Recruiting Blog Home > BRIDGE OUT AHEAD! Applicants Burning bridges before they’ve been crossed?

Oct 15, 2009

One of the most interesting aspects of recruiting is the human interaction and the incredibly wide variety of personalities that we encounter. We all have our lists of applicant horror tales and candidate side-splitters when we gather around the Recruiters’ Happy Hour story swap. Eclectic and unique don’t even come close to describing it (I see your nodding smile). But this week I had a somewhat unfamiliar and unexpected interaction with a candidate, and after picking myself up off the floor, I had to decide not only how I would respond to his email, but I also had to decide if there was any way I could possibly proceed with his candidacy.

In a nutshell, he flipped me off. Decisively.

With a particularly heavy week of candidate responses to several job postings, on top of my 87 other Human Resources Management duties this week, I had the familiar task of sorting through all of the 500+ applicants by position, then screening further based upon our criteria and moving forward in the process. As I do not presently have at my disposal an automated method of responding to every applicant with at least a receipt acknowledgement (antiquated, yes I know), lately I’ve taken to just sending out a very succinct but professional reply. It is addressed, “Dear Applicant”, and it basically confirms that I am in receipt of the applicant’s resume (which saves them the trouble of three follow-up phone calls inquiring of same); that we are looking at all of them, and don’t call us, we’ll call you. At least this is better than the apparently more common black hole of no response, or so I assumed. But given the email from one respondent with his one-word subject line reading simply, “BULLSH!T”, methinks this candidate is not so much happy.

Please allow me to paraphrase the flipper’s dissertation (my editorial commentary in italics for your amusement): I know your position isn’t real (then why did you email me?). You posted it to cover your arse. And schmucks like me trying to support a family waste allllll this time and energy responding to the job, only to get a BS reply like this (so writing this reply isn’t wasteful?). Why don’t you have the decency to call and tell me if I’m seriously a candidate or not? (Maybe since I’m not Superman I cannot effectively screen 528 resumes in 36 hours?) I am sorry for being so unprofessional (Oh, um, thanks?), but I am perfect for this job (Sure you are! Why ever did I not see it before?). I keep getting responses like this, and you high and mighty HR jerk offs deserve a piece of my mind. (…crickets… I got nothin’…). You better hope this Karma doesn’t catch up with you (Why, did he apply too?). Best Regards, Mr. Nicely Wonderful, Managing Partner. (Managing Partner of what, Psychotic Inc?). There was more, quite a bit of it. But his point is made.

The worst part is, this candidate actually had some of the credentials we were looking for. Before I received his love letter, his resume had been selected for the short pile of potentials. His education was admirable, his experience in the industry was surprisingly stable, he had the right location… he truly had a shot. Were I not fortunate to have received enough other seemingly qualified applicants, I may have been forced to toy with whether or not I should overlook his brazen honesty and proceed with an interview. Thank Karma I won’t have to. I have decided to let his unguarded personality simply speak for itself, and regrettably he speaks a language that my company cannot condone. The thought of potential customer complaints were I to let this cannon loose into my client field is frightening; how much further would this person go if he were really provoked? I will also unfortunately remember his name, for as long as my recruiting life lives.

In my much earlier days of recruiting, I probably would have initiated a rather lively sparring match, giving him a piece of my mind and feeling rather lofty in doing so. He deserves it after all. I cannot explain it, but from some deep-seated pool of merciful compassion, I actually did send Mr. Wonderful a very professional, supportive, and encouraging response, while taking great care not to give him any indications that his candidacy would continue. Hopefully he will receive it in the spirit with which it was intended, namely affirming the understanding that we all know how tough the job market is out there, and that we’re all doing the best we can.

And in the meantime, if you have a bridge that you feel deserves a good burning, you may want to consider trying to cross it first and check the view from the other side.

I would love to hear how you would have responded in this situation, or hear some of your bridge-burner stories if you’d like to share.

 

Nanci Lamborn

Brightmove Team Writer

Nanci Lamborn is a 20-year veteran of human resources and recruiting. She currently recruits in the Atlanta area for the insurance industry and recently obtained her SPHR designation.

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By Chuck LOUNIA on Sep 23, 2009

Superb Narration!

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By Allie M. on Sep 23, 2009

Wow. Kudos to you for sending this moron a professional reply. And he wonders why he is still unemployed? Go figure.

