Did I do something inappropriate?

ChristineN, BSN, RN · Jun 29, 2011

I don't think you did anything wrong. Obviously the manager noticed your e-mail so you are starting to get somewhere. If you don't hear anything from HR in a week or two I would let the manager know.

caliotter3 · Jun 29, 2011

You are the one who is unemployed and you are being proactive in trying to change that reality. You did nothing wrong. If you don't get an interview appointment soon, call him back and inform him. Good luck.

MissNurse1105 · Jun 29, 2011

this happened to me one time as well n i was so excited and when i called the recrutier she did the said the same thing to me....when i called basically every other day for a week to the recruiter she proceeded to tell me that they hadsomeone else in mind and the position ended up getting filled and she never even forwarded my resume to the hiring manager! I was so disappointed! I continued to apply for some more LPN jobs at ORMC N FL HOSP but got rejected everytime...now im in school for my RN cuz im tired of these hospitals not taking me as an LPN...im afraid that when i finish my RN ill have another problem cuz i dont have my BSN yet..ugghh so frustrating...so dont give up bug the crap out of that recruiter!!!

SydneyJo1 · Jun 30, 2011

So who trumps who in this situation? If the Nurse Manager wants to interview me, and the HR lady decides for some reason that I am not one of the people to receive an initial interview, who wins? I cannot imagine that the HR lady somehow has more influence over who will be interviewed than the actual manager on the unit, but the entire process of applying for jobs as a new grad has been so strange that anything is possible at this point. Why are HR people so obnoxious sometimes to people just trying to get a job? Grrrrrrr....

HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD · Jun 30, 2011

Sorry guys, but HR trumps hiring managers in the application process. The reason for this? Plain and simple . . . lawsuits and Federal Regulations. Employment law is pretty much the fastest growing area of litigation these days. Employers have to maintain scrupulous records to defend themselves from EEO suits & related problems with the Feds. So they have to track specific information about ALL applicants.

Today's employment process starts with HR screening applications to determine whether they meet pre-determined criteria for the job. During this process, they also eliminate apps with Fake credentials/degrees (you'd be surprised how often this occurs). They then provide the hiring manager with applications that made it through & the manager decides which ones to interview. The manager does all the interviews & decides who to hire.... but they are usually forbidden to make the actual offer; that has to come from HR in order to avoid lawsuits related to compensation & benefits.

HR makes a formal offer contingent upon background check, drug screen, physical, etc. There are a lot of Federal requirements for anyone working in healthcare, so this can take quite a while... they have to do stuff like "true identity" (real name, real SSN) check, criminal background check, verification of licensure/degrees, experience, references, etc. as well as making sure you are not on the Federal sanction list for 'prior bad acts' related to healthcare fraud. FYI, this costs ~$500 per person!!!!!!

It's an incredibly complex process - more detailed than other industries. So, you can maybe understand why the HR folks get their undies in a bunch when you step out of line.

SydneyJo1 · Jun 30, 2011

Thanks for the response! I do get that HR plays a role in this process, but in all fairness, did I really step out of line here? I didn't bypass the online application process, I just took the additional step of contacting the hiring manager directly. I have so many classmates who had connections at local hospitals (family members or friends working there) who now have jobs because their contact spoke to the hiring manager for them. I don't see how what I did is any different or any worse? I don't know....we'll see what happens. I certainly didn't mean any disrespect to the HR lady, but I also truly believe that if I sat around and waited for HR to actually pass my info on to a hiring manager I'd be waiting for a long, long time given the number of new RNs that we have hitting the job market around here.

Double-Helix, BSN, RN · Jun 30, 2011

OP, if I were you, I think I'd take it a step further. Call the hiring manager back and let him know that you tried to call HR but they did not schedule an initial interview because she hasn't reviewed the applications yet. Tell him that you wanted to keep him informed because you didn't want him to think you didn't follow up with HR. Ask if there is anything else that you should be doing. This way the hiring manager is aware that you tried to schedule the interview.

SydneyJo1 · Jul 1, 2011

OP, if I were you, I think I'd take it a step further. Call the hiring manager back and let him know that you tried to call HR but they did not schedule an initial interview because she hasn't reviewed the applications yet. Tell him that you wanted to keep him informed because you didn't want him to think you didn't follow up with HR. Ask if there is anything else that you should be doing. This way the hiring manager is aware that you tried to schedule the interview.

Actually this is exactly what I did. The fact that you suggested I do it reassures me a little, because I wasn't sure if it was a good move or not. :) I called him back yesterday. So now the ball is in his court and maybe he will contact the HR lady and make sure that I am one of the people to be interviewed. A girl can hope! I'll keep you posted!

~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN · Jul 1, 2011

Sounds like a disgruntled HR employee. At the hospital where I just got a job at the HR people play a huge role in you getting hired if you have no connections. The hospital required a pre-screening process. If you don't know any managers then it's the HR people that need to like your resume and app. They decide if they will pre-screen you. If they pre-screen you and they like you then they will pass on your information on to get a nursing panel interview. So it is a good idea to be on HR's good side.

I hit it off really good with the HR lady. We have a great rapport. That said, in a case like yours; had that happened at my hospital the manager of that dept would have called HR and said "Jane Smiths is a potential candidate I would like to interview, can you pull her file and set up a pre-screening interview" So the manager wouldn't have had you do it yourself, they would have put your name into HR on your behalf.

This is what happened in my case. I emailed a director that I knew. She had my file pulled, hr interviewed me and told her I was great and passed the pre-screening then my director set up the interview.

I told my manager this week about a friend. She called HR and had her file pulled. HR Pre Screened her today and liked her so now she will go back to my manager and give a thumbs up and will set up an interview. There is no bitterness about the manager telling HR they are interested in this or that person.

So it sounds like this HR person though is going to be the one to give you the green light and now you are off to a bad start. I would do my best to salvage this. I would buy a card and send it to her, I would apologize for the error and tell her you are new to this and didn't realize the error in what you did. But that you are sorry for not taking the proper steps and would like to get back off on a better start and that you were just so excited about seeing an opening for your dream job. Be humble and accept responsibility.

I am not a fan of butt kissing and truly I don't think you were wrong. BUT sometimes you just have to suck it up and look at the bigger picture. ******* off the wrong people can be what keeps you from getting hired at this hospital now period so it would be in your best interest to suck it up and get on her good side.