Job Interview.....need opinion

[93nsx]

So I randomly sent out my resume to few companies while back. One called me back about a month later. Here are the steps of what happened.

1. Had a phone interview...they wanted to get a feel of who I am and etc.
2. Got a call back the following week for a face to face interview. Interview went great in my opinion. Lasted 1 hour and 15 minutes. After asking me questions, they took me around the company and even introduced me to an engineer. Showed me all the garages, car models, and etc.
3. The following week I called the manager that interviewed me to ask what his is time line on his decision. He stated something like this "The decision will be very fast actually, I'm in the process of sending your paper work to HR and they will contact you soon to fill out paper work, and from there its a matter if you want the job or not." "We have few candidates but none looking that great so its there if you are still interested."
4. HR contacted me the same day to schedule an interview. I went in for an interview on Friday last week.
5. Interview went great again, and HR explained to me all the benefits and ask me few questions which I think I answered very well. At the end I asked her when will I hear from her and I remember her saying Monday, so I said "Ok so sometimes next week." I stated.
6. Monday 5/23 came around, HR called me and asked if I could fax over my last two latest pay stubs.
7. They got my pay stubs and stated that "we will keep you posted with the next steps".

Its now Thursday and I haven't heard anything. I think they are coming up with an offer, but how long does it take to perform such a process? Anyone here work in HR that can maybe give me an insight of whats going on? Am I still in good shape or what? I don't want to call until next week, but its hard not to think about it in the mean time. Please share with me your opinions....thank you.

 

[MichaelS]

Hmm, well, sometimes it takes a while to process the paperwork and get the necessary approvals. With the long weekend coming up, people may take extra time off this week & next.

Try not to worry about it for a bit longer. Someone contacted you this week. It sounds like things are cool, right?

Based on what you said and unless I'm missing something, I'd wait until the Thursday of next week before contacting them, minimum. You don't want to seem needy or pushy.

It sounds like you're their number one choice, but HR stuff often takes longer than most people would like. Your new boss may want you yesterday and be unable to expedite things.

Enjoy the the long weekend, knowing you've got a good shot at a new job!

 

[Vega$ NSX]

This is all still part of your interview! It's another one of their tests to measure how much initiative you have. You need to kick down the door of the HR department and grab the HR person by the shirt and say “I’m looking for John Connor. Gimme da job!!!” then jump out the window, no matter how many stories up it is. If they don’t return your call after that, show them even more initiative by calling at least 5 times a day.

:biggrin: J/K. Just wait until next week. Perhaps the paperwork is sitting on the desk of a person who is out on vacation or sick day.

 

[popsicle]

what others have said. Sometimes HR takes their sweet time to process paperwork. Imagine for me, going from one position to the next in the same company. It took HR a few weeks from the day i accepted to the day i started. Just play it cool and check on them at least once a week(if no one contacts you)

 

[clr1024]

I work for a large engineering company...HR is notoriously slow here and that seems to be quite typical for large companies.

In any case I would take Vega$NSX advice and wait until next week Monday at the earliest to call.

FWIW I almost didn't take a job here because of HR....I had the offer it was the other logistics and getting answers that pissed me off...I had a competitive offer from another company I was interested in, but this was my number one. A good friend of mine, professional, told me this...Carl HR sucks everywhere so don't let this deter you if you want the job.

I've been here 12 years now, it's a great company...and my friend was right...HR pretty much sucks everywhere but I am glad I waited out the issues and didn't go to the other company.

 

[93nsx]

I work for a large engineering company...HR is notoriously slow here and that seems to be quite typical for large companies.

In any case I would take Vega$NSX advice and wait until next week Monday at the earliest to call.

FWIW I almost didn't take a job here because of HR....I had the offer it was the other logistics and getting answers that pissed me off...I had a competitive offer from another company I was interested in, but this was my number one. A good friend of mine, professional, told me this...Carl HR sucks everywhere so don't let this deter you if you want the job.

I've been here 12 years now, it's a great company...and my friend was right...HR pretty much sucks everywhere but I am glad I waited out the issues and didn't go to the other company.

