People Share Unrealistic Requirements They’ve Encountered When Trying To Find A Job, Here Are 30 Of The Most Ridiculous (New Pics)
What do job hunting and being chased through the streets by zombies have in common? They’re both nightmares. But job hunting might actually be worse because it’s something we still have to face after waking up. It's stressful enough in its own right, but communicating with frustrating recruiters and hiring managers can make the process so much worse. Thankfully, those of us who have encountered terrible recruiters have a space where we can share those stories: the Recruiting Hell subreddit. We’ve gone through to find some of the most ridiculous stories of unrealistic expectations and unprofessional emails from recruiters, so we hope as you read them you don't relate too much to the pain these job hunters have experienced. Enjoy this list, and if you're not too heated by the end, go on to check out Bored Panda’s last publication on the same topic right here next.
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As An Autistic Person, I Despise Everything About This!
Negative encounters with hiring managers are an unfortunately common occurrence, as the Recruiting Hell subreddit has amassed 285k members over the last 6 years. With the tagline “we’ll pay you in experience!”, the community states that it’s “for all of those recruiters and candidates who really don’t get it” and asks members to post their “horror stories” and “amazing” job offers. There are various issues that prospective employees often have with recruiters, but it appears that the nature of the job itself does not serve those being recruited.
According to Brandon Savage, a full time consultant and blogger, a recruiter is the “nemesis of job searching”. Savage explains on his blog that recruiters are typically paid based on how many people they place and how high the salaries of those positions are. This means that since they’re essentially working on commission, they often have very little knowledge of the positions they’re hiring for and are willing to do or say whatever is necessary to fill roles.
I Ran Into One Today
I've never understood why a gap on a resume is a bad thing. I have a two year gap where I was laid off before I found a new job. How is that a bad thing? Jobs are hard to get and I work in a niche field. Also, I did a lot of small part-time stuff but I'm not gonna list it all.
Can I Get A Second To The Motion?
Now, let’s not demonize every hiring manager and recruiter out there. I’m sure plenty of people have had smooth and positive experiences job hunting. Brandon notes in his blog that if a company has an in-house recruiter, “working with them is perfectly fine and normal”. When contacted by someone about an opening, Brandon recommends checking that person’s email address to see if it’s connected to the company you’re interested in working for.
He also warns job hunters to be wary of any uninvited solicitations from recruiters. If you’re contacted, out of the blue, by someone who compliments you on your skills and pitches another position to you, they're likely just looking for commission. If you're actually interested in the role, you can submit your resume the old fashion way and you're likely to have just as much luck. Don't give a misleading recruiter the satisfaction of making a profit off of you.
A Story Of Two Parts, Recruiter Edition
Funny How The Language Changes Between People And Businesses
This Should Be Mandatory Training For All Interviewers
Wow. Pretty much the only way I'd judge a candidate in under 60 seconds is if they showed up with a machete and a hand grenade. Then again, I work in graphic design, so what do I know about other job requirements? On the other hand, my colleagues are pretty decent, so sarcasm is as much weaponry as one needs in my office.
"Sir, why are you covered in blood and have a roll of duct tape & shovel."_____ "Sorry, hit a deer & had to put it out of its misery, then felt so bad I needed to bury it. But it wouldn't fit in the hole so I had to tape its legs together."
Load More Replies...Do not forget ageism. Just because I’m 61 dies not mean I can afford to retire. I missed the boomer gravy train, and have worked jobs that didn’t pay enough to put aside much. Then I went back to school, when I was much older, to get a degree that would put me in line for promotions, and the pandemic hit. So now I’m facing ageism at a time when I share the millennials’ problem of student loans to pay back—-and I no longer have a whole lifetime ahead of me to do so. I’m trying to start my own company, since no one seems to want to even give me an interview, but you know it takes time before it’ll really take off. So I’m pretty much f****d for retiring, and will be working until I drop dead.
I hope things get better for you, Kathryn! You are just as valuable as everyone else!
Load More Replies...Totally true, I have been in to a number of interviews where someone has immediately looked me up and down and I know their exact thought is, she's lazy cause she's fat and I didn't get those jobs. Ones where they actually took time to get to know me during the interview, I have succeeded in and been with my company now for 15 years and progressed quite rapidly because I work damn hard.
