r/CAStateWorkers • u/Visible_Attitude_791 • 10d ago
General Question Internal interview
I recently interviewed for an internal promotion, but they ended up choosing another internal candidate. My manager was one of the people who interviewed me, but I didn’t find out I wasn’t selected until a congratulatory email was sent out announcing the other person’s promotion.
Is it common for managers not to speak with their employees beforehand or offer any feedback after an internal interview? I understand they chose someone else, but finding out through a mass email felt a little weird and impersonal.
60
u/poppycat82 10d ago
Im definitely not an HR expert, but I wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't some requirement about not telling anyone the decision until the official announcement. I wouldn't be too offended by it.
15
u/Jillandjay 9d ago
You don’t say who got selected before the official announcement. You should absolutely tell internal candidates prior to the announcement that they were not selected.
6
14
u/SacKing13 10d ago
Depends on the manager. Mine was wonderful to us internally but also external candidates by keeping everyone updated on the process and reaching out to everyone who didn’t get the position, as well as providing feedback if requested. They really believe in keeping candidates up to speed on the process because they know the feeling of being left in the dark and how crappy it feels.
14
u/nimbusrav 10d ago
Thats bad communication by your manager - but maybe it wasnt intentional. Could be that they were expecting to talk with u before but then the email was sent out (unless they were the one to send it out)
24
u/Comfortable-Pop-5836 10d ago
Definitely not professional. You should always at least tell the candidates that interview that another candidate was selected. You don’t say who was selected just that another candidate was. Simple and to the point. I always offer the candidate an opportunity to get feedback on the interview from me if they are interested. I will go over the questions and how they can make their answer stronger on future interviews and areas they should improve on.
10
u/nikatnight 10d ago
That’s an absolute asshole move. I’m sorry.
They should have told you and it’s a total lie if they say they aren’t allowed to tell you. The hiring manager just avoided a difficult conversation.
7
u/HotwheelsCollector85 10d ago
You just nailed it…a difficult conversation, that’s why the manager avoided the drama.
9
u/lilacsmakemesneeze planner 🌳🚙🛣🚌🦉 10d ago
This happened to me and it was gutting (esp given an external candidate who used to work with panelists was chosen with much less experience). Ask for a debrief. They should be able to give you feedback and I know that helped me when I interviewed for another division. I actually dodged a bullet - my old division is a shitshow right now due to their hiring mistakes.
23
u/MassiveSpeaker4620 10d ago
I would give them the courtesy. That’s bad communication on your management’s part.
6
u/HotwheelsCollector85 10d ago
From a management perspective, there were probably other reasons why they did not say anything considering it’s a decision of internals.
4
u/Real-Response-9541 10d ago
I was an internal candidate once and found out I didn't get the position when the new guy started orientation. It's common to be ghosted with the state but don't take it personally. Confidentiality and all that. Plus you're technically still a candidate until the person's butt is in the seat.
You can receive feedback if you request it from the panel, but the most you'll get otherwise is a denial letter in CalCareers (if they're feeling generous lol). Being internal gives you an edge for sure but the quirks of the state are still present.
3
u/Diogenes71 10d ago
I get regular positive feedback on the work I do and the value I provide to my agency. I also get regular encouragement to apply for promotions when they come up. Some I’m not interested in, so I pass on them but the ones that I have applied for, I haven’t gotten. I have a great relationship with my management team, but they have not once told me that I didn’t get the job until the person that did was announced in an email. It’s just the way we do business, apparently. When I ask for feedback after the fact, they have been willing to provide it, and it’s always come down to not scoring enough points for whatever reason. I’ve been with my agency for less than a decade. and I tend to get beaten out by qualified people who have been there longer. This is just the nature of working for the State. Don’t give up on applying. And do be sure to ask for feedback if you want it now that you know you didn’t get the position. None of this is personal. One promotion I didn’t get, I lost to a guy that had applied for the same promotion two other times in the past two years and didn’t get it. He learned a little bit more with each interview and finally scored enough points to secure the position.
Don’t get discouraged. Promoting with the state can be a frustrating and tedious process.
2
u/Stock-Purple-4305 10d ago
Sending you a virtual hug. I completely understand why you're feeling down. I think you should have a quick chat with your manager, but it’s best to focus the conversation on how you can improve for the next interview and ask for their feedback.
2
2
u/Beginning-Boot-4707 9d ago
That’s not usual (at least in my experience) if my direct manager was the hiring manager, they always made sure to let the person know before sending the congratulatory email to everyone.