I currently have another company that is interested in me, but they suck with communication so I was not too happy. They are trying to contact me, but I'm not sure I'm interested anymore.

This company however, will be awesome for me at least. 1.5 miles away from home, company car provided, great benefits with pension plan. Its also in the field I love...automotive.

I just hope I can say the same thing you did few years from now. That its a great company and glad you didn't go to the other company.

Anyways, I'll keep it cool in the mean time and try not to think about it and hopefully they call me. Guess I'll take the NSX out this weekend for a drive to enjoy the weekend. :biggrin:

 

[goa360]

Unless you have details of company/job position etc. Hard to tell. HR is most useless organization I have seen in my experience. No offense to really good HR people that are very effective but are < 1%. Just plain fact.

Above all depends on how desperate they are and how powerful the person hiring is in pushing paper work.

Contact them once through email and or phone next week or week after. Make sure you get the date when you should follow up.

If you sound sticky then they will lower your price.

 

[Vega$ NSX]

In any case I would take Vega$NSX advice and wait until next week Monday at the earliest to call.

Aww man, I was hoping you were referring to the part about kicking down the door to HR. :frown:

 

[H-carWizKid]

HR... Ugh. Sometimes I wonder if the depressed job market isn't due to incompetent HR people.

A friend of mine was in town doing contract work, and was thinking she wanted to live here. My company was hiring for Project Managers, so I put her resume in front of the hiring manager. My friend has her PM certification, a masters degree, and she has extensive engineering background in this field. She seriously knows her stuff.

Hiring Manager refers her resume to HR, and a rep calls to conduct a phone interview. It goes well according to my friend. The position sounds right, and the HR Rep told her they were going to be in touch regarding a 2nd interview by Wednesday of that week. Wednesday comes- no call. On Friday my friend calls the HR Rep back to follow up and leaves a brief, but professional voice mail thanking her for the initial interview and offering any addition information if needed- She was at my house when she made the call. I was there, and I heard the whole thing.
Monday morning she gets an email from HR- "thanks, but no thanks after a review of your qualifications... yadda yadda yadda- We're not interested:. My friend is confused, so she calls the HR Rep to clarify this email was meant for her- after the interview and comments made ect. she was under the impression there would be a second interview. She leaves a voicemail, but the rep never calls back.

Fast forward a month. We are still looking for a Project Manager, so I ask the hiring manager what happened with my friend- he has me come by his office and we have a discussion about how the HR rep had found my friend to be very arrogant. I have known this girl for 6 years, and this is not true- if anything she is excessively humble considering her background and abilities. HR stated that her salary expectations were "way out of the range for this position". Per my friend- money was never discussed. When I probed about the arrogance comment the hiring manager said that my friend had been turned down for the position, but then had the nerve to call back and question it which was perceived as arrogant.

So basically- my friend was told she was going to have a second interview- the rep never calls back, My friend follows up- the rep sends her a Dear John email- mixed signals? Absolutely! So my friend calls the rep to clarify and that makes her "arrogant", and therefore not a good candidate.

We still don't have the PM we need. I spoke to the hiring manager the other day- HR has passed him candidates who have retail management experience, but no PMs.
The salary for the position is parallel to my own- my friend would have been happy with that number. As it stands her contract job ended and she went back to Chicago...

HR is a joke.

to the OP, I hope you have better fortunes.

 

[HIJACKER]

Sorry to be a debbie-downer, but it's also possible they are slow rolling the process and still reviewing other applicants, or even pursuing someone else and leaving you stranded. Additionally, they could be waiting the results of a couple background checks, criminal, financial, references, etc.

I suggest you keep truck along until you have a solid offer in hand, and when you get an offer, evaluate against any other options on the table OR even call up companies who are interested and moving slow and tell them you are holding an offer letter and you are hesitant to execute as you would prefer to work for them, assuming they can provide an immediate offer matching or beating the one you are holding.

Play the cards you're dealt.

