Submitted my initial application Nov.20, and was invited to take the 473 assessment test Nov.27. Scored an 82.7. One week later, Dec.4, I received two emails: One requesting that I fill out a form containing background check information, address history for last five years, criminal history, credit check, etc., and a second email prompting me to schedule a drug test (urine) within the next 72hrs. I completed both requests. On Dec.7 I received another email scheduling a formal interview on Dec.9.
I arrived at the USPS facility 40min early (9:20am for a 10:00am interview) as advised on Glassdoor. Upon my arrival, they corralled about twenty of us in a holding pen until an admin assistant led us upstairs to a conference room that seats about 15 people. By the time we signed in an received a folder of paperwork, another 25 people had arrived. Since there were not enough seats, those who arrived later had to stand in the back of the room or in the hallway outside while those seated completed their paperwork. The paperwork was the same forms I submitted online days earlier except these were to be handwritten.
Those who completed their paperwork were asked to wait in the hall so those standing could have our seats. After the first batch of us stood in the hall for about 45min, it was brought to our attention that the majority of the volunteer interviewers were out of town, leaving just two interviewers for 45+ people. The proctor advised us that "this could take a while." He gave us the option of rescheduling while adding, "You guys probably don't want to be standing here when the next batch of applicants arrive this afternoon. We are understaffed. It's going to get crazy."
When the interviewers eventually arrived, it was total chaos as to who would be first to interview.
Meanwhile, there was nowhere to sit. As the clock approached noon, I decided that I was tired of leaning up against a wall and rescheduled my interview for another day. Based on the volume of internal candidates applying for the same position, which there were many, something tells me I won't be rescheduled.
My question is: Why schedule these group interviews when you are painfully understaffed? While I'm sure my experience is an isolated one, the disorganized atmosphere wasn't fair to anyone, and undoubtedly affected the quality of the interviews.