First impressions are really important during the hiring process, both for the prospective employer and the candidate.
To attract the best talent, companies need to craft quality job adverts. They should be clear about what it is they're looking for and accurately reflect the role's typical duties and responsibilities.
However, for better or worse, the competition sometimes doesn't seem so high. After digging through the subreddits 'Recruiting Hell' and 'Antiwork,' we realized that some recruiters are so out of touch with reality, it's evident even in the job advertisement they write.
Continue scrolling to check out what we're talking about and don't miss the conversation we had with talent acquisition consultant and career coach Keirsten Greggs. You'll find it in-between the pictures.
This post may include affiliate links.
Saw It Online
Agree! I've worked in a factory with people who have been employed 20+ years and didn't know a thing about a different part of the factory. Yet the higher ups would go to them, instead of a worker who actually knew the damned machine.
Burn
To get a better understanding of how to scroll through job ads, we contacted the founder of TRAP Recruiter, LLC, Keirsten Greggs, who has spent two decades in talent acquisition and career coaching.
"A good job posting is discoverable by the qualified audience/job seekers it intends to attract," she told Bored Panda. "It is more than a list of duties and responsibilities. Job seekers should come away with a clear understanding of what problem they are solving, what they can offer to the role and organization, and what the role and organization can offer them so that they can apply and/or move on to the next, more desirable role quickly."
According to Greggs, a good job posting also shares the salary or hourly rate, work schedule, work location, and benefits, as well as provides an easy way to apply.
Seeking Candidate With 15+ Years Of Social Media Experience
A Friend Of Mine Was Looking For A Job Yesterday. This Must Be Hella Illegal, Right?
Employment Gap
Conversely, Greggs said that some of the biggest red flags people should watch out for in job ads are:
- The descriptions of duties and responsibilities are vague;
- The list of duties and responsibilities is long and/or doesn't specify the qualifications at all;
- The language used isn't inclusive;
- Phrases like "high performance", "sense of urgency", etc. in a manner that feels toxic;
- The lack of salary/salary range, or the range is enormous, and/or states the salary is "commensurate with/determined by skills and experience".
The New York Times Has An 8 Round Interview Process
Wtf Are They On… This Is For A Call Center Position
»Once there was a turtle and her name was Myrtle. She dressed her shell in purple hurtle but sadly this made her infertile.«
I applied for a job but they passed because I wasn’t a purple turtle. Mind you I can fly but that wasn’t good enough. Thinking of filing a discrimination lawsuit against them.
Must be a scam center, ability to spin convincing BS is part of the job
Good point, I'd love to know where the call centre is and who it's for.
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"Last time I took acid I saw a pink penguin riding on a purple flying turtle. They zoomed around the neighborhood and landed on my periwinkle blue Mercedes. I yelled at them to get off my car, and they laughed. The the pink penguin mooned me and the purple flying turtle gave me a raspberry before they flew off to their love nest on Neptune."
I don't short story, how about a haiku? Purple flying guy, No! Wait! That's a damn turtle!, I took tons of acid. 😁
They want to see how well you can invent fiction, for a call center. Hmmmmm.... wonder why?
sorry can't be done.. I can only talk about flying polka-dot turtles. and its a rather sensitive topic thanks very much.
*clears throats* There once was a purple flying turtle. He went be the name of Tony. He thought he had a great answer for this requirement, but the question simply made him stony. Why ask such a question? Did they want a story about his life, how his home is full of plastic, his eggs were snatched, and a net took his wife. Tony sat there and wondered, "What does this have to do with the work for which he was applying?" Then he sighs and looks at the family portrait on the wall. "It's alright, dear, I'm still trying." - FrostyJellies 💜
This actually makes sense. At most call centers you are required to be able to instantly make up an ridiculous excuse instead of telling customers that management f....d up against the technician's better knowledge.
Imagine their shock when I wrote a full story untill I run out of Words the box allowed
ngl that would make we wanna work for them (depending on what the job is)
Sounds as if they are looking for something who is good in making up excuses. 😁
"Once upon a time, a company asked me to write a story about a purple flying turtle, and just as I was about to say no, a purple flying turtle crashed through the window, then flew them up into space, where there isn't any air. Then the rest of us lived happily ever after, and gave the turtle a medal."
A test for AI use? That's exactly the kind of drivel that AI will riff on in a really obvious way.
I remember the Flying Purple People Eater, would that do? Oh..... that means I'm too old, huh?
Hiron the purple turtle was exposed to gamma radiation and grew to gigantic size. In spite of his immense power he was defeated in battle by his eventual arch-nemesis, Gamera. Gamera later issued a public statement about the incident stating that "There can be only one..."
Once in a whimsical land, where magic and imagination danced hand in hand, there lived a peculiar creature named Plum, the purple flying turtle. Plum's shell shimmered with hues of lavender and amethyst, and with each flap of its wings, it soared gracefully through the azure skies. The enchanted forests below would light up with joy as Plum's presence brought laughter and wonder to all. Legend had it that Plum's magical flight granted wishes to those who caught a glimpse of its ethereal journey, making it a cherished symbol of hope and dreams in the enchanted realm. People from far and wide would gather to witness the marvel of Plum, the purple flying turtle, leaving behind a trail of happiness wherever it roamed. Given to you by ChatGPT and more than this nonsense is worth
We call it flash fiction. It's a brilliant test of your writing skills. If you haven't encountered it, you know less about creative writing than the person who wrote the test.