This is exactly why people need to tell their biases to STFU and let the interview proceed. A few Christmases past, I told two elementary-school nephews about fat people who've been wonderful to me (the mentor at work, the good friend, etc.). I don't want them to judge people on their physical weight. I told them character is what counts.
Load More Replies...Don't make this just about race. There is also age, gender, and disability discrimination. I have heard interviewers comment afterwards about knowing a candidate would not advance because they "just didn't like their look".
My current boss (who started after me), was one of those older generation, "Old boys club", stereotype 1970-1990's CEO types. He later admitted to me, 'If I'd been the one to interview you, I would never have given you a job. A big, hairy, scary looking bloke with tattoos... It wouldn't have mattered what you said, I wouldn't have given you the job'. He did also say that it would have been the biggest mistake, but he wouldn't have known it, and it made him realise that sometimes you never know what you've lost so will never learn. Now he gives everyone a chance and even calls some of them if he thinks they were just too nervous and gives them an opportunity to go over things on the phone. You can teach an old dog new tricks!
As a US American, thank you for calling out other countries too. Many, many of our problems here are definitely problems across the board, with the exceptions of healthcare and gun violence.
I’ve ruled people out after sixty seconds but they have to be exceptionally awful. Like a sexist remark during the small talk on the way to the room or wearing a t-shirt with an obnoxious saying to an office job.
I have judged candidates in under 60 seconds of seeing them, but ofcourse did have the interview, hoping my first impressions were wrong. This was entry level servicedesk job and they worked at the same company as me, they were mostly students. Posture, way of dressing, handshake, general body language. They would have to be socially skilled and be able to deal with clients on the phone. Some guys were just buy fit for that. Great techs, smart people, but socially a bit awkward. Not fit a first contact position.
I've judged SOME people before they even showed up for the interview, because being an arrogant a**e to the person who might hire you when they call you back to make out an appointment, or being very late without calling, or handing in a CV that looks like Hagrid just sat on it, is just something I don't like. I'm very glad to have switched to a nice, work-from-home job where I barely have to spend much time with anyone outside my team.
Load More Replies...I googled my candidates, if they didn't come up with any recent or serious convictions, then I would interview them. Found one guy who claimed he worked in his sister's cafe, when he had just been released from prison for fraud in the industry he was applying to work in. He didn't get hired!
I think you can judge peoples' character once you have had enough experience in life. Looking past their weight, race, height, etc., you can see certain things, like how they stand etc. There's an art to body-language reading. And depending on the job, some people are better suited to this or that. I met an introverted guy once who had great fake confidence body language. He is really good in sales, but totally introverted. Another woman I met in an interview wasn't that great in her CV but confident as a person, and as an employee she worked out great. You place people where they want to be.
THIS. You wouldn’t be able to tell that I’ve had childhood brain cancer since I was 9 or epilepsy since I was 16 just by looking at me, much less that I’ve been a martial artist since 2011 and am now a second-degree black belt.
b/c of that one company I worked had 3 steps before the interviews would start. 1) the secretary checked the applications for pictures/any gender implication (e.g. firstnames)/full adress (the job description demanded to leave these out, but there are always some people...) ||| 2) HR checked on behalf of the company ||| 3) teamleads/work council checked on behalf of the applicants ||| since then the termination rate dropped significantly
Yes and still isn't it better to know who is right for a position in 60 seconds than to know who is wrong in 60 seconds?
I want so badly for this story to be true and not some made up nonsense to get internet attention, can we get a follow up on this PLEASE AND THANK YOU! If someone was there and recorded it or SOMETHING…
This is why it seems all yearly training revolves around discrimination, biases, sexual misconduct, and how to act in the workplace.
This is why I love the first round of interviews being done by phone. It removes the visual prejudices and we can have a conversation about the salary, the work, etc. and if we like each other, we can move on to meeting in person or by video.
It doesn't work for those of us with non-English and/or Anglicized names that becomes gibberish in English. I had an interviewer blurt out my spoken English was outstanding. They'd read my name and apparently made up some bizarre story in their heads that because it's a name that's nowhere near the English language my SPOKEN English will be just as hard to understand.