 

[audax]

I would give them 3 days from the date they said they'd follow-up. So if you last heard from them on Monday, then I'd have pinged someone today. And just not to sound pushy, I'd have spun it like "I was just making sure you're not waiting on me for anything." or something along those lines.

 

[clr1024]

I currently have another company that is interested in me, but they suck with communication so I was not too happy. They are trying to contact me, but I'm not sure I'm interested anymore.

This company however, will be awesome for me at least. 1.5 miles away from home, company car provided, great benefits with pension plan. Its also in the field I love...automotive.

I just hope I can say the same thing you did few years from now. That its a great company and glad you didn't go to the other company.

Anyways, I'll keep it cool in the mean time and try not to think about it and hopefully they call me. Guess I'll take the NSX out this weekend for a drive to enjoy the weekend. :biggrin:

Stick it out, go out with friends, try to take your mind off of it. Then next week call them and go from there. Based on what you said, it sounds like this is the job you want...just remember you won't be working in or for HR once you get there

 

[clr1024]

Aww man, I was hoping you were referring to the part about kicking down the door to HR. :frown:

Part of me wanted him to, for all the people that have had to deal with incompetent HR persons...oh and shoot video too...that said trying to be the angel not devil in this situation for once:biggrin:

 

[93nsx]

Its actually nice to read everyone responses. Kind of get my mind off this subject. Thank you everyone.

The Terminator scenario was hilarious. I would also add...before jumping out the window I will tell them "I'LL BE BACK!".


So this area got me thinking...why would they ask for my pay stub if they weren't considering or thought my asking range was too high. I did tell them what I wanted in regards to salary and I gave them a range. After hearing the range, I would think that if it was too high they would'nt have asked for my current pay stub. None of my reference have been contacted so I wonder what the heck is going on. I just hope I hear from them today just to make it a better weekend.

 

[ALSWEL]

No news is good news when job hunting. Make sure that you sent the 'thank you' letters!

 

[curtsr]

"We have few candidates but none looking that great so its there if you are still interested."

Wow, is that really how they put it? Talk about a left-handed compliment.

Monday 5/23 came around, HR called me and asked if I could fax over my last two latest pay stubs...They got my pay stubs and stated that "we will keep you posted with the next steps".

Is this common? Were you asked to provide these before they discussed salary or after?

 

[mlambert890]

Paystubs are often checked because too many people lie their asses off about previous salary.

To the OP, they are probably background checking. That process can be ridiculously slow.

Id check back in with a "want to make sure you've got what you need, excited about the opportunity" call

 

[Daedalus]

Add me to the grand majority that thinks HR departments are incompetent. My experience is limited but without exception consistent with that conclusion.
The hiring manager and HR often do not have the same goals. The hiring manager is the one whose goals are most consistent with the candidate's goals. The manager is your inside ally and champion, and you've already received a positive verbal commitment. It's OK to wait a week. But I would call the manager on Monday, and in the morning right when they're finishing their first cup and are just getting fired up for the day. Have him break down HR's door for you.

 

[curtsr]

Paystubs are often checked because too many people lie their asses off about previous salary.

How is that relative to the job being interviewed for and the interviewee's value in the prospective position? I might have an issue with rolling over and submitting those and that would be my argument.

I pay my employees on their value to my organization -not what they made somewhere else. To me the two are not relevant. When I have worked for others I have been asked "what do you need to make?". That's bullsh*t. I don't work for what I "need", I work for what I deserve.

 

[93nsx]

Wow, is that really how they put it? Talk about a left-handed compliment.

Is this common? Were you asked to provide these before they discussed salary or after?

Its was a good compliment actually. I wrote it wrong, let me rephrase it correctly "we have few OTHER candidates but none are looking good." He meant that I was his best candidate.

They asked me for pay stub after asking what I was looking to get. I gave them a vague range on Friday(5/20) and Monday(5/23) they asked for my pay stub stating that its company policy to acquire pay stubs.

