Told not to apply for posted position

[RobScott]

A position in the private company I currently work for was recently internally posted. I spoke with my supervisor about my intent to submit a letter of interest for this position which would be a promotion for me.

Today my supervisor and the two other persons who are to conduct the interviews met with me and told me that I will not even be considered for the position due to my job performance.

I have not submitted my letter of interest but there's still 14 days until the closing date.

If I submit a letter anyway do they have to interview me?

Thank you,

Rob

 

[cbg]

No, not unless you are under a legally binding and enforceable contract that specifically says otherwise. They are not legally obligated to interview everyone who is interested and you have no guaranteed right under the law to interview for every position that interests you.

 

[RobScott]

Thank you for your quick reply. It's a bitter pill to swallow.

Rob

 

[cbg]

Maybe this will make you feel better, maybe not. But look at it this way. Let's take the last position I was hiring for before I left HR management for consulting. If there had been a law that said I had to interview everyone who expressed an interest, and if I did absolutely nothing else for 8 hours a day but interview those people with no breaks in between, and if I gave each person a 15 minute interview, I would have done absolutely nothing for two full workweeks plus a couple of days but interview for that position. And there have been jobs I've hired for where, had there been such a law and I used the same critera as above, it would have taken me over a month to interview everyone. It simply isn't possible to interview everyone who is interested and the law is not going to force it. A position being posted internally is no different, as far as the law is concerned, as a position being posted in a newspaper or on Monster.com. The employer is allowed to determine for himself which applicants to interview.