (which she has in the past).
-She could have told me in the message she left for me.
-She could have told me by not calling me at all, which would have eventually made it clear that I didn't get the job.

But instead, she choose to keep me waiting just to tell me I didn't get the job. I'm not even that mad that I didn't get the job, but the fact that I wasted a half of a day for nothing.

Fuckers.

[s_stabeler]

this kind of ting is why a former HR manager that writes a blog I read generally advises assuming you haven't got the job unless you hear different- it saves a lot of running around only to get disappointed.

[Rageaholic]

Typically, that's what I think. I normally don't wait around for them to call, but when they do call, especially when they want to call you back, wouldn't it make sense to assume that they are interested in you?

Perhaps the real TIH are those who can't just leave messages or emails. They insist on talking to you in real time even though it's not necessary.

[TheHuckster]

I can definitely see how getting a voice mail from a prospective employer asking you to call them back could get your hopes up. I think the HR person was trying to make the whole thing more personal and face-to-face than email would have done, but in the process she gave you the false impression that what she was going to talk to you about would warrant discussion.

A job offer warrants discussion. A job declination doesn't.

I think getting a definite "no" rather than just letting things expire is always better, though. Sometimes you might get a job offer for a job that you don't like as much as another you're waiting for an answer on, and that situation always sucks.

I once interviewed for a position and eight months later got a letter saying I didn't get the job. Well, duh. They gave me a free pen with their name on it as a consolation prize, though.

[HYHYBT]

I'd much rather get a definite no, even in the form of a phone call I have to chase down.

[Ginger Tea]

I've been told I've got the job, it's just that there are no spaces for my employment right now.
been a fortnight and still no word, chances are I will be a month into some NMW fast food gig by the time they find me a spot.

If there isnt a current vacancy why do the whole interview thing?

[NorthernZel]

Could be a sort of workplace culture.

Over here, it is considered a courtesy to make a job declination by phone if the candidate in question has gone past the interviewing stage - not only to say "sorry you didn't get it", but also explain why one didn't get it (perhaps the job went to someone with more experience), ask for permission to keep one's CV in case a similar position gets vacant etc.

Just sending a short and templated rejection letter to an interviewee is seen as very rude.

[Racket_Man]

Just sending a short and templated rejection letter to an interviewee is seen as very rude.

That was the norm maybe 15 years ago if you got a rejection at all even after interview and such. I had a stack of boiler plate word processed rejection letters and post cards from 12 months of job hunting.

These days I am guessing even getting a rejection e-mail is rare.

[NecCat]

When I'm involved in the hiring process I don't acknowledge receipt of resumes, I just have way to many to individually contact applicants. If I call them for preliminary questions or ask them in for an interview I will always let them know one way or another what the decision was, and I will tell them during the talk when I will have that information to them.

If they got a job offer or not, if they don't answer the phone I will leave a message, and if they don't have a message service I will email. If they don't answer the phone, don't have a message service and don't have a proper email on the resume I stop caring, no matter what the original message was, they don't have the job*. I will leave a message in the office that they weren't offered a job in case the applicant calls in, mostly so I don't have to play get them a message all over again.

*Sometimes job seekers are having financial troubles and will tell you, this is the ONLY way to reach me right now. That's okay, I can follow instructions with the best of them.

[Rageaholic]

Could be a sort of workplace culture.

Over here, it is considered a courtesy to make a job declination by phone if the candidate in question has gone past the interviewing stage - not only to say "sorry you didn't get it", but also explain why one didn't get it (perhaps the job went to someone with more experience), ask for permission to keep one's CV in case a similar position gets vacant etc.

Just sending a short and templated rejection letter to an interviewee is seen as very rude.

I can see how it could be considered rude, but sometimes the less polite way is also the way with less hassle for everyone.

[NorthernZel]

I can see how it could be considered rude, but sometimes the less polite way is also the way with less hassle for everyone.

Sure thing, that's why over here this courtesy is only expected towards people who actually have had an interview.
If I send an application and never hear back from the company, I simply shrug and keep on with the job seeking.
If I have had a nice chat with a HR manager (or other interviewer), I'd think that a simple call back in return would be a good gesture - after all, I've spent time and money on attending the interview in the first place.

But as said, it depends from place to place.

[Dreamstalker]

Sometimes job seekers are having financial troubles and will tell you, this is the ONLY way to reach me right now. That's okay, I can follow instructions with the best of them.

In our current financial situation, landline/internet occasionally tends to take precedence over cell service. Our home voicemail is the default "please leave a message"; someone not known to us may not be sure they have the right number, so I tend to mention that email is the best way to contact me. Not the only way, but email has a higher probability of my seeing and responding quickly.

I also do this because of an unfortunate situation with a job coach who decided, when everything was going very well, to take over all communication with the department and hiring managers (she started calling "on my behalf" incessantly and I think annoyed someone or made them think that I needed someone else to handle everything).

[Blue Ginger]

So this isn't quite an epic HR suck but someone clearly couldn't be bothered doing their job.

A couple of days ago I got a phone call from a HR person telling me I didn't pass the first round of interviews. My brain went 'Huh? I haven't had an interview in weeks.'

Confirmed the name of the company with them and nope I never had an interview. HR person was very confused because they were looking at my CV and it was covered in interview notes, including a date and time of interview. A date that I was actually not in my city, but on my way to my parent's house on the coast.

HR person apologised and said that the other candidates that were getting a second interview had more experience than I did. They also said that I was the first person on the call back list and they were going to speak to the interviewer before they called anyone else.

Would have loved to have been a fly on the wall for that conversation.

What's betting that a friend of the interviewer is on top of the second interview pile.

[Android Kaeli]

I would not be so nice if I had to play phone tag for a simple answer that someone could've left in a voicemail, email, or whatever if I was not already at home. As I have told my current form of employment -- as well as everyone else that calls but doesn't leave much of a message -- I am NOT tethered to the phone so unless it is an EMERGENCY please leave a damn message explaining who you are, why you are calling, and how I can get in touch with you if need be.

I have better things to do then to sit by the phone and play phone tag, I promise I won't be offended if you leave a message. Especially if it's about a job that I didn't get or something about work.