Dropping the ball
Two weeks ago at this time I was happily receiving word from the agency that I got a job offer from Buy More. However, Buy More was only one of two jobs I had interviewed for that week. I had been told by the other company that they would also be making a decision that week, so when Thursday came and went without hearing anything from them, I figured I hadn’t been chosen and without any hesitation accepted the job offer. Frankly, I wanted the Buy More gig more anyway.
So imagine my surprise when I got a call yesterday afternoon from the other company asking me to come in for a third interview. Yes, a third interview. And yes, two weeks later after their “quick decision”. Now, I hadn’t gotten any rejection letter, call, or email from them, but I figured they were just being irresponsible. After all, they were looking to hire right away.
Well, I politely turned down the interview and apologized for not withdrawing my name from consideration due to accepting another job offer, as I had thought I had already been rejected. No reason to burn bridges, you know. But honestly, talk about dropping the ball. Yes, people are out of work and yes, things happen to delay employment decisions. But no contact for two weeks? If that stuff wasn’t acceptable before the current economic crisis, it still isn’t acceptable now.
February 26th, 2009 saat: 7:08 pm
My former roommate had one company call her 3 months after her initial interview asking for a fourth interview. She had another job by then but I doubt she would have taken the interview at that point anyways.
February 27th, 2009 saat: 6:29 am
My husband got a call this week from a company he’d interviewed with in September. They strung him along through December, told him they couldn’t make a decision then, and he accepted his current job and we moved.
Like I told him, it makes you wonder how they handle other employee-related issues if it takes that long to get back in touch with someone about hiring (when you’d presume a company wants to show their best side and wow a potential future employee.)
February 27th, 2009 saat: 5:20 pm
Rachel – 3 months? Lame!
Kelly – Wow, what jerks. You’re both better off.
February 28th, 2009 saat: 10:45 am
Third interview? That’s acceptable for C-level types, but kinda ridiculous for a generalist role.
Could be worse. I sat in on the weekly recruiting meeting at my temp employer (healthcare recruitment). One of their candidates was called back for a FIFTH interview for a nurse instructor position. Good grief!
March 4th, 2009 saat: 5:36 pm
Perrik – 5 for a nurse instructor? Nurses are needed everywhere, who would wait around for 5 interviews?
March 14th, 2009 saat: 7:26 pm
For a search to take 2 – 3 months is not unusual, especially if it is a new position. I let people know they are under consideration, and at what stage – waiting for
1st interview or 2nd interview.
They can check in with me anytime if their status changes. And, I let them know if they are going to be moved up in the process.
Successful companies need to take the tome now more than ever to find the right candidate.