Shortlisting this afternoon went very well. Easier than I expected. HR guy happy to invite all four.

The irony is that he revealed it is not HR that is insisting on the interview date being when both two interviewers and one interviewee can't make it; he revealed it's a Library decision.

So mid-meeting I was despatched to the Head to find out why they couldn't simply be delayed a week.

"Ah well, umm, urh, there should be a handover period for such a complex job and all that." Or words to that effect.

Hold on a minute, given the actual departure date in question there's no way the outgoing incumbent is going to spend the last day of work delivering a week's worth of quality training to the new person, so effectively there isn't going to be a handover period.

So... no objections from HR on doing the interviews a week later and my senior colleague (and assistant) could have done the wretched job after all.

At least t'other colleague/friend will be able to attend no problem although my head said surely it would have been better to let the whole thing slide, blame it on HR, reduce the options, and avoid having to choose a friend or not choose a friend. It's lose/lose really. But we'll see what happens at their interviews. (I was considered a bit cruel for wanting them to do a presentation to see what they're made of and because I'd enjoy that part of the process!)