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By Mike Brandt on Sep 23, 2009

Excellent blog Nanci.

I am always baffled how applicants can think that situations like this will lead to something good. I haven’t been a full time recruiter for some time but in my years I have had applicants bring kids to professional interviews, bring wives to sit in the lobby and have been yelled at a fair share of times as well.

I only hope these folks learn from these experiences. I have always been one to give immediate feedback in order to help them for future jobs.

Michael Brandt
COO-Brightmove

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By Steve Ball on Sep 23, 2009

Your non-response to the applicant’s email was the right decision. Engaging such personalities only enforces the behavior. Let a non-HR individual deal with the problem. This applicant should not be allowed “to bully” his way into a job.

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By Carolyn on Sep 23, 2009

Congrats on keeping your cool and responding properly. Writing is a great way to get out the anger too! Being one recently crossing the bridge after 18 months of unemployment I can understand this applicants frustration to a mild extent. My personality would never draw me to write an email such as his or to reply at all. But I have sat behind my desk at home wondering, questioning, mulling over the reasons for no replies what so ever on all the sent resumes I worked on the prior week. It is very disconcerting. Did I do something wrong? Do I need to redo my resume? These questions and more build up in your mind destroying your self-esteem and self worth.

Now finally being on the other side of that long draw bridge which refuses to lower for me to get over, I see the difficult process recruiters and management alike must deal with on a daily basis. It seems the waves are hitting both sides of the bridge where the people on each side are falling in the water and struggling to get to shore.

Great job all the way around!!!

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By Katherine on Sep 23, 2009

While I understand your position entirely, please know that these are desperate times and so many of us are unemployed that any things that feels like an ‘automated’ response can be utterly demoralizing.

I don’t agree that it should have been a personal attack against you, but perhaps this could bring attention to a better means of treating human beings on a more personal level to your supervisors, to help you do your job better {you mentioned an ‘antiquated’ system).

While I would never do this myself (I am far too respectful, especially towards someone I don’t even know), unfortunately, I do understand the man’s frustrations. I have been chewed up and spit out so many times by disloyal employers, I can’t even count anymore. You get tired of begging. You get scared.

Right now, in fact, I am in need of a job, and I am never sure how to handle the ‘cold’ resume send-out because I do feel that no one on your end takes the time or has the time to truly consider me as a human being who can make a positive contribution to their organization.

Thanks for considering this point of view. And, yes, not responding was best.

P.S. If anyone wants to hire me, I am available!!!

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By Mike Brandt on Sep 23, 2009

Katherine,

Nanci and I discussed this blog before she posted it and one of the tough things for recruiters right now is the pure numbers. I think she said she had somewhere north of 500 resumes for one posting. Every recruiter wants to respond personally but it can be a very daunting task and in this case, the email truly was a message confirming receipt of the resume.

It is an extremely tough time for all right now but hopefully things are starting to look up. Email me offline, if I can make by making some connections for you I would be happy too.

My email is mbrandt at brightmove.com.

Thank You,
Michael Brandt - COO Brightmove

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By JG on Sep 23, 2009

While I agree with Katherine in understanding your personal position, careful consideration must also be given to the endless numbers who are victims of the global financial crisis. Having been on the receiving end of 20 rejection notices in 45 days (from those who bothered to reply) the abject depression that this person must be enduring must also be pondered. We cannot begin to try to imagine the circumstances that have forced this person to believe that such a response was necessary. My personal worst horror stories include receving the same (what I assumed to be personal)rejection response twice! For the same position that was reposted several months later! Therefore, small wonder that this person doubted the actual validity of the position in question.

I have actually followed up one of my obviously generic rejection notices. Sadly, the person I spoke with (seemed to be a single unit HR firm - as the person who answered the phone also carried the same name as the co.) was even more vague and insulting. Being out of the professional arena for the past yr due to completing my MBA fulltime, I was given 2 insulting excuses almost within the same breath - 1. I did not possess enough UK experience and 2. my other experience was too old. Having taken a volunteer position to gain local experience (clearly indicated on my CV) the 1st excuse was obviously ... I also find that this actually reflects negatively on these firms as they seem intent on strangling their own life source! It also reflects negatively on their own educational system as if you are not willing to accept a graduate from a top-end university who has taken time to further enhance their employment prospects using the UK’s educational system, then who are you willing to employ?

