Rude Applicants

WOCO Frank · May 2003

Kinda along the same lines as the e-mail address, answering machine threads...

I just had an applicant call me yesterday. We had tried, unsuccessfully, for a week to set up an interview with her, but our numerous voice mails were not returned. Now, the applicant is "explaining" to me that she's already working two jobs, and I can't expect her to drop everything to return a call the second she gets it. (Hmm... how about the same day? Or week?)

So, because we're fairly desperate for someone with her experience, I decide to continue the conversation. I ask her to hold for a second, and I'll transfer her to the Operations Manager so they can schedule an interview.

Her reply? "I'm on my cell phone and I'd rather not burn the minutes on this. Have her try me at home tonight after 8." Click.

I was stunned. It goes without saying that she didn't get a call last night after 8. Nor will she get one ever again, even though she left me a voice mail last night at 8:10 telling me how unprofessional she thinks my Operations Manager is to have missed their "phone appointment".

Anyway...

This may well be the rudest applicant I've ever dealt with, but I feel confident many of you have seen worse. Let's hear about them...

jmpmo · May 2003

"I know God only gives us what we can handle, but I wish he didn't trust me so much." Sister Therese

I think my favorite, being a female, was the "good ole boy" I interviewed for a sales position. He thought about it for a while and decided he "wouldn't mind working for a woman, I guess." I almost fell out of my chair. Needless to say, that interview ended very quickly. Oh, and the lady, just yesterday actually, who burped very loudly and then did not even excuse her self.

I love it when it is a problem for them to interview. They just can't understand why they are not finding a job. Boy, would I love to explain it to them.

HRsage · May 2003

Mine just happened a couple of days ago. The applicant came in to meet me on her own. She wanted to know why I had not called her for an interview. I showed her her application and pointed out that she had only filled out the name and address portion of the application. Telling her that I don't respond to incomplete applications I gave her an oppurtunity to fill it out again. She refused saying that people were watching her and trying to keep her from getting a job. It was the Satanic church who wanted to keep her unemployed and that's why she can't get a job anywhere. She told me that she could tell just by looking at someone if they are going to go to hell. And she looked me straight in the eye and asked me, "So are you telling me you don't have any openings for me?" I looked at her right back and said "that's correct, have a good day". So I don't know if I would call her rude though, she was just more psychotic. We have enough of those positions filled.

Zanne · May 2003

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 05-15-03 AT 11:20AM (CST)[/font][p]HRsage:

Did she clue you in on your final destination? x}>

HRsage · May 2003

No, she didn't say where I was going. She probably didn't want to ruin her chances of getting hired.

Zanne · May 2003

Strange - I thought she had already done that!!!

xflash

AprilShowers · May 2003

How DID you keep a straight face? Very strange...

HRQ · June 2003

I was kinda expecting to hear that she thought YOU were going to hell (for not offering her a job, maybe?)

Zanne · May 2003

It's Friday morning and I was musing over the strange but true applicants I have interviewed. My favorite is when I was recruiting for a healthcare system (a/k/a hospital) I had a slew of psych nurses to interview. I haven't found anyone who can top that. (except maybe the person who knows your final destination.)

Anyway, this one psych nurse came in with a green curler in her bangs and as we talked, it just bopped right along. All the rest of her hair was combed and arranged, but this one curler - right above her eyebrows. I couldn't decide whether she just forgot it, or had an event later that required curly bangs. Well, her attention to detail didn't impress me but what finally did it was her telling me that she was an expert in seeing patient's auras (is that spelled right?) and could diagnose them from the color and/or lack of aura.

I wondered if she could tell from my aura that she wasn't going to get the job????

WOCO Frank · May 2003

Maybe that wasn't really a curler. Maybe it was some type of psychic antennna. Don't you feel stupid now!?

Rockie · May 2003

Zanne: I don't know if I could have resisted asking her if she knew she had forgotten to take a curler out of her hair.

PS. My aura is dark today!

HRsage · May 2003

A quick update on the person that I mentioned in my earlier post.

Something about her reminded me. I seemed to remember interviewing her in the past, over a year ago. I checked my records the other day and sure enough I had interviewed her almost 2 years ago. On that application she put more of her work history and on it she put down that she had actually worked for my company years before (and before me, thank God).
She had worked on a temp basis and there are still a few people around that remember her from back then. I don't remember her mentioning anything about the Satanic church back when I first interviewed her, or maybe I'm just repressing the memory of it.

Don D · May 2003

When I worked in HR for KLLM Trucking, I was called by a guy who wanted a job in the office. Citing his dispatcher and customer service experience, he insisted on an interview according to his schedule. I got a belly full of him telling me I was going to hire him and told him he had talked himself completely out of an interview. He then says, "I guess you don't know who owns Peterbilt Trucks in Jackson, Mississippi." I said, "No, I must say, I don't". He says, "Well, I happen to know who owns Peterbuilt Trucks in Jackson, Mississippi and I think that just might make a difference here." I responded, "I can't imagine what difference tha might possibly make, we don't buy Peterbilts in the first place, only Freightliners, have a nice day." Twenty minutes later I get another call from an ex-governor of this state (who I learned later owns the Peterbilt franchise now). "This is Guvnah Beeilll Wahllluh (Bill Waller), Ahhhm Callin' on behafff of Mistuhhh (whoever). It was a hoot. Especially when I said, "This is who now?"

