That purple squirrel

[Veloise]

Interesting article about HR and other hiring entities stringing applicants along.

Also, read the comments for more enlightenment. Here's one:

"I applied for a communications position in the public sector and I believe I was the top-ranked candidate. The interview process dragged on nearly a year. When I did have a face-to-face interview (after one or two phone interviews) with the department head, supervisor, and HR manager, I was asked to prepare a presentation. While I was giving the presentation the department head and supervisor both took copious notes and rarely made eye contact.
Later, after it became clear the position did not exist and no one was hired for it, I saw my exact language from the presentation on the website for the project I would have been hired to promote.
In retrospect it was obvious that they were picking my brain and that I did have exactly the experience they needed and therefore they contrived the interview to get free consulting. Is there anything -- intellectual property law, etc. -- that makes this illegal for a municipality to engage in? Should I have billed for my consulting time? It would be really nice to get even somehow."

[Masswich]

We just went though a painfully long hiring process for a position in our office, but I think we ended up with a happy ending. First we interviewed candidates for the position and made a tentative offer to one candidate. He hemmed and hawed and eventually didn't take it. That first process did teach us, however, that what we were really looking for was different than the job description. So we revamped the description and tried again., That same candidate applied again, and implied he was more interested in the revamped position than the old one. We made him another tentative offer and he hemmed and hawed and eventually turned it down again.

We went back to the pool and conducted some second interviews, ended up choosing a candidate that didn't initially rise to the surface but had the best match for what we want.

So I guess I would say that its complicated and its not only and always employers leading applicants on.

I will say I have sometimes milked consultants for free advice by interviewing them for projects, but never individual job applicants.

[Veloise]

We just went though a painfully long hiring process ....We went back to the pool and conducted some second interviews....

The article mentions five, six, or more interviews, along with other wild 'n' crazy gaffes by HR "professionals." Some of the case histories in the comments are cringe-worthy.

[Hink]

The article mentions five, six, or more interviews, along with other wild 'n' crazy gaffes by HR "professionals." Some of the case histories in the comments are cringe-worthy.

Our process here involves three interviews, a written test, and then passing all the drug, lifting, etc. tests.

I think our last hire took 4 months to get her on board from the beginning of the process. It took me 4 months 5 years ago, so it isn't a new thing... it might just be our shop.

[dvdneal]

I'm often confused by the whole interviewing process. I'm used to multiple rounds of interviews and the tests they make you do, my problem is knowing what in my interview or resume didn't pass the test. I interviewed for a planner job in a small city that I was easily qualified for and never got the call back. My only guess is that they thought I wasn't serious about moving from my big city home to their smaller town. Sometimes you just know after the interview that your not the droid they're looking for, but better feedback outside the you're good but there was a better candidate line would be nice. I did finally end up moving for a director's job, but I always wonder what I can do better.

Also, after reading the article my first thought was to spray paint the squirrel outside the HR persons office window.

[Masswich]

The article mentions five, six, or more interviews, along with other wild 'n' crazy gaffes by HR "professionals." Some of the case histories in the comments are cringe-worthy.

Yep, the process was painful for us, not the interviewees (I don't think.)