With 9 yrs specific industry experience and having now completed my masters, what is really the issue? My personal take is that the personal factor has been removed from the HR industry and while this makes the workload easier for the HR industry, it actually makes the industry worse as the whole purpose behind this field is to provide jobs. Instead the focus seems to be on employers rather than employees. It has become another numbers game and the resource (pun fully intended) at stake is rapidly being depleted. The name of the field is Human Resources but it has lost the humane aspect and the resources part will soon follow as many are being forced to become entrepreneurs. If an industry keeps telling you that you are unemployable, you will soon seek different avenues to remedy that situation. HR will soon become like KFC - just another acronym with no meaning.

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By Shirley Hall-Werner on Sep 23, 2009

Very interesting…I haven’t recruited in almost a year (I was laid-off in November) but I understand it from both sides.  I’ve been on the receiving end of being inundated with resumes to sort through.  When I receive the cursory or automated reply, I just put it in my rejected pile and move on.

I think it’s worse when a person has made it past the screening and shows up at the interview dressed in flip-flops and pedal pushers. (Yes, I actually had a candidate that did it).

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By Mike Brandt on Sep 23, 2009

JG, Love your review. One unique thing that has changes very much over the past few years is technology. Statistically, very few companies use any solutions today for managing their recruitment process or any HR function for that matter. Where technology is being used and when done effectively, HR returns to being a people part of the organization. Paper pushing is costly and time consuming and HR, unfortunately, is one of those departments that is first to get cut during a down economy. I have seen some amazing transformations in organizations that have adopted technology and done so effectively. HR moves from being the Administrative function and into a strategic function. This also changes the type of staff within an HR team as well.

Michale Brandt
Brightmove COO

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By JG on Sep 23, 2009

Oh yeah, another classic one that I received was from a recruiter who I had cold-called in a bid to sign with their agency. She eventually responded that they had no vacancies *smirked when I read that* and that I should search for more suitable vacancies/agencies on a particular website. I’m sorry, but I had to respond to her as the website that she recommended was where I found their agency to begin with and they were certified as a Diversity Assured Recruitment agency and I had to inform her of this.

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By Mike Brandt on Sep 23, 2009

I know staffing agencies do it but trying to pull in applicants when they don’t have jobs is never good. I kind of get it in Executive recruitment because they use the applicants skills to gain entry into the customer but I am still no fan of it.

Michael Brandt
COO
BrightMove, Inc.

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By JG on Sep 23, 2009

Mr. Brandt, if you care too, please respond to my e-mail address that we may continue this discussion as - without seeing your response, I believe I touched on the issue of staff type that now exists within the HR industry and I believe that this is an issue that should be given careful consideration to bring back integrity to a field that is supposed to be the ethical and moral backbone of business today.

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By Pat Stacom on Sep 23, 2009

thanks, i needed that laugh

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By AK on Sep 24, 2009

Though I completely understand the situation here, I would like to share an interesting anecdote which pertains to another situation…

Before going for my MBA, I was working as a tax consultant and management accountant for 6+ years having a professional degree in accounting and finance… While at business school, I interviewed for an internship position in the financial consulting division of the Global professional services company I used to work for earlier, the second round interview was all about some accounting problem and how to fix it and advice the client about it.  I thought I did pretty well when I discussed the case later with some of my classmates as well as my professor. Guess what? I dint even get a call from the company, just a canned email saying “I dint have the requisite technical skills and training for the job” ! 

Ok I can understand that they might be looking for something else, so I let it go… I kept in touch with the company and reapplied for a full time job…. Again they gave me interviews and took me to second rounds and guess what???  They sent me another canned email which was a replica of the earlier one !  Hahahahahaha, I saved the emails and I still haven’t figured out their process…. If they felt I did not have the technical training for the job, did they look at my resume? why did they take me to second round interview the first time? Fine, granted that they could give me another shot an year down the line to see if I have “learned” the skills I did not learn in 6 years in the professional environment, but then why move me to a second round interview all over again????

It just goes to show that they were not taking any effort in the process, they really did not have to respond to 500 candidates….. I have got rejections from all kinds of companies, but most interviewers have had the courtesy to call and inform me the real reasons…. not send canned emails like these….

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By MG on Sep 24, 2009

Fantastic posting!

