Although I am not an HR professional, I am a senior manager and as such am responsible for various employment related matters.

Recently it was decided that my department needed more supervisors, mainly for the night shift. One of my senior assistants advertised the posts and some of the more competent and experienced staff who applied were subsequently chosen and informed that they had been promoted and regraded.

However, some of the other unsuccessful applicants were unhappy and although they did not start a grievance they did complain about the process. The successful applicants were informed that the positions were suspended and later we decided to nullify the appointments.

The successful applicants were unhappy about this but by this time my assistant had left and I am leaving to take a more senior post. I informed the successful applicants that since the advert had said that the positions were mainly to cover nights this infringed equal opportunities, the jobs were being readvertised and they were able to reapply if they wished.

Very few of these decisions have been commited to writing as they were made verbally.

There has been mention that this process might be flawed although I can’t see this. Have I done anything incorrectly? If anything was not done as it should have been and the successful applicants reapply for the posts, does this mean that the previously successful candidates have accepted my position and are unable to complain if there are any irregularities?

Your replies would help me gratly in this difficult situation.
Paul