 

[VampNSXX]

I have been sending my resume to companys also and I have no idea what goes on. One company went as far as to call me and make me a offer and they also told me they would call me right back in about 15 minutes. I called back 1 hour later to ask when I should go in to sign the paper work they told me that they would call me in 1 hour. After 3 hours I called again and they told me they would call the next day. Then next day I call again at 5pm and then they told me they would let me know as soon as posible. Need less to say they never called and they just keeped giving me the run around. I think that some companys just have no idea what they are doing and make offers they cant back up then they just play dumb. I talk to some friend about it and they think that who ever made me the offer did not get it aproved and just waisted my time. I also remmber that the company I use to work for would take about 2 months to make a offer. There have also been times were I have been working at a company for a year and I get people calling me back for a job that I applied about 8 months ago.
I remmber when the video game industry was good and jobs were everywere. Now with most of the companys going under it is hard to get a job.
Be for it was best man for the job now I notice in the video game industry its more about hire my buddy. I have seen about 10 video game companys go under because the company turns into a bunch of guys who are friends and all they do is hang out and talk about video games. Are all companys in othere feild the same? Do you guys work in a company were only like 10% of people work and the rest just hang out because they are all friends.

 

[HIJACKER]

Sorry to be a debbie-downer, but it's also possible they are slow rolling the process and still reviewing other applicants, or even pursuing someone else and leaving you stranded. Additionally, they could be waiting the results of a couple background checks, criminal, financial, references, etc.

I suggest you keep truck along until you have a solid offer in hand, and when you get an offer, evaluate against any other options on the table OR even call up companies who are interested and moving slow and tell them you are holding an offer letter and you are hesitant to execute as you would prefer to work for them, assuming they can provide an immediate offer matching or beating the one you are holding.

Play the cards you're dealt.

I see that my post has been ignored, however - it's the best and most honest thing I've read in this thread so far.

 

[HIJACKER]

Are all companys in othere feild the same? Do you guys work in a company were only like 10% of people work and the rest just hang out because they are all friends.

The grammatical errors in your post are horrendous, no offense. I surely hope you don't have as many errors in your resume or any other document you submit to potential employers.

To answer your question, it's very typical that a small percentage do the most work while the majority float through. It's a lot of a buddy buddy system, regardless if it's private sector or Government. Most employers have a very lucrative referral bonus, so internal employees tend to push through and recommend their contacts, placing higher priority than those being sourced on the outside.

 

[VampNSXX]

The grammatical errors in your post are horrendous, no offense. I surely hope you don't have as many errors in your resume or any other document you submit to potential employers.

To answer your question, it's very typical that a small percentage do the most work while the majority float through. It's a lot of a buddy buddy system, regardless if it's private sector or Government. Most employers have a very lucrative referral bonus, so internal employees tend to push through and recommend their contacts, placing higher priority than those being sourced on the outside.

No i just dont check for errors on the forums and in my line of work they want to see your demo work and care more about that than spelling. Some guys cant even speak inglish well but they can code really good or create 3d art really good and that is what gets the job done. As far as the buddy system goes I think that is why there are no more good companys in the USA. As a example I am making a iphone game all by my self. I am doing the art and the code. The sad part is that if I wanted to make this game in a company I would not even be close to finishing. Took me 6 months to do what I a sure a company with a team of 20 people would take a year. I remmber doing 80% of the environment in the last game I worked on.

 

[93nsx]

Man, hate to beat on this topic again, but its tough. So I sent HR an email this past Tuesday asking if there was any update for me and nothing...no responses what so ever. My friends are saying that its a holiday and they may be on vacation for memorial. I guess its possible.

I'm so tempted to call the manager that interviewed me to see whats going on. I'm thinking if I dont hear anything this week, that I will give him a call Monday next week. What do you guys think?

I also hate to analyze emails, but here is what I got after confirming if they had received my pay stubs. This is a copy and paste over with exception of my name:
[FONT=&quot]Thank you ****. We received the fax.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]We will keep you posted with the next steps.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Hope you have a great day.[/FONT]

It sounds like they are working on the next step for me? I figure if they lost interest, it would have said something like "Thank you....We received the fax. We will contact you within 2 weeks if you are the chosen candidate." Something of that nature. I don't know, what do you guys think?