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Letting candidates know the outcome from a job interview?

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beeboo

geek chic
I'm currently awaiting the outcome of a job interview.

They were supposed to make a decision yesterday or today and as time ticks on I'm assuming it's more likely to be bad news :(

But can anyone throw any light on the usual process? I'm assuming if you interviewed five people for one job, you wouldn't tell the unsuccessful candidates until the successful candidate had signed-up for the job, in case you need to go to your second or third choice :confused:


Sorry, I'm getting very anxious waiting :D
 
Often, they write to the unsuccessful candidates, and only phone the successful ones, which means that unsuccessful ones don't hear as quickly.

However, it's also just as likely as them still trying to sort it out, bearing in mind we are talking public sector (famous for its bureaucracy), a panel of interviewers (always difficult to get a consensus out of a group), and several vacancies (lots of people to phone and offer the job to, not all of whom will be immediately available to take a call).

I wouldn't be at all surprised if they didn't contact anyone until tomorrow, having spent today and yesterday making the decision, and that they wouldn't finish contacting people until the day after, when they will send the letters to the unsuccessful candidates.

*keeps fingers crossed*
 
Yeah, usually you'd offer it to the first candidate before letting second and third choice know (unless they were manifestly unsuitable). Also, if the decision was close they may prefer to get references to see if that makes anyone's case weaker or stronger.

In my new job they even changed the number of posts available, which is why I got the job, some weeks after the interview.
 
yeah that's kind of what I thought :)

*stares hard at phone, willing it to ring*

I suppose the longer it takes, at least it is being let down gently. :(

*drums fingers*
 
There really isn't a standard for this. Each company will do things differently, some are good at it and others are not.

There could be many reasons why you haven't heard anything yet:

- They may want to interview more people
- They may be waiting for final confirmation of budget for the role (I've seen situations where dozens of people were interviewed for several roles only to have a senior person stop the whole project in its tracks)
- One of the other people they wanted to interview had to postone their meeting and they are waiting for that
- HR people can be complete disorganised flakes

The trick is to not give up until to hear a final answer one way or the other. For one job I had to go to 10 interviews over 3 months before they finally hired me!
 
Once I couldn't get hold of someone to confirm the salary offer before I rang the successful candidate so was about 2 days late in getting back to them.

I hope it's good news - I know you've worked really hard

<crosses fingers>
 
But can anyone throw any light on the usual process? I'm assuming if you interviewed five people for one job, you wouldn't tell the unsuccessful candidates until the successful candidate had signed-up for the job, in case you need to go to your second or third choice
Click to expand...

Thats how I do it. I hate phoning unsuccesful candidates but I think its unfair to write to them and make them wait.
 
trashpony said:
I hope it's good news - I know you've worked really hard

<crosses fingers>
Click to expand...

thanks :)

I'm trying to be realistic, I know there is more chance of me NOT getting it than getting it, but my heart's really set on it.... :(
 
beeboo said:
thanks :)

I'm trying to be realistic, I know there is more chance of me NOT getting it than getting it, but my heart's really set on it.... :(
Click to expand...

Is there an agency involved? Make the buggers ring and chase; it's what they're there for.
 
Maurice Picarda said:
Is there an agency involved? Make the buggers ring and chase; it's what they're there for.
Click to expand...
That can make the candidate look desperate and place them in a more defensive position when negotiating salary/benefits...
 
MrFalafel said:
That can make the candidate look desperate and place them in a more defensive position when negotiating salary/benefits...
Click to expand...

No, it makes the agency look like a desperate commission-chaser. The candidate can remain apparently insouciant.

As long as one doesn't ever email an agency fretting about the lack of contact, as sometimes they are fuckwitted enough to forward that to the potential employer.
 
No agency, I applied direct.

I've not exactly been playing hard-to-get so far :o so if I did get it I'd probably be screwed from a negotiation perspective :D
 
MrFalafel said:
That can make the candidate look desperate and place them in a more defensive position when negotiating salary/benefits...
Click to expand...
rubbish it shows that you are keen and assertive...
 
Maurice Picarda said:
No, it makes the agency look like a desperate commission-chaser. The candidate can remain apparently insouciant.

As long as one doesn't ever email an agency fretting about the lack of contact, as sometimes they are fuckwitted enough to forward that to the potential employer.
Click to expand...
The agency quite frequently has a fairly close relationship with the hiring company as in they may be a single or short listed supplier. One could imagine a gum-snapping agency clerk wearily calling the hiring company and saying 'sorry to bother you Madge, but this candidate is pestering me for an answer on this.'.
 
GarfieldLeChat said:
rubbish it shows that you are keen and assertive...
Click to expand...
It may depend on industry. In my field, its better to make the hiring company think you are dealing with several other offers and that way they have to come up with a good offer to lure you to work for them. Calling them back makes you look like you have no other offers.
 
MrFalafel said:
The agency quite frequently has a fairly close relationship with the hiring company as in they may be a single or short listed supplier. One could imagine a gum-snapping agency clerk wearily calling the hiring company and saying 'sorry to bother you Madge, but this candidate is pestering me for an answer on this.'.
Click to expand...

I'm having difficulty with that mental picture, I must say. Perhaps it was the "Madge".
 
beeboo said:
No agency, I applied direct.

I've not exactly been playing hard-to-get so far :o so if I did get it I'd probably be screwed from a negotiation perspective :D
Click to expand...
If you do get the job I'm going to take some credit for it due to my l33t interview tips. And 5% of your salary.
 
I always close interviews by requesting the notification process.
Then if I call back after the deadline I feel perfectly fine about it.
 
Badgers said:
I always close interviews by requesting the notification process.
Then if I call back after the deadline I feel perfectly fine about it.
Click to expand...

The situ was they had a last interview on Monday (yesterday) and the panel were then meeting on Monday or Tuesday to make a decision, and would be informed soon after.

The last job I went for they closed the interview saying they had to interview someone else next week blah blah and then phoned me back about an hour later to say they liked me so forget about what they said, they were going to give it to me :D
 
oh crumbs

I've got a voicemail message and an email from the head chap asking me to give him a call - nothing else, just can you give me a call. Just tried to phone and he's engaged :mad:

Fucks sake I'm shaking like a leaf. :mad:
 
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