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Well why would they want it to take this long is the question? And if they have a bunch of candidates (they’ve had me since June) why the heck not just pick someone. I’m wondering if something happened with the budget or something where they’ve had no choice but to prolong this. It could be they like me and I’m on the back burner but don’t feel I’m the one. I’ve certainly thought that.
Well why would they want it to take this long is the question? And if they have a bunch of candidates (they’ve had me since June) why the heck not just pick someone. I’m wondering if something happened with the budget or something where they’ve had no choice but to prolong this. It could be they like me and I’m on the back burner but don’t feel I’m the one. I’ve certainly thought that.
I answered this in your other thread.
Hiring in universities takes a long time, and tends to be a very formalized process. First, the job will be posted, usually for a set period of time. If it was posted in April, they probably did not look at applications for 4-6 weeks, which could bring them to June. Nobody gets hired during this time.
Second, most universities have a fiscal year that rolls in June, July or August. The position was likely funded to start with the fiscal year, so they could not have hired prior to that.
Universities almost always hire by committee. It is part of a shared governance model, so anything requires coordination of 4+ people. Because universities are primarily focused on the academic year starting in September, most people take vacation for some portion of the summer, and getting 4+ people together at the same time can be difficult.
As classes start in September, all university departments are usually in a hair-on-fire mode for about two weeks. Nothing gets done that is not centered around students. Hiring gets pushed.
I see a three month process from posting to hire as typical for a university. That would be April-July. Since they did not make July, add a couple of weeks as they digest back to school. We are now only in September, so you are at 5 months. That is long, and certainly longer than I would run as a hiring manager, as there are ways to streamline the process. But 5 months at a university is not unheard of, particularly as it spans back to school.
I can see your frustration, but I do not agree that they are being entitled, abusive or giving you the run around. Different industries operate under different pressures, and this is typical of education.
No I never said I felt abused I don’t. Annoyed and wishing they would make a decision. I have actually put them out of my head a few times only to hear from them as soon as I stopped thinking about them. Lol. If This were a romantic relationship I’d run.
No I never said I felt abused I don’t. Annoyed and wishing they would make a decision. I have actually put them out of my head a few times only to hear from them as soon as I stopped thinking about them. Lol. If This were a romantic relationship I’d run.
Sorry, it was Bobsell that used the term abused. I did not mean to imply that you did.
Are you willing to share the type of job you are applying for? There are nuances between different professions and areas of a college, I might be able to give you a bit of general insight.
Ultimately, sit tight and let the process run its course is the best advice.
Well why would they want it to take this long is the question?
I, also, relate to your frustration. But the hiring process is what it is. You just have to work through the emotions of being aggravated by the process.
You've said, yourself, that you've put it out of your mind, only to have them contact you again, and bring it up again. BUT, the good news IS your still in the running for the job! The fact that their recurring contact aggravates you -- instead of encourages you....is based on how YOU see the process. But what if you saw things differently? What if you thought, "It's good. I'm still in the running for the job!"....and in the meantime carried on with your life.
Believe me I know. It's hard NOT to get emotionally attached to wanting a job. It can be hard NOT to feel jerked around. But it really is all about perspective. Hiring at some places -- particularly large institutions or at gov't agencies -- can literally take almost a year, depending on how many steps, tests, checks, and clearances are involved.
It doesn't help us as the candidate and applicant, but it IS also frustrating for department managers as well. Imagine fighting tooth and nail to finally get 4-5 people hired. BUT another department actually does the background checks and processing. So you as the department manager are at their mercy in terms of when the selected hire can actually get a start date.
Imagine that by the time they are cleared 3 months later, (and that's three months AFTER they've actually been OFFERED the job) that 3 of the 5 people your thought you had coming on board have found other jobs because another department took so long. Now you as the manager who really needed five people only have 2. Now, on top of that -- perhaps two people in your department have retired or resigned for other jobs -- AND a new fiscal year has started. So you have to fight all over again to get the three positions that you lost because the process took so long -- AND replace the two people you lost in the meantime. And once again you hire five, but this time only get 4. You're still under staffed.
Again, I know that doesn't help us as the applicants waiting to be selected and/or hired. BUT it does shed light on the fact that the hiring process is frustrating for people on the other side of the process also.
They, too, know the system isn't functioning well. But it is what it is.
All you can do is keep applying. If you quit, you'll never get a new job. You HAVE to keep at it. What's the alternative? Giving up?
IF you are a person of faith (and you may not be), might it help to try to remind yourself, that a bigger plan that you can't see could be in the works? That you are where you are for a reason that may not have to do with you? I mention that because that does help some people.
Good luck. Hang in there. Keep us posted.
As for your original question why they may let you know there are other candidates. Personally, I want to know that. Whenever I ask questions in an interview, that's one that I ask, "can you tell me how many other people have applied or interviewed?" I want to know -- am I up against 5 people -- or 15 -- or 100? Obviously they may not interview 100, but -- 100 might have applied.
But I agree that IF I'd been lead to believe the gig was mine, or that the interview was just a formality, or that they didn't have any other candidates -- and they said "we're interviewing other people," yes, I might find that frustrating.
Well I had the interviews and they were all classy enough to not mention other candidates. Really to me that’s kind of like being on a date and your date is talking about other people they’re dating.