If you didn't already know, I don't 'snatch around' too easily.

Rockie · May 2003

Y'all this is really a gross, but true, story.

We interviewed this guy from Florida to work in our healthcare facility. He was caught in a lie on his application and I called him at his hotel to inform him that we were going to terminate the interview process. He was, of course, very upset and verbally abusive. This was on a Friday.

On Monday morning, the hotel called and informed us that their housekeeping staff had entered this guy's room and had found excrement (yes, excrement) smeared all over the walls, floors, bed, etc. It was so bad, they had to call in a hazardous cleanup company to clean it up as their housekeepers would not go in there. They did not make us pay for the "clean up",but they wanted us to know that we had a psychotic on our hands.

This was (I hope) the worst I have ever encountered.

sonny · May 2003

Good grief Rockie, no one will top that. . .I did have a gal in last week, not at all qualified for the position for which she was applying. She had brought a resume, but we require an application to which you can attach a resume. This annoyed her to no end. I explained verbally, in addition to what is written on the application..Do not put see resume, complete entire application. When I reviewed the application, she had not listed her Bachelors degree, and suggested she add it. She gave me a most disgusting sigh, grabbed it out of my hand and said "I feel like I'm applying for a job at Burger King." I gave her my very sweetest smile and said, "I'm so sorry you feel that way." Promptly threw her application on bottom of the pile.

jmpmo · May 2003

Oh my gosh! That is an awefully disgusting story. I am pretty sure there is no topper to that.

How about when an ee refers someone and wants to know every littl detail of the interview process and then freaks out if you don't hire their referral? That drives me nuts.

Don D · May 2003

So, your call really pissed him off did it? Or is there a better way to put that?

Rockie · May 2003

Don, I think there is a better word, but we would certainly get yanked off the Forum for using it!

MrCreosote · May 2003

me: What hours will you be available to work?
her: Just a minute. I have a call on the other line.

scottorr · May 2003

I have many many bad interviewing stories, as we all do. At my last employer I worked for a health care organization and I was interviewing a Home Health Aide. In the middle of the interview her cell phone rang. She told me that I needed to hold on while she answered the phone. All I could hear her say was "hello....are you sure he will be there....what do you want, just a dime bag....Okay, tell him I'll be there in ten minutes". After hanging up she informed me that she would have to finish the interview another time. She then wanted to know when she could come back to finish the interview. I informed her that we would conatct her if we decided to take it further.

Parabeagle · May 2003

Gotta admit she had that entreprenurial spirit, though, don't you?

scottorr · May 2003

It was comforting to know that I could get a dime bag just ten minutes from my office.

HRsage · May 2003

Maybe she sold it for medicinal purposes. She was applying for a Home Health Aide, after all.

hrbanker · May 2003

Nicely dressed lady sat down for the interview, reached inside her blouse to adjust her bra straps, then began playing with her eye. She propped her elbow on my desk and began pulling at her lower eyelid. When it looked like her eyeball was going to roll out I had to end the interview. ...Couldn't talk for laughing!

Rockie · May 2003

I have had this recent phenomena come up several times where after I interview someone or even if I just phone interview them, they say "Well, when do you want to me start work?" I don't know where this is being a smart A or just being supremely confident, but it irritates me!

scottorr · May 2003

It irritates me as well!!!! However I know of one source it may come from. Back in graduate school I did a project on interviewers and interviewees. Several of the preparing for an interview books suggested that applicants do this. It makes you wonder who is writing these books.

WOCO Frank · May 2003

I used an outplacement service once that may have hired some of those authors. Every bit of advice they gave - absolutely every bit - was wrong, wrong, wrong. I couldn't believe how bad they were.

Don D · May 2003

You were interviewing Lily Tomlin for God's sakes.

LindaS · May 2003

Okay - my worst interview was several years ago...

I called an individuals to interview for a factory position, he shows up in black sweatpants, a black t-shirt, Packer hat and tennis shoes with his feet falling out the side. He plops down and informs me he wants an office job. I ask him what type he was interested in and he responds "you know, where I can wear a suit n' stuff". I promptly test him only to find he lacks the qualifications and tell him. Several weeks later he calls back to tell me he is willing to take a factory job. Due to the incredible shortage of applicants, I agree to interview him. I end up offering him a factory position, allow HIM to choose the start date and schedule him.

The day he is scheduled to start, he shows up at the wrong building, is late, does NOT have any identification and proceeds to ask if he can start in a couple of weeks as he has not given notice to his current employer.

As patient as I was, I calmly told him that this was NOT okay and that we would not be starting him as he was unavailable.

One last thing, recently I received an application that indicated the individual wanted 1st shift work but noted on the application "but will take 2nd".

It just gets better and better!!

Leslie · May 2003

In a 24/7 business it's not the applicants - it's the new hires. They beg for a job, will take anything, any shift, any days. A month after they're in, they want Monday through Friday days and are absolutely astounded that the employees with seniority would get that first if it were ever to come available. #-o

WOCO Frank · May 2003

I have the reverse problem. I have too many managers who are so desperate to hire someone "decent" they will promise them the best shifts, hours, etc. at the expense of their senior employees. Shortsightedness and desperation hiring are the roots of all evil.

Rude Applicants

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