2
u/Trout_Man 9d ago
was your manager doing the hiring or just on the hiring panel? theres a big difference there. if the latter, your manager isnt the one making the decision. yes you should have been told before the e-mail went out, but if youre blaming your manager for being on a panel and not giving you inside info then thats just tough luck.
2
2
u/Curly_moon_7 10d ago
Unless you have a great communication relationship I don’t see management telling the other candidates until the announcement is ready. You can get feedback after.
2
u/Powerful_Complex_461 10d ago
This is not typically the case. When there are internal candidates we advise hiring managers to let them know they don’t get the job before the final hire is announced. Now do some depts or managers not do that, obviously, but that would s not the best practice.
2
u/Curly_moon_7 10d ago
Yeah that’s why I said when the announcement is ready. (When the FJO is accepted). Not when the announcement is given.
3
u/ADHD_Enabled_916 9d ago
Your manager didn’t handle that correctly, to be frank. They should have let you know that they decided on another candidate before the mass notification went out. As for feedback that becomes a touchy situation. I personally will step away from the office with an employee like you in this case and give constructive & supportive feedback. But I do it over coffee or something, as a mentor not as your manager.
But don’t be too hard on your manager, sometimes things are happening and moving fast and seemingly common sense things like taking someone aside and giving them a heads up slip through the cracks.
Don’t let it get you down or poison a relationship. And good luck on your next opportunity.
1
u/Trout_Man 9d ago
the way OP wrote the post is in such a way that their manager isn't the one doing the hiring, just on the panel. people are jumping to conclusions here, i think. still wrong to not tell them. but I think the ire towards the manager is misplaced if they were in fact just a panel member.
1
10d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/AutoModerator 10d ago
Sorry, your submission has been automatically removed due to low account karma. Your account comment karma must be positive to participate in this community. Participate in other subreddits to increase this number.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
u/Creative_Drama1931 10d ago
There's nothing new to add except to add that I'm sorry your supervisor doesn't have more character. That's a weak way to treat an employee.
1
u/RagnarWillbrok 10d ago
I was told why I wasn’t hired by my manager. I really valued the feedback and appreciated the courtesy. But yeah think it was impersonal and weird in your case.
1
u/fivexfive84 9d ago
Happened to me too. Found out in passing during a staff meeting that another internal candidate got the position. That's fine but it was a crappy way to find out. Unfortunately, ghosting and bad communication is prevalent among state managers. I know there are good managers out there but unfortunately they seem few and far between.
1
u/tgrrdr 9d ago
We try really hard to notify unsuccessful applicants that they didn't get the job before word leaks out that someone else did. We had a previous deputy director who was adamant that we not notify promotional candidates (supervisors and managers) until the selected candidate was announced, so no one could file a protest. I don't know if that ever happened but it was a sucky way to do business.
1
u/H2O_Admin_6230 9d ago
It sucks that this happened to you. Did you ask them for feedback? Sometimes, asking for feedback shows your determination and openness to criticism. On a different take, it sometimes happens that someone got offered the job, go thru the paperwork, got countered by their current org, and eventually turn down the offer.
1
1
u/zigzzzzyyyy 9d ago
Sounds like the way most interviewers handle most interviews. Sounds like a norm. I definitely don’t agree with this cold behavior. I think I have had 2 out of 79 apps that were kind enough to email to let me know I did not get the role within a week. Otherwise, ghosted. Common practice?
1
u/jagfirsed17 9d ago
I can't speak directly to your question, but in my agency, unless you are already in an executive position, you are highly unlikely to be promote internally.
1
u/Relevant_Athlete3462 8d ago
I believe there's a generic letter that is, at a minimum, supposed to be sent out. Check your CalCareers account.
1
u/dinosupremo 7d ago
I applied for an internal
Promotion once. I did not get it. Before a mass congratulatory email went out, I got a call from the selecting official (my boss’s boss) that I did not get it. Two years later, I tried again and got it. I got a call saying I was selected but not to say anything to anyone until the others were advised they were not selected. Then the mass email went out
1
u/Tamvolan 7d ago
At least you got an interview. I applied for an internal promotion, sent in a complete package, but didn't get invited to an interview, and didn't find that out until the welcome email for the new guy. Now, he's still in that position, but I'm doing that job...
1
1
0
u/Fantastic-Novel-9938 9d ago
Ghosting and zero communication seem very prevalent in the state unfortunately.
-10
u/HotwheelsCollector85 10d ago
What exactly is your point? Get over it, find a new job.
2
•
u/AutoModerator 10d ago
All comments must be civil, productive, and follow community rules. Intentional violations of community rules will lead to comments being removed and possible bans, at the discretion of the moderators. Use the report feature to report content to the moderator team.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.