I really got no clues of any movement forward. I met with the hiring manager at the end and he said they’d have ‘news’ next week and If this goes through what is my timeline.
I’m going to send thank you Monday morning. I met with 7 people. Guess I have to send 7 thank yous.
What I want to know -- Did you make use of any of the copies of your printed resume during the interview?
It’s just been a strange journey. The recruiter I spoke with in June told me that she hadn’t been able to find anyone for this role. I took this to mean she couldn’t find many people who were interested in the role but now I think she meant she had trouble finding people the dept wanted to move forward with. But apparently they did find others based on their comments to me. So the recruiter was telling me, i can’t find anyone who is a good fit for this role and the department has been telling me they’re interviewing other candidates. I’ve also mentioned that it was the dept who initially reached out to me asking me to apply.
The job had been posted since April, it’s also listed as entry level. It shouldn’t be that hard to fill. I’m leery about even taking the job if I get it. I also don’t know that it will pay me what I make now and if it doesn’t then good riddance.
You went through all this, and you don't even know what the pay is? Why would you do that? It's the first question I ask any recruiter who contacts me.
I have a bad feeling about this, they are stringing you along with the intention to give you a lowball offer that since you've invested so much effort into this over a long period of time, you're going to rationalize why you should take it. Which is another score for HR.
Ok but does all that I’ve described sound a bit unreasonable? Like I said i applied for the job on June 20th. I’ve had two phone interviews, an assignment, an in person interview with hiring manager, silence...then invited for more interviews and asked for 5 references. Never have i been asked for 5. This is not a high level position. I am mad at this point I guess. Mad that this is what it takes to get an average goddam job.
I have not read the entire thread so what I'm about to say may have been covered.
(Some of the posters here make valid points. Saying you should not let yourself get wrapped around the axle because of the process is one of them.)
It is not possible to entirely explain here, every time, what is going on with a poster's experience with their application process so of course, everyone takes their 'best' shot to guess.
Guess often enough and you will be right some of the time and wrong, probably, most of the time.
Anyway, I want to respond to your saying your job type is not 'high level'.
If you haven't already thought of this and if no one has already said this-
The 'lower level' a job is, the more applications/candidates there will be in the stack of resumes/applications. Five hundred (500) or more in that stack is not unheard of.
So those companies doing their best to select the 'right' person are looking for reasons to determine who is the 'best choice' hire. They consequently are putting as many hoops as possible into their process to determine who the 'winner' is. (Assuming this is true and not discounting there are many companies with inept recruiters and broken processes.)
Becoming impatient with the process can be misplaced bad energy. And reading into their process negative assessments are only working against you.
So, unless you know absolutely you are in the midst of FUBAR, remain calm and work the problem diligently and without 'tude so you can hopefully arrive at a finish point that works for you.
....................
Uh, someone is going to say I did not answer the original question so....
First, there are times when saying you are not alone is a bad idea and/or has no merit and sometimes it serves a purpose.
There are those in the staffing department who don't really know what they should and should not say. They are either guessing or are dumb if telling you does not have a useful purpose. Telling you that you are 'not alone' is really dumb since out of a stack of resumes, it can be reasonably assumed you are being compared to 'other finalists', duh.
Now, instead of telling you there are 'others', it would be immensely useful if that person qualified that remark by telling you what you lack and how that might affect you negatively by comparison or, conversely, it might be useful to know how you have certain experiences and/or knowledge that make you a 'better' fit.
You can't invent what doesn't exist for you but if told you lack something, it could give you the trigger to come up with something about your background that would/could/might mitigate what appears to be a negative. Something you did not put in your resume, something you ought to have, something that you thought might be a minor point that turns into something more important than you originally thought gives you a clue how to improve your odds.
So next time someone tells you or any of you here in the C-D peanut gallery who are reading this that 'there are others', ASK that person what specifically those others have that you don't and see if you can 'fix' that gap. Something you say could incrementally bump you up higher in your candidate/applicant standing and/or you might need to send an addendum to your resume/application that could improve your chances.
Take what someone says that appears to be dumb and make something of it. At the least, when applying for other similar jobs, you might be given an insight to what you need to add to your resume for your next applications.
If this helps you to understand...., I will, when sending in multiple candidates for the same opportunity, occasionally tell each what they lack or have that makes them competitive compared to the other two and suggest they press this point when they interview. I will have already covered this with the client but it could help to do the same, yourself.
If that staffing person won't tell you, then yes, she is a ******* but if she lets out what in particular the others have that makes them good choices, use that information to your advantage.
Paul.........
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Last edited by HeadhunterPaul; 09-09-2019 at 01:05 AM..
Reason: Adding more ideas from Headhunter Paul
I did bring paper copies of my resume and was not asked for them.
I have thought Of the salary thing as well and from the start I told them I am making X amount now and can’t any less than that. The director told me she felt I had the experience and that it’s not her decision but she thought that was doable. The HR person told me it was capped at a lower amount than what I make now but it could be negotiated and did i still want to move forward. I said yes and as I’ve said many times this was back in late June/early July that we had this conversation. I had no idea that this would still be going in September.
The good thing is that I have a job I’m not desperate. I just truly feel this other role would be a better fit. I’m not going to take less pay than what I have now if I were to even get an offer.
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Telling Me There Are Other Candidates, Why?