I have worked in the past as a consultant/salesperson for a staffing firm and currently as a job search coach for a community college. I’ve also been a very frustrated job seeker.

Some people have mentioned that they think employers are inhumane with their response (or lack thereof) to candidates, and the explanations given here have been very good. I will add only a brief note to that: Most employers have hundreds or thousands of applicants to respond to and cannot possibly send tailored responses to each. Add to that the fact that most have to read resumes manually, and that many also have a full time job that does not include hiring on a regular basis, and that many are salaried and thus not paid for the long hours they put in. You’ll see that the job seeker is not the only one in this equation getting frustrated. Some hiring managers don’t get home until 8 or 9 PM while they are actively looking at candidates. It’s normal for an applicant to get frustrated - it IS frustrating - but to lose the ability to understand the plight of others is the first step to selfishness, and the first step toward losing your chances of a job.

Staffing services and HR departments do bring people through the door who aren’t going to get the job. That doesn’t mean the job is non-existent. Rarely do people spend their company’s time and money recruiting and interviewing people (a costly business), if there is no purpose. That is a waste, and they have better things to do. If you get an interview or go all the way through the process with a staffing service, the interviewer or service believes there is a strong chance you will be able to help their company make money.

The job seekers who are most effective recognize the plight of employers, especially in this economy. They see their role as that of problem solver. Show an employer you can help them end their search. Show them they can impress their boss, make their company a decent buck, and get themselves home at 5 PM. Ask what their greatest need is, and show what you bring to the table that will make their lives better. They aren’t there to serve you, you’re both there to help each other.

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By GL on Sep 29, 2009

Hey there. I completely understand this individuals plight. I too have been sent more than 100 of these generic reponses with most of these opportunity I am extremely qualified for the position. I have received some for the same position posted several times over as if the hiring company was not satisfied with their pool of candidates, again, like this gentleman, I asked the question, who are they looking for because if they do not want me who is qualified then this job posting is not real. I was once told by a recruiter that some posting are posted by companies just so they can get a feel for the talent pool out there. When it is time to post an actual job, they would understand what they are getting. With the economy so bad, no need for games people are desperate and really need a sense of normalcy in their lives like work to provide for their families.

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By Healthy Stealthy on Oct 05, 2009

Let me tell you something! You recruiters promise us these job interviews as if they are going to hire us tomorrow! Then we hear nothing back from you! Job seekers hold their end of the bargan by going out of our ways to conduct the interviews either on the phone or in person! We take the time to do what we must do! And just when we think we found a good recruiter who is not rude like the rest, what does he/she do? She/he treats us like a used whore just like the other recruiters! You leave us out to dry and don’t even have the decency to let us know what you heard!!!!  Recruiters are the lowest of the low! There is no doubt! I only wish you all get back what you give! And on top of you recruiters now there are indian recruiters who i can’t even understand!!!  I hope you’re all in our shoes one day!

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By MG on Oct 05, 2009

I see a few ways already that we can improve the effectiveness of your search, Healthy. Regardless, it’s clear from your understanding of the recruiting industry that you won’t be working closely with any in the future. Good for you for making that choice.

For those who choose to use recruiters, please understand 2 things about the industry: 1. There are sketchy recruiters, just like there are sketchy car salesmen, sketchy doctors, sketchy contractors, and so on. If a recruiter promises you that the employer will hire you, regardless of how you interview or whether you’re the best candidate, they’re making promises they can’t keep. 2. As great as it would be if recruiters were around just to be your friend and help you, they are actually trying to make money. In so far as they think you will be able to help them do that, they will communicate often and eagerly. If they no longer think they know of a job you will be a good fit for, a professional recruiter will give you one phone call to let you know. Further contact is likely to be frustrating for you, because it won’t lead to results.

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By JT on Oct 07, 2009

I can see behind the frustration of what seems like an “over attacking” email response.  I personally would have interviewed this candidate based on your comments of making the short list.  If we are healthy, we have no clue what it is like to be terminally ill; to be unemployed and have the pressure of supporting a family is overwhelming… I’ve been there and I can empathize with the candidate who feels he does not have an audience especially in today’s climate.  Given the lack of human contact that exists with computer responses, I think there are many people who feel the same as this candidate - they maybe didn’t reach their breaking point while poised above the keyboard.

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