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Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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We can promote an internal candidate as long as there are 2 or more others to interview. If not, we have to open it up to the public. I would hire an outside person over internal if they were better, but many companies do otherwise to save time on learning the corporate policies, culture etc. It's difficult for the person that ends up being rejected for an internal candidate when you feel like a "token" interviewee, but that is nothing new. It happened to me when I was starting out in the late 70s. The Microsoft story is also typical for them. They try to exhaust all possibilities before hiring to maximize the chances of getting the best person. Had you gone, you would have had a shot, if you were a better candidate than the one they were considering. Only you know whether it's worth the cost and time to travel based on the potential reward.
This is something I have recently gone through and I believe this proves that it really is an employers market.
I recently had an interview at a renewable energy company just up the street from where I am working now.
The interview was your typical behavioral question interrogation. One of the gals I would be working with was icey and cold. She was late to the interview while we all waited and when she got there, she seemed VERY disinterested in the whole process.
I thought the interview just went "ok" but nothing amazing. I would have been shocked had they called me back. A week later, HR sent me an email stating that they enjoyed talking to me but that they were going to go with an internal candidate that showed interest in the position at the beginning of the process.
USUALLY, internal candidates have first dibs. I am guessing they were probably going to go with her anyway...
The next one was with Microsoft. The person on the phone told me that they needed someone "yesterday" AND that they had a good candidate already but they still wanted to "shop around"... she actually said this to me. I was invited on campus for an interview but wanted me to drive up (3 hours each way) and pay for everything but only gave me a few days notice to do so. Since I am already working as a contractor, I don't get paid for days off so it would have been several hundred dollars for me.
I once was interviewing for a job and while waiting to see the second person (after waiting an hour for the first interview)I heard the one HR person tell someone else they already hired someone but wanted it to look legit Since at this point I had waited a long time for the second person I walked out. Why waste my time? I had to take off work that day too.
It's entirely possible that they already selected an outside candidate from the applicant pool. It's the same problem but a different source, external candidates rather than internal candidates. I've been in that position as an interviewer, and it's hard to stay motivated once you know that both you and the candidate you're interested in have more or less closed the deal. Even so, there are valid reasons for continuing the interview process, and it's not only liability. Candidates do weird things sometimes. They might get a change of heart either one day before or even one day after hire. They might get terminally ill. They might not work out and the employer might not want to wait 90 days for the probation process to run its natural course. There are many reasons why employers do this. See it as your opportunity to make a positive impression, even if nothing comes of it.
I've been on both sides of that, too. Sometimes you have 4 candidates coming in for interviews, and the first one is fantastic. You proceed with the others, just for the formality, but you already know which one you want.
Some employers have internal or external requirements to interview a certain minimum # of applicants before they can hire, even if they already know who's the best fit.
As for making a verbal offer to a candidate then reneging, that's a dirty and irresponsible practice. It happened to me once and the lesson I learned was not to resign the old position until I have a signed offer letter and contract in hand, and even then proceed with caution. In the long run, I dodged a bullet; ended up with a much better job and have never looked back.
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. You don't quit your job lightly in these uncertain times, unless you have a really solid reason. If you're unemployed, don't think of a job offer as an excuse to stop looking. You stop looking at 8am on Monday morning at your new place of employment, when you finally know the job is real!
I recently went on an interview and I thought that I nailed it; however the HM mentioned during the interview that they currently had a contractor doing the job because the last individual was promoted. Needless to say, everytime I tried to check on my status, Har informed me that the HM had been out of town. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out, the contractor is already doing the job and will most likely be made an offer. Employers are having so much fun wasting the time of the unemployed which is horrible!
It's entirely possible that they already selected an outside candidate from the applicant pool. It's the same problem but a different source, external candidates rather than internal candidates. I've been in that position as an interviewer, and it's hard to stay motivated once you know that both you and the candidate you're interested in have more or less closed the deal. Even so, there are valid reasons for continuing the interview process, and it's not only liability. Candidates do weird things sometimes. They might get a change of heart either one day before or even one day after hire. They might get terminally ill. They might not work out and the employer might not want to wait 90 days for the probation process to run its natural course. There are many reasons why employers do this. See it as your opportunity to make a positive impression, even if nothing comes of it.
Well let's see how that works out. I recently interviewed at several places, two of which I thought were very positive. They both decided not to move forward with my application even though one interviewer even told me he was definitely going to contact me again. Maybe months or years from now when I've completely forgotten about them, I'll get a surprise call offering me a job. I'll start holding my breath.
The hiring manager might have internal policies to deal with that require 3 or more applicants.
I just went through this. I was "a late entry". The only reason I was "late" is that the HR person and I went back and forth on email for 10 days as she tried to figure out if I would come in within their salary range.
Once we got that settled, I interviewed with the hiring manager and I know I knocked it out of the park - moved ahead of all the other outside candidates being interviewed. He was genuinely interested. But there was one internal candidate whom I believe was already pre-ordained for the position. Given the way he ended the interview, I got the feeling he was going to go up the ladder to make a case for me, but that for all intents and purposes, that person (whomever it was) had already decided to settle for their internal person.
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. One of the gals I would be working with was icey and cold. She was late to the interview while we all waited and when she got there, she seemed VERY disinterested in the whole process.
