Is It Just Me Or Have They Broken The Rules?

[Guest]

Is it just me or does this seem wrong. I have applied for a job within the Council Early Years section. I have not been sent any letter saying I should come for an interview, but a friend who runs her own day nursery and who I have put down as a reference came and saw me and said that another woman who runs another day nursery who is very friendly with every one in the Borough has been asked to go on the interview panel. She wanted to know if this friend of mine knew that I had applied for a job as she had been told thats who she would be interviewing.

 

I cannot believe that not only has someone in the Borough told the lady who was asked to do the interview who they were going to interview, but that they should have another private provider interviewing staff for the Borough. The job was for a Child Care Officer to liase with providers, so what it has to do with another private provider I don't know.

I am so mad that I could scream. I don't want everyone to know my business before I even know myself whether I'm going to have an interview or not.

 

The Laws of Confidentiality obviously have been dreadfully lost in our borough.

Sorry to have a moan but I cannot believe that such a breach could happen. Although saying that it is the biggest gossip mongery place I know so I don't know why I'm surprised.

Thanks for that I feel so much better.

[Guest]

Dear Steph

Its a horrid place to be - and why should everyone know your business. It only creates problems especially if like me there are very few jobs I apply for and those are the ones that I think on paper that I would really want - it's not that I am unhappy where I am and I wouldn't want to cause problems in my current setting with people knowing I am looking for other jobs especially when it may come to nothing and I have to deal with the disappointment of not having got a job I wanted. Clearly, this is a breach of confidentiality - I can understand that this person may need to see the applications as there should more than one person who short lists against the person spec and job desc. but as for passing on information to others, I think it is extremely poor practice. I can understand how mad you are but I would sit on it for a while, wait and see what the letter says and then I would think of a polite but firm reply might be in order about the issue of confidentiality and how it could potentially cause problems with your current position. Anyway if nothing comes out of it - you know it wasn't for you but I would still ask very politely for an explanation.

[Guest]

I do know that local authority posts often ask a childcare employer to sit on the panel, especially if you are going to be working with childcare providers.

 

I used to work for a LA, and know of 3 posts that they did this for.

 

If she is on the panel then she would have been part of pre-interview process, where she gets to see your application form, etc, so that she can interview you from a well-informed position. This is proably why she knows who she will be interviewing. However, she should have acted professionally and confidentially and not shared this info with anyone other than the panel members.

 

I'd be as fuming as you about it, but would also be waiting for the post each day, for my interview letter.

 

If this lady's gossiping is true - then congratulations and good luck,

 

Shelley

[hali]

what a situation, good luck

[Guest]

Hi Steph .........

 

That is exactly why I never applied for the job! (referring to your last paragraph)

 

You are very brave - good luck!

[catma]

It's quite normal to have a range of people on the panel, we have different representatives of the LA, including heads or senior managers and sometimes we have beeninvolved in school interviews so I wouldn't worry about that, as it gives the interview panel the right kind of input in relation to the skills and knowledge you show. However Shelley1 is right I think that she has been gossiping. This is not very professional and she shouldn't have done it.

 

I hope the post brings good news though

Cx

[Posy]

Maybe at your interview you could refer to your respect of confidentiality as a strength!!!!

Barb

oops, forgot to say good luck and finges crossed

Actually that would be a really cool thing to do - turn the job down because of the interviewer's lack of professionalism