Should I bother taking pursuing this job any further? What's happening here?

Question

I applied for a job at a Whole Foods. Went to a group interview which was the first one. Then was called back the next day for a second one on one interview with the female general manager. It was set for the following monday. I show up then, ironed and prepared only to find I am met with confusion and people scrambling around the office to find someone to interview me because the GM is too busy with something else. Finally, they put some floor manager on the spot and throw him in to interview me. It was a mess. He seemed confused, as was I.

GM provided a list of departments to offer me which were none of the ones I listed on the one they asked me to complete in the first interview. In fact, she put one of the ones I listed as least likely to want-Deli. I am vegan.

I called the director after the disorganized interview and she set up a THIRD interview with the GM, on a Saturday morning. This one even better. The GM had to be reminded by the front person what time it was supposed to be for. She rushed over, barely gave eye contact to me, and said, let me go get your application-which took 3 minutes as she is ordering coffee for herself on the phone. She burst in the conference room, still no eye contact, and says, "Okay, you're looking for a college job. Which I never put into that context. Leaves and again pawns off interview on someone else. But announces to him before departing, we need to set her up with a college job! The interview with him took all of 9 minutes and he said he would call me Monday. I think he saw my dejection after she left so there was little embellishment on my part.

I find a message on my phone the next day from the herbal supplement department manager stating that she is interested in talking to me about working in her department, and that a couple of the manager are interested in the store when I was told of only 2 department options, given by the GM-as what the director said was her "vision for me."

I don't understand what is going on. I am 29. I am a veteran of the Coast Guard and have finished my BA this Summer. People were happy about my application and it seems like she is trying to sabotage my opportunity there but can't find a reason to tell the other managers not to hire me

Answer 1

This is a classic case of miscommunication and disorganization common accross chain organizations that lack central cohesien.

The problem is that no one is on the same page.

As a result they cannot adequately place or train you.

There are three things that cause business to malfunction as a rule:

1 Poor management

2 Under Capitalization

3 Lack of employee proprietership

You have encountered # 1 and #3 as it is appearant from the communications problems that they are not working together and have not achieved cohesive management.

The idea that they were so unprepared as to potentially place a vegan in the deli should have been a major red flag.

Walk away from there quickly.

This all bodes badly if you stay.

Based on your initial post, you are too smart for these people anyway and would most likely be quickly disatisfied with their inept manner of business and protocol.

Good luck to you.

Answer 2

Sounds like they don't have their yit together. Leave it and move on. If you are a veteran of the coast guard and have a BA you can find a job elsewhere.

Answer 3

Too many captains on that ship.

Too many cooks in the kitchen.

Apply somewhere else.

Do you really want to work in a chaotic company like that??

Answer 4

These people that are interviewing you are in charge? Are you sure you would want to work there? Maybe it's the universe's way of telling you that this is not the job for you...Being a veteran of the Coast Guard and having your BA ought to help you find a better job than this one!

Answer 5

The General Manager is disorganized and probably trying to get by with doing as little work as possible.  That's why she doesn't spend much time with you during the interview and passes you off to her assistant manager.  It sounds like you don't have much work experience, so you probably don't know this, but most managers are incompetent.  It's probably not personal.  If this is your only job prospect, go back in for more interviews.  You'll get a position eventually.  However, if you want to work for someone that you respect I would go elsewhere.  Where else, I don't have a clue but maybe you will get lucky!