Load More Replies...Even when you’re not dealing with an outside recruiter, it is common to encounter unrealistic expectations in job postings. In her piece for Forbes “Why So Many Job Postings Are So Ridiculous”, career coach Nancy Collamer provides this example: “Progressive employer seeks Harvard-trained neuroscientist and beauty pageant winner. Must be fluent in Mandarin and skilled at tribal basket weaving. Minimum of 10 years experience working for high-tech companies. Salary: mid-30’s.”
While that’s an obvious exaggeration, many job postings might as well say that when they ask for laughable skills and levels of experience for puny salaries in return. Nancy lists several reasons why postings like this somehow make their way to the internet, including that the employer is inexperienced at hiring and they just don’t know better. She notes that in many companies, particularly small ones, hiring can get passed off to people who have no experience (and no business) writing job descriptions.
Hey Recruiters, Answer Me This!
Got An Email From A Recruiter Today. I Was Interested Until They Disclosed The Pay. It’s Seriously Insultingly Low For The Role And Requirements. So I Told Them Just That Over Email
4+ Years Of Experience In A 2 Year Old Technology
Another reason you might find unrealistic job postings is because an employer is willing to wait for the perfect candidate, regardless of whether or not they actually exist. There’s no problem with wanting to hire the best person for a position, but having a wish list with too many unattainable qualifications can actually deter candidates from applying in the first place. Nancy notes that these could also be “phantom postings”. These are created when companies are obligated to post open positions publicly, but they already know they want to hire someone inside the office. With an over-the-top job description, outsiders are less likely to apply, and the favored candidate on the inside will have an advantage. Phantom postings are a huge waste of everyone’s time, but unfortunately, they do happen.
That Backfired Spectacularly
This is why, when we didn't post the salary in the job listing (that has changed), I would open up the conversation by telling the applicant the hours and the salary. Then they were free to leave if those things didn't suit them.
We Don’t Count Internships As Experience Here, So Let’s Just Forget All Of That
People Are Human And Human Things Happen
10 years ago, I had spotty employment, with the longest stint at a job 1 year. The rest of the time I was a stay at home mom and job searching, while my common law husband was working. Staying at home and caring for a child raises so many eyebrows, like I had spent years in prison or something bad. It felt as if they thought I was a welfare mom, because I looked so young, even though that was not the case at all. No one should have to explain themselves. You already have to tick off on the application whether you've been convicted of a crime or not, and maybe provide a criminal record/child abuse registry check. Anything else is not their concern.
When it comes to responding to companies asking for far too much in their job postings, it can be difficult to know when it’s still worth it to apply. If you’re actually interested in the position, Nancy recommends finding someone within the company who you can talk to candidly about the role and what it’s like working there. Perhaps you have a friend or a LinkedIn contact there who would be willing to help. She also says that a good rule of thumb is the “70% rule”, meaning that if you fit about 70% of the requirements listed, it’s still worth it for you to apply. This is particularly important for women to keep in mind, as they tend to be more modest when applying for jobs. You can also keep an eye on how long a position has been posted online. If a company has been looking to fill a role for months, they might start to lower their expectations or be more willing to negotiate. If you submitted your resume months ago and no one has been hired yet, don’t be scared to circle back and see if you can still be considered.
Interviewing For My First Recruiting Job - Why Did I Start This Life??
That's It
Recruiter Asked Me To Record A Video Response To 4 Questions. This Is My Reply
What is with this b******t of sending them a video? WTF do you say while recording it? I’m not auditioning for a movie role, ffs, I just want to work for your company. (I also don’t want them being assholes laughing at my video—-and I have seen, pre-Zoom/video/hell, pre-internet, HR making fun of people’s resumes and applications, so I know damn well they’d make fun of a video, so f**k them).
The good news for those searching for a new job is that recently, hiring managers have had an increasingly difficult time filling roles. This means that applicants have more power than ever before, and they should take advantage of it. A month ago, Jane Thier published a story for Fortune titled “It’s a great time to be a job applicant—and the worst time to be a hiring manager” breaking down all of the reasons why candidates are now at an advantage over companies. Jane mentions that unemployment rates in the US are now the lowest that they’ve been since the beginning of the pandemic, and 84% of hiring managers report feeling burnt out, as candidates become more demanding in terms of perks and benefits. Not only are applicants asking for more, but they also have the power to tarnish a company’s reputation by discussing their interview experiences on social media and websites like Glassdoor. “As it gets easier and easier for individuals to find a new job,” Jane says. “The pressure on hiring managers only increases.”
