Help - Employer breaking rules
 

I'm feeling very aggrieved and don't know where to turn to, so I thought I'd ask you lovely people.

There's a job opening where I work which I'm interested in. The post said it closes 12/30 and had been open for 2 weeks. I spent time sorting my application out, baring in mind it's been Christmas etc and when I went to apply yesterday, the position had gone.
I emailed our executive aid who said the position was interviewed for, they offered it someone and they accepted.
Am I correct in thinking that they are breaking some kind of rule by closing the job before the advertised date?

Re: Help - Employer breaking rules
 

Does it matter?

Better luck next time.

Re: Help - Employer breaking rules
 

Obviously it does matter to me.

It's not unlucky to miss out on a job when they move the goal posts, it's unfair.

Re: Help - Employer breaking rules
 

I've never heard of it being illegal for a company to close a job position before the date. I always view the date as just a rough guideline.

I doubt kicking up a fuss about it, especially as you already work for them, will do you any favors.

Keep your application stuff on file and if you see it again get in quick.

Re: Help - Employer breaking rules
 

Not that I know of.

Re: Help - Employer breaking rules
 

Too late now.

Re: Help - Employer breaking rules
 

OK :(

Thank you for your help

Re: Help - Employer breaking rules
 

At our company, my understanding is that they post an open position, start collecting resumes/ doing interviews, and if they feel a candidate is a good fit, they hire ASAP, which means the job is no longer posted because the position has been filled. That date on the post is just the date it needs to be renewed in case the position does not get filled


Rene

Re: Help - Employer breaking rules
 

I never apply for open positions. The secret for at least the last 100 years been to find the person who has the power to hire you at any organisation and approach them directly.

Re: Help - Employer breaking rules
 

Your mistake was in not immediately expressing interest in the position as soon as you became aware of it. That way you would either have discovered right away that the position had already been filled or increased your chances of it remaining open until they had considered your application.

Re: Help - Employer breaking rules
 

Those dates are not set in stone. Always apply when you see the posting, never wait.

Those dates are not set in stone, and I don't know of any labor law that says they are.

Re: Help - Employer breaking rules
 

No, you're not.

Ian

Re: Help - Employer breaking rules
 

OP, your company may have even opened the position for a particular person, but had to make the "open position" public to abide by certain visa / PERM / green card process requirements, for example.

Re: Help - Employer breaking rules
 

The closing date to me is more a 'we'll take a look at all applications received up until' not 'we won't look at applications until after xx/xx'

It certainly isn't a law.

This. Although forget the visa rules, the company may have a rule that all positions have to be posted, regardless pf if a person has had 'the nudge/wink' or not for the role.

Re: Help - Employer breaking rules
 

I was thinking this too...... the 'posting' was to comply with employment law.

Re: Help - Employer breaking rules
 

My company has unwritten rule even when they have a 'shoe in' candidate, the postings are only open for the minimum time allowed, in fact I was once called by the manager who had a position that was about to be posted telling me that he wanted me to apply for job number #xxxx which was only going to be open for a week (minimum allowable by the system) and I had to apply even though he was offering me the position verbally just so my application was on record with HR and my appointment would be seen to be 'above board' should someone complain

Re: Help - Employer breaking rules
 

When I transferred with a company once they had to post it, but the job was mine the posting was just a formality required by the union contract.

Re: Help - Employer breaking rules
 

Though I'm sure it doesn't change anything, it's a job with the county, not a company that I was interested in.
Also, I had to wait to hear back from an application my wife had in before knowing for sure whether I'd be able to make the hours work. Ironically, she had to turn down that job because if I didn't get this job it wouldn't work with my current hours and childcare.

Re: Help - Employer breaking rules
 

Wrong strategy. You apply right away. If it starts going somewhere, THEN you worry about the details and how to make it work.

Re: Help - Employer breaking rules
 

Lots of good advice above, and I agree with all of it. My employer routinely posts almost all positions, and the clue that there is already a "preferred candidate" is that it is posted for five calendar days. Jobs are routinely removed from the listings ahead of the indicated end dates, but conversely jobs are often reposted, sometimes multiple times.

A few years ago a position in my department that I had already posted for once, unsuccessfully, was unexpectedly reopened, for five days .... over a holiday weekend! I knew who it was ear-marked for, and could tell why it had been reposted - the salary had been bumped up 20%. I applied just to let the management know that I was aware of their game. :sneaky:

Re: Help - Employer breaking rules
 

I don't get why usually they post "open until filled" but this time it had an end date on it which is what made me think I'd got time.

Re: Help - Employer breaking rules
 

My employer's job listings always have an end date but are often pulled early at the discretion of the hiring manager, with 50 applications being a rule of thumb as to how many applications trigger the listing being pulled. A few listings are extended beyond their original end date, occasionally repeatedly. I myself presided over a recruitment drive for multiple vacancies which I extended several times, eventually resulting in over 1,000 applications, and I think we interviewed over 30 people.

Re: Help - Employer breaking rules
 

Unfortunately for you there is no law against filling the position before the closing date - many HR departments even put in the ad that they reserve the right to close the search early if they find a suitable candidate (but even if they don't put that in the fine print, they can still take that action).

Re: Help - Employer breaking rules
 

Slightly off topic, but is it normal to get an offer letter these days or do a lot of companies just send an email? I know contracts are few and far between in the US for 99% of people.

Re: Help - Employer breaking rules
 

Yes, but don't know how often it's the exception. For an internal transfer, a letter is probably less common.

Re: Help - Employer breaking rules
 

Always been verbal offer on the phone anywhere I have worked. Little is done through email except applying for the job initially, a few places have emailed to arrange interviews, but phone is still king it seems.

Never got an offer letter in the US, have gotten a couple here in BC, but majority of the time verbal job offer as companies just generally hire and follow basic employment standards, not offering anything above and beyond what is required by law.

Re: Help - Employer breaking rules
 

Lots of times a position is internally advertised, yet there is a chosen candidate in mind already. It could be the case here that the job was just waiting for the person to apply and be offered it.

Re: Help - Employer breaking rules
 

i work for a large bank and there are hundreds of vacancies in the database. they are pulled randomly as far as i can tell - guess if they have a bunch of interest already they close early - the thinking being that anyone really interested has contacted the HR recruiter and/or hiring manager to discuss at a minimum.

Re: Help - Employer breaking rules
 

Random seems to be popular with large companies these days. But suppose they get so many resumes these days, humans just don't have time to review them all.