HR missed interview

Fayz

To make this quick, went to an interview and successfully did well with the manager, 2 counterparts and director of IT. 1st Red flag was HR Vice President wanted to interview me because she believes I am actively looking elsewhere. Then when it came for a phone call with HR Vice President she was supposed to call next day and she did not call. Recruiter emailed her to reschedule for later in the day and she did not respond to any emails. Is this a bad sign should I be worried. I'm sort of turned off by this job and not interested anymore because of this. What's your take?

mikey88

One time I applied for a job and missed a phone call from HR. After several attempts to email and call them back, I moved on from this role. I then mistakenly reapplied for the same job. Several days later, I get another phone call from HR asking me if I'm still interested and mentioned that I applied twice (oops).

Point is: HR personnel are not waiting all day by the phone to speak to you... and especially executives. I think it would be worth it to follow up with them. If still crickets, then just move on.

Jon_Cisco

Treat it like every other opportunity. Put your best effort in and don't stress over it. You still get to decline the job if it's offered. I would be a lot more concerned about how the interview went with the actual manager.

Fayz

The interview with the general manager went well. Thing is that the HR Vice President is holding up the process. The recruiter told me that she is not acting like herself. She hasn't responded to any emails and this is not like her to do so. This is a concern for the recruiter as well.

LionelTeo

how about asking if the recruiter to contact the gm instead? Ask if it is possible to get hold of the gm and ask if they are still interested after what have happen? Whats their backup if HR VP is not responding?

the_Grinch

I'd move on.  I had this happen with a VP of IS.  I killed every aspect of their interview process (involved tests and I would be the only one in the department with a degree in IT).  Scheduled the phone interview, which was to take about two minutes, for noon.  VP calls me at 10 am.  I return the call at noon, the scheduled time and leave a message (hoping there wasn't a miscommunication on the time, etc).  Next day the VP calls me again at 10 am and I return the call at the appointed time.  Then calls me again the next day at 10 AM and leaves me a message stating how poorly this reflects on me especially given it is merely a formality.  I return the call and leave a message saying I am withdrawing from the process.  I followed up with HR letting them know that if this is how the department is run then it isn't an environment for me.

HR is very unhappy with the VP and asked me to continue, I respectfully decline.  Next day I get a call from the VP at the time I selected and was left a message with attitude that this was the time I asked for.  Best decision I ever made was saying no.  Everyone's time is valuable, but if we have something scheduled then live up to the obligation or reach out to switch it.  If they won't respect something small like a phone interview then they'll crush you on major things for sure.

COBOL_DOS_ERA

It's time to move on. I would not work for that company. Everyone's time is valuable. When it's come to potential new hire, my team and I try to make the hiring decision within a day or two, no more then two days.

scaredoftests

Move on. Red flag.

Pseudonymous

I'm actually going to disagree with everyone here just based on my own experience. I had a situation where the HR lady was over an hour late for our phone interview, and she send me my drug test a day late (meaning I only had 1 day to take the test instead of 2), and she was very unprofessional with everything else. Since I found the job on Craigslist and I kept getting red flags from what HR was doing, I didn't even think the job was real. I kept going anyway (while looking for other jobs just in case)... and I ended up getting the job and stayed there for almost 4 years.

Long story short, it could just be that the HR person is a bad employee. 1 bad employee doesn't mean the whole company is the same way. I'd recommend looking for something else just in case, but I wouldn't necessarily give up on this opportunity just because of HR.

DatabaseHead

Massive red flag moving on.

Mooseboost

Definitely a major red flag. I would chalk it up for a bad environment and move on from it. 

clarson

I'm sure they expected you to show up on time and prepared.  Something they couldn't do.  They had something more important to do than keeping your meeting.  and if meeting with you before hiring you is such a low priority, it is going to be even a lower priority after they hire you.

don't know how a VP that can't keep appointments or can't delegate ever got to be VP in the first place.  Probably just some miscommunication.  But taking a new job based on miscommunication is up to you.  that miscommunication will burn you again and again if you do.

MontagueVandervort

The answer to this seems to already be with you when you say, "I'm sort of turned off by this job and not interested anymore because of this."

I would listen to my gut here.

One place I worked for had people like this, and it was just not a positive experience at all.

paul78

@Fayz - so... what did you do?

I agree with @Cameron M  - I will always give someone the benefit of doubt since I never know what's really going on with that person. HR is many companies is just a formality and I won't sweat something like this. For all you know, maybe the individual in HR had an unfortunate personal circumstance and is off their game. 

UnixGuy

I wouldn't judge the company based on that to be honest...these things can be random sometimes.
Sure it's an indication that the recruitment process isn't optimal, but that might not affect your day to day job. You might miss out on great opportunities this way, but good luck anyway

Fayz

So basically the recruiter called me today indicating that VP of HR is able to speak to me at 3:30pm but not on the desired time I had which was 1pm and he called me around 2pm stating this. He emailed her indicating the 1pm time frame a day before. I waited over an hour and no notification was given that she wont be able due to some circumstances nothing. So the call is rescheduled for tomorrow at 12:30pm. If I do not hear from her this is over and I will move on.

DatabaseHead

Timeline:

1st Red flag was HR Vice President wanted to interview me because she believes I am actively looking elsewhere

Then: Then when it came for a phone call with HR Vice President she was supposed to call next day and she did not call.
Then: Recruiter emailed her to reschedule for later in the day and she did not respond to any emails.
Then: The recruiter told me that she is not acting like herself. She hasn't responded to any emails and this is not like her to do so. This is a concern for the recruiter as well.
Then: So basically the recruiter called me today indicating that VP of HR is able to speak to me at 3:30pm but not on the desired time I had which was 1pm and he called me around 2pm stating this. He emailed her indicating the 1pm time frame a day before.
Then: I waited over an hour and no notification was given that she wont be able due to some circumstances nothing. So the call is rescheduled for tomorrow at 12:30pm.

Your last statement:  If I do not hear from her this is over and I will move on.

Me:  Probably a good idea.  LOL

DatabaseHead

UnixGuy said:

I wouldn't judge the company based on that to be honest...these things can be random sometimes.
Sure it's an indication that the recruitment process isn't optimal, but that might not affect your day to day job. You might miss out on great opportunities this way, but good luck anyway

My experience has been the opposite.  I've found companies with poor HR processes generally have poor resources which leads to poor job roles.....   HR is the life line of the company (along with sales), bad HR processes and leadership bad resources.......   

Obviously there are always exception, how long has that leader been their etc..... 

paul78

DatabaseHead said:

..... HR is the life line of the company (along with sales), bad HR processes and leadership bad resources......

Oh - I dunno about that. The only people that I know that think that are people that work in HR

I've worked at many successful companies (granted smaller companies) that had no dedicated HR function. And in larger companies where I've worked, HR is an administrative support function. IMO, any company that allows their HR functions to run the company is doomed to fail.

JDMurray

Consider the time of year and that a VP has a lot of other things to do. What position are you interviewing for? Something in or directly related to HR?

yoba222

So some weird behavior from a high-ranking person in HR--maybe. I think the fact that this person is in HR and likely won't be someone you work with day-to-day is worth consideration. I wouldn't throw the towel in just yet.