What Usually Leads People To Find Another Job
A coworker was always calling out sick and I always had to drop my work to cover hers. When she finally quit, everyone was excited cause she just sucked. No one else grasped (until I said so) that this means I just lost MY job. Other staff had no idea that I had a different job and now I’d have to cover for her for months until a replacement was hired.
A Company Found Me On Linkedin And Reached Out To Me, This Was My Response
Love this. I hate these "send us a video" things. Why? I know why. This is solely so you can judge someone's appearance.
Contrary To A Number Of Recruiters’ Popular Belief, I Do Very Much Care About The Money. Did You Think My Childhood Dream Was To Send An Email To Request Reimbursement Approval For Airport Parking To Pick Up Someone Snotty Visiting From The Head Office?
In the 2022 Greenhouse Candidate Experience Report, Greenhouse CEO Daniel Chait discusses this recent role reversal between companies and candidates. “Companies have realized their potentially unfair hiring practices—or even just simple sloppiness like ineffective interviewing or a habit of ghosting candidates—is coming back to bite them,” he says. Applicants are apparently also expecting the process to move very quickly, so interested hiring managers have to make offers fast before another company beats them to it. Meanwhile, in the competitive job market, hiring managers have to focus on retention as well. Every time an employee leaves their company for a better offer, there’s one more role they’re expected to fill. I certainly wouldn’t want the job of a hiring manager or recruiter, but it’s encouraging to know that the ball is in the applicants’ court sometimes.
Was I Being Impolite? Had This Exchange On Linkedin
For The Memes, Because We’ve All Been There
Hiring Managers: You No Longer Have The Luxury Of "Thinking" About Whether You Want To Offer A Candidate A Job Or Not
Pay transparency is one of the most important factors for many job applicants today. Just look at this list and all of the screenshots featuring hiring managers beating around the bush when it comes to salary ranges or explicitly telling applicants they can’t disclose that information. More progressive companies, however, are advertising high salaries to ensure they can attract talent. Erica Thomas, a technical recruiter in Florida, told CNBC that hiring for on-site positions is particularly challenging, but it can be done at the right price. “If I say, ‘you’ll be on-site and the range is $118,000 to $130,000,’ now we’re talking,” she says. “You have 4 to 8 seconds to catch a candidate’s attention. People want to know the bottom line: how much they’ll be paid.”
Dodged
Asking a candidate for a desired salary is a twisted mind game. Just tell candidates what you're willing to pay and negotiate from there.
Facing These Days!
Damn. My parents should have trained me for this job when they were thinking to have a baby.
There Is A Pandemic Of Bad Managers
Bonuses are also getting better and better for applicants in the US. According to a 2021 Robert Half survey, 48% of companies are providing signing bonuses, 43% are offering more paid time off, and 40% are offering better job titles “to entice prospective hires”. Hiring managers have also resorted to casting a wider net when it comes to applicants because it has become so difficult to fill roles quickly with talent close to home. One woman, Lauren Rackley, told CNBC that she was given a $19,500 relocation bonus from her new job for moving from North Carolina to Florida. She noted that it was far more than any other relocation bonus she had been offered in the past.
Recruiter Asked Me To Send In A Report Of My Total Earnings In 2020/2021 As Part Of The Negotiation Process
Hitting Close To Home, Is It?
Some Recruiters Are So Lazy
As companies become more desperate to hire and hold onto skilled talent, job applicants are finally being presented with attractive offers. Hopefully this combined with candidates holding companies accountable in communities like the Recruitment Hell subreddit will lead to permanently improved hiring practices. Enjoy the rest of this list of ridiculous messages and expectations from recruiters, and don’t forget to upvote the pics you find most appalling. Then let us know in the comments if you’ve ever had a terrible encounter with a recruiter!
Why Even Ask?
Why So Surprised?
