Recruiter Horror Stories
Don't become a cautionary tale.
In my eight years as a recruiter, I've seen it all. And if I haven't seen it, one of my colleagues has. I'll share with you some of the recruiter horror stories I've heard that have made my colleagues run screaming (mostly to other recruiters). Job seekers: Take a lesson from these three tales from the trenches and avoid becoming our next horror story.
Recruiter Horror Stories
1: The Rude Dude
Technical skills and experience aside, soft skills like interpersonal behavior and effective communication are a significant part of the interview process. In essence, they define who you are as a professional.
Apparently one candidate I heard about didn't get the memo.
After arriving late to my colleague's interview, he immediately made a terrible impression by acting condescendingly toward the receptionist, He entered the interview room and must've realized he was still chewing gum. Instead of politely exiting the room or clandestinely putting it in a tissue and then in the trash, he was overt about it, spitting it out across the room right into the trash! (Score?)
After the first interviewer had left the room, the candidate whipped out his cell phone in the interview room. The second interviewer saw this and waited outside until the candidate finished his conversation.
Apparently, in one of the least self-aware moments in job interview history, he held up his hand to signify, "Give me one minute!"
How to Avoid Being Scary
- Always be cordial and friendly and strive to arrive on time. If you're running late, call your recruiter explain your circumstances. Showing up late to the interview isn't a great start, but a phone call shows signs of respect and maturity, which could win you back some points once you get to the office.
- Avoid chewing gum during the interview, but if you realize you are chomping on gum, you have a wardrobe malfunction or you discover anything else that requires your prompt attention, politely excuse yourself to the nearest restroom. Take care of the situation there, not out in the open.
- Lastly, cell phones should stay off during your interview. The priority is the interview and nothing should take precedence unless there's an office emergency or fire drill and everyone is evacuating.
2: The Scary Cyberstalker
When you think of all the ways social media connects us to people and information, it's downright amazing. That said, just as recruiters do due diligence by perusing candidates' social media profiles, they know this works in reverse as well.
While doing homework on interviewers is a prudent move and can be good fodder for conversation, another candidate I heard about took it too far.
The candidate in question asked my fellow recruiter about the background info he learned on her social profiles, but he inappropriately dove into conversations about her posts on favorite vacation spots and favorite foods. He even inquired about her boyfriend!
It was getting creepy and way too personal. Most importantly, it was making the interviewer uncomfortable.
After eventually being rejected for the job, the candidate wanted to meet up with the interviewer and become friends. He constantly pinged her on Twitter to meet up, sent articles unrelated to the job and more related to posts about her personal life. My friend ignored the tweets and eventually the person stopped reaching out but she was definitely freaked out for a while.
How to Avoid Being Scary
It's incredibly savvy to leverage social media to land your next job. Follow employers and network with them but remember, recruiters are people. If you get rejected, be professional and avoid cyber stalking them, despite their accessibility online.
As a general rule, everyone—job seekers and recruiters alike—should remind themselves profiles are accessible to the public. If you start posting more personal things—unless you turn your profile to private on Twitter and change your privacy settings on Facebook—be prepared for that potential awkward feeling of people knowing too much because you provided too much personal information.
3: The Disappearing New Hire
For months I worked on filling a highly coveted data scientist position. Here's a popular subject of many recruiter horror stories: Candidates were constantly pulling out of the interview process because they had received top dollar offers elsewhere. The offers they were getting were very lucrative, and out of my company’s range.
At long last, a top-notch candidate aced the interview and was very interested in our offer, which he eventually accepted. It was a done deal and the job was officially filled—or so I thought.
He didn't show up to his first day on the job and he could not be reached. He no-showed again on the second day. By the third day he finally answered my numerous calls and 'fessed up: He had accepted another job offer that paid $20,000 more.
How to Avoid Being Scary
Several years have passed and I have a strong inclination that if I were to call the hiring manager today, he would remember the precise name of this person. I do, too. Reputations follow you: This candidate made a memorable name for himself in a very wrong way.
If you get a job offer and then accept a different one, be courteous and go back to the other one to turn them down. Don't play employers against one another after you've accepted, after the background check has been initiated and completed, after your laptop has been ordered, and after your cubicle is awaiting your arrival. It’s simply not good business.
Don't be the Subject of Any Recruiter Horror Stories
Now that you know how to avoid these pitfalls, are you ready to get started working with a recruiter? Need some help finding people in your field? Create a free profile on Monster and we can connect you to recruiters who are currently looking for top-notch candidates just like yourself.