Funny Things Applicants Do
VSA has been in a growth mode recently and we have hired a few new folks. For us, to retain one excellent Client Associate, we talk to many, many individuals and test a subset out. A side benefit of connecting with so many people is the following list of things applicants actually do that they shouldn’t. I mean this article with no disrespect, and hope you find humor. Maybe you can relate:
1) What about the applicants who email their interest in the position, without including a resume? Do they really want to work with us, or do they want just any old job?
2) Even funnier, we’ve received emails from “Daffy Duck” or “Scooby Doo.” These applicants are really professional, aren’t they?
3) One guy sent us his resume in an email chain that included another employer’s email communication! Ooops!
4) Then, there are the folks who leave a message but don’t say their name, or leave any return number? Or, they mumble so much that we cannot decipher what they are saying. How would our clients like one of these individuals to represent them?
5) Or, how about the guy who gave his number, but realized it was the wrong one. He actually said “Da**” on the voice message, before giving the correct number.
6) This one happens all the time. Someone leaves a message and sounds very good. We return the call, but the voice mail box is full. We try again the next day, and it’s still full. I guess they didn’t want the job that much after all!
7) If you ever want to hear people who are down on their luck, just talk to people looking for a job. It’s incredible how open people are about serious diseases they have, or really life threatening conditions their spouses have. Sometimes we’ll hear about how expensive it is to raise a child, and could we pay weekly vs. every two weeks. I do truly feel bad for these applicants. But it’s really TMI, and makes us wonder about people’s judgement.
8) One person introduced himself as “54 years old and dresses really neatly.” He then told us about his wife’s diabetes. This was on his voice message.
9) Of course, we get many people who think they are far superior to us. They have called our manager (who screens the applicants) a “junior level person,” or have told her that they are “way more qualified” than anyone else we would talk to. Sometimes they interrupt her. She is, after all, the person who makes the decision about whom to forward to the next step. Be nice to her!
10) After screening people initially, our manager sets telephone interviews for me. So many people are just not there when I call.
11) Then, when we set live interviews in our office, many just don’t show up. Last week an applicant’s wife emailed about her husband having to postpone the interview because he fell down the stairs and needed to got to the hospital. He later confirmed that he was well and would be here the following week. What happened? He was a no-show. This is a man who supposedly spent his entire life doing Inside Sales, and he sounded great on the phone. Makes you wonder.
12) When I ask folks if they have any questions for me, so many respond: What are the hours and how much do I get paid? If that’s all they care about, we’re not the place for them.
Luckily, there are other applicants who have lots of experience, speak clearly, repeat their email addresses and telephone numbers, show up, and are genuinely articulate, smart and enthusiastic. We know we must go through many rocks to find our diamonds. And, we do so. I am always amazed at how that happens! It’s always an experience.