"Workforce Development And Salary Consultant" Screwing Her Clients
Dunno, I see the lesson as don't touch this scammer with a barge pole......
Note: this post originally had 114 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
My company kinda makes it hard to get hired too. First you apply. Then wait. Then get an email someone will call you. Then wait. Then get a call asking about experience. You either lie that you do an move forward or say no and get hung up on. (Even though it's a training position.) then if you get a call you have to come in for a skill test. Then wait. Then get called in for a real interview and if they like you then you have to go get a drug test. And wait for the recruiter to call/email back that you have more paperwork to file. Then you get called in to train for 4-6 weeks (paid) and have the job. My friend applied in February and since someone left I directly handed his contact information to my boss who found his resume application and called him. They set up a skill test and by passed the online s**t. He's gonna start in a week or two. But because the computer indeed webshit and all that it's been months he could have been her me working.
You've made your point about a long hiring process, but many typos make it hard to understand, especially toward the end of your essay. Proofread.
Load More Replies...What I really hate is the "quizzes" that companies post online. Indeed has it - OK, you have 20 years of graphic design experience? Now do this 20-question quiz to prove it to us. Hell, no! If you do not think my past experience reflects what I can do, I'm not wasting my time answering a stupid quiz - I already know I do not want to work for you!
As an applicant, one of the quickest reasons I'll shut down the interview process is by requiring me to take a "culture" screening, such as Culture Index. Those things are ridiculous.
I just accepted a position after doing the weirdest interview process ever. It's like they needed to spend some money on someone and picked me out of a hat. I'm still reeling and am waiting for the axe to come down. My wages just jumped $20k per year, it's remote, a multinational company and in a field that is highly sought after. In a few years, I'll hit that magic 6 figure income level. Something in my resume and MS Team meeting ticked the right boxes. I have a hunch that I'm the "token" female in a male dominated world. But, hey, I'm cool with that! I work for the money and am only loyal for 7.6 hours a day, 5 days a week. LOL
Strange that people are so outraged by all this when a gentleman by the name of Karl explained all this in the 1850s and referred to it as "exploitation of the workers". Hmmmm. Yet here we are, almost 180 years later, still discussing it as if he didn't explain it clearly.
My company kinda makes it hard to get hired too. First you apply. Then wait. Then get an email someone will call you. Then wait. Then get a call asking about experience. You either lie that you do an move forward or say no and get hung up on. (Even though it's a training position.) then if you get a call you have to come in for a skill test. Then wait. Then get called in for a real interview and if they like you then you have to go get a drug test. And wait for the recruiter to call/email back that you have more paperwork to file. Then you get called in to train for 4-6 weeks (paid) and have the job. My friend applied in February and since someone left I directly handed his contact information to my boss who found his resume application and called him. They set up a skill test and by passed the online s**t. He's gonna start in a week or two. But because the computer indeed webshit and all that it's been months he could have been her me working.
You've made your point about a long hiring process, but many typos make it hard to understand, especially toward the end of your essay. Proofread.
Load More Replies...What I really hate is the "quizzes" that companies post online. Indeed has it - OK, you have 20 years of graphic design experience? Now do this 20-question quiz to prove it to us. Hell, no! If you do not think my past experience reflects what I can do, I'm not wasting my time answering a stupid quiz - I already know I do not want to work for you!
As an applicant, one of the quickest reasons I'll shut down the interview process is by requiring me to take a "culture" screening, such as Culture Index. Those things are ridiculous.
I just accepted a position after doing the weirdest interview process ever. It's like they needed to spend some money on someone and picked me out of a hat. I'm still reeling and am waiting for the axe to come down. My wages just jumped $20k per year, it's remote, a multinational company and in a field that is highly sought after. In a few years, I'll hit that magic 6 figure income level. Something in my resume and MS Team meeting ticked the right boxes. I have a hunch that I'm the "token" female in a male dominated world. But, hey, I'm cool with that! I work for the money and am only loyal for 7.6 hours a day, 5 days a week. LOL
Strange that people are so outraged by all this when a gentleman by the name of Karl explained all this in the 1850s and referred to it as "exploitation of the workers". Hmmmm. Yet here we are, almost 180 years later, still discussing it as if he didn't explain it clearly.