Lidl - Graduate Area Manager

by Richard on 14 November 2014 16:05

I received an email invitation to attend a stage 1 group interview 100 miles away from home. Simultaneously, I received an email notifying me that I had failed the interview that I had just attended. Bemused, I queried Lidl HR who said it was 'just a mistake'. The first invite was correct and that I should ignore the second email. No apologies or humility was expressed from the HR drone. Following further research on the Lidl graduate recruitment process I was left reconsidering my perception of working for Lidl (UK). My perception of Lidl (UK) was now in a somewhat demotivated and dim light. After considering my age, travel costs, inconvenience and the other potential hoops to negotiate to secure a position, I emailed Lidl(UK) HR to notify them I would not be attending. The following day I received a reply from Lidl (UK) curtly notifying me that because I had 'failed' to attend the group interview their interest in my application to work for Lidl was terminated. This was a shabby and tainted HR performance from Lidl (UK) in my view. As an older graduate (52), I'm from the 'old school' of business etiquette. A reciprocal respect between employer/employee does not seem to matter in contemporary recruitment correspondence regardless of what the organisation is or claims to be. Perhaps this is a sign of the times and I need to move on but, I think leaving a potential candidate feeling demotivated before and after an interview that did not take place cannot be a good thing.
I'll still shop there.