Can a Job Company Do this?!

Hi folks,

I used to work in Retail Finance etc

Anyway, I have been unemployed since Nov 23rd, due to the new job not working out.

I tried to go back to my old job which I had been doing for 5 years, but unfortunately they said they were going through a restructure and were not recruiting.

Anyway, I called their recruitment 2 weeks ago and they took my details, said there were vacancies, and I had to book a telephone interview.

I passed that, and then was sent an application form to fill in (with photo and details) and send back which had;

Re : Banking advisor vacancy
"Thankyou for your interest in the above position etc we are pleased to inform you you have passed the first stage etc etc and we would like to invite you to a face to face interview with one of our bank sales managers..."
Once your fully completed form has been received you will be contacted by one of the bank sales managers to arrange the interview."



That was last week, I sent everything recorded, tried to get hold of the recruitment guy who had sent the letter, no answer, answerphone etc! Yesterday I left a message asking if the forms arrived ok etc.
I had no reply, finally got through this morning and he said he's sent a letter saying they are not recruiting at the moment due to the restructure! And that my app is on hold for when they start again!

Surely they can't do that!? They have said in this letter I will be contacted for an interview now they say they are not recruiting?!

Yeah, they can.

I then told him It was the 'new role' which I am applying for anyway, which has apparantly been greenlighted to be the future role, and he stuttered and stumbled and then gave me the personnel managers number! So i'll phone them later but I honestly think it is REALLY bad business practice to do that.

no offence mate, but perhaps they don't want you back.

Oh its bad practice, but you have very little by way of rights. They can pretty much do what they want

I remember your previous posts, you were the guy who quit the new job after 2 days or something...

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17672035

Seems like they don't want you back, plain and simple. Just find another job.

Whilst it does look like that from an outsiders point of view, they genuinely are going through a restructure, and my old boss has just lost his job through it.

I very much doubt they dont want me back, I wasnt any trouble and didnt burn bridges when I left. Also, I saw the form which a manager fills in when someone leaves, and under 'Would you remploy this person' He had ticked yes.


Caff> Yes I did, was a mistake taking that job.

Sone said:

no offence mate, but perhaps they don't want you back.

Click to expand...

Word. I think it has more to do with this.

Was you bad when you was working there or did you have a problem with any one...?

I got on with everyone, never broke any rules, just did my job.

You have to remember that even if you leave a company on good terms, often people's memories slip and they remember the negative stuff rather than the good stuff.

The fact you left them, rather than being made redundant, will also count against you. My reference from my previous firm isn't too strong unfortunately, due to walking out on my last (and only previous) job. Basically the MD was very nice about it face to face, but I imagine he was seething that he felt I shouldn't have left.

It's not like an office, it was a regional type sales rep role, the head of the bank now, knows of me, and I was always very pro-active.

People have come back in this job after leaving in the past.

I do find it very very odd, how they can say I will have an interview on a written letter, then tell me they are not recruiting at this moment.

He did say, that the minute a decision has been made on the future of the sales force, that recruitment will be made ASAP and interviews will be done.
So im not sure, I guess i'll wait til I get the letter tommorow and properly read what it says...

Organisations generally restructure when they want to bring about rapid change, usually becuase things aren't working as well as they want them to.

Bringing back old staff, familiar with the old ways of the organisation will more than likely hinder change, whereas somebody fresh with no preconceptions will just get on with what they're told to do.

I don't think I'd take someone who left back into the same role unless they were really exceptional or there was a massive shortage in the skill area. To leave an organisation suggests you are not happy with something, or you are only motivated by money and took a job with higher pay that didn't work out.

From a personal point of view it's a step backwards - job changes don't always work out, but that doesn't mean you need to go crawling back to your old job. Pick yourself up and get looking for jobs that require your skills and abilities and fire off as many apps as you can.

Im gonna phone the HR manager because its the role going forward, that I applied for, which is basically the future vision that was announced earlier this year. Whereas the OLD role I did was apparantly the one they are not recruiting for.


I worked in that company for 5 years, and prior to that, the supermarket for 5 years, I am not a job hopper I just made a silly mistake, and realised I am suited to the retail environment I used to work in, and that that is the way forward for me.

Surely its fair to say "I just wondered why the recruitment contacted me, had a telephone interview, made me fill in a form and return it, and sent me a letter to expect a call as I HAVE an interview..."


Plenty of people left late last year, solely for the reason they felt they couldnt handle another restructure and wanted to go before they were made redundant.