As I sat writing my application, my favourite childhood stuffed animal, a purple flying turtle named Bob, is whispering in my ear, “Tell them about the time we did tequila shots out of our old boss’s bellybutton. Don’t forget the part where you choked on fluff and vomited on his mistress’s Louboutins, and that’s why we need a new job!” I replied, “Ok,” to Bob. The moral of the story. If a purple flying turtle is talking to you, you’re likely tripping or, schizophrenic. If those are qualities you’re looking for, I’m your gal!
Translation: this company regularly will give random, unexpected and irrelevant work to its employees, for which there will be no extra compensation. How well can you handle this?
Imagine Asking If Someone's Ok With Earning 30% Less Than What They Currently Make
"Absurd requirements usually stem from an inexperienced hiring manager who doesn't understand the role they're trying to fill and doesn't have a solid grasp on the available talent in the market," Keirsten Greggs explained.
"This is where recruiters can partner with them by asking the right questions that will ultimately make the job postings more attractive and inclusive, help them set expectations, and improve the candidate/job seeker experience at the onset of the hiring lifecycle."
Why Do We Have To Jump Through So Many Hoops Just To Get Our Application Rejected Anyway
Why Even Ask?
My First Haiku
In 2022, the Paychex team surveyed Americans who have recently looked for a job, and people across the country shared their current standards for evaluating an open position and what constitutes a potential warning sign. Their main concerns coincided with what Greggs told us.
Compensation is one of the most important aspects of a job, especially in times of economic uncertainty. So, it's unsurprising that not including a salary range was at the top of the list (65%). For many candidates, omitting that information implies that the salary range is probably low. Not including a salary and using the phrase “gain experience” makes them feel that the company expects them to work for free.
Sometimes, a great benefits package can make up for a salary that's a little lower than you want to accept, but if the pay is much less than you think you’re worth and there aren’t other benefits to compensate for it, people feel there's no point in considering it.
Exactly On Time
New Requirements Strikes
U.k. International Candidate Here - This Is What The Recruiter Texted Me After I Told Him I Need The Company To Sponsor My U.k. Skilled Worker Visa…
The respondents also mentioned arguably the most frustrating part of looking for entry-level jobs, which is the requirement to already have several years of experience in a related role.
Having that expectation is extremely discouraging, especially for new graduates trying to start their careers while also needing to make a living.
An Expensive First Day On The Job
“I Just Saw You Swallow”
"We Are Unable To Offer Positions To People With The Name Jeffrey"
They also mentioned spelling and grammar mistakes. Just as employers don't want to see misspelled words in a resume, candidates are turned off by them in a job posting.
These things show little attention to detail and look sloppy and unprofessional. The best candidates know their worth and will generally be put off by such errors.
This Is A New Level Of Hell
Not Sure If This Is A Repost
Ph.d. Maths Student Rejected For Not Show Not Having 3 Hours Of Calc On Their Transcript
Something about their requirements doesn't add up.... OUCH ok ok I'm leaving
If people have to tick a lot (and I mean a lot) of boxes even to get their foot in the door, they start hearing alarm bells.
A potential reason for this is the fact that the company may not really know what it's looking for, meaning new recruits might be set up for failure from the get-go. It could also mean the scope of the role is too broad, in which case people might be in over their heads as soon as they arrive, too.
This But Unironically
Ayo This Lady Working For UPS Really Tried To Get Free Labor Out Of Me Lol
If they do that with 20 people a week, that's a full time position they don't have to pay for
Who Needs Pay And Sick Leave? I Can Wear My Jeans To Work!
The last pet peeve on the list was too many interview rounds (anything more than two rounds). Ideally, the whole thing should be organized and efficient, and when the process drags on, it indicates to people that the team is indecisive or overly consensus-driven.
I wonder how many respondents of the survey belong to the two subreddits that these pictures are from because their answers seem to match pretty well.
"Record A Video Of Yourself", But Somehow, Even Worse!
We Don’t Pay You, You Have To Pay Us
Are You Joking?
Saw This On A Job Application. Immediately Closed Out
The F**king Nerve
Was Applying For A Job On Indeed....any Suggestions..?
Yeah, step into the store, you'll be amazed, Where customer service sets the craze, From the moment you walk through the door, We got that greatness you can't ignore. sorry cant apply am going on tour next week..
Anyone Have 7 Legs, 4 Arms And Capable Of Doing 10 Things At Once?! Asking For A Friend
Note: this post originally had 91 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
Thank God I am nearing retirement and don't have to do any of this sort of sh*t
I did a job application a year back. I had JUST switched my career choice a year before that from Fast Food to Care Giver. I moved locations with 8 months experience and really great references. The job required 10! Professional references in that field. All with their professional emails their work phone and cell phones, the employer wanted ME to send questionnaires about me for my references to email back to the potential employer. It was a pre typed document I had to forward. The previous place I worked at because of the shift I was on we rotated between 3 of us per shift never met the rest of the staff for more than a few min. I wss more than qualified they only required 6 months and they wanted someone new in the field to train properly. Being an introvert is bad when looking for jobs.
Position: Cashier at retail store. Pay rate: $10/hour. Job requirements: Proficient in calculus, analytical geometry, have at least 15 years of experience programming in C++, speak 8 different languages, have a masters degree in archeology, a medical degree from an Ivy league school, be proficient at musical composition, and have at least. three published novels.
My thoughts exactly,thank goodness near retirement and job hunted in a day where you knew someone,you took your resume into place of business and were interviewed and hired or not.I think the hardest one i had was for hospital dietary and had one interview with 3 people but it was a good union job with great pay.Like and idiot 19 year old was offered job but decided no because woukd have to do shift work.I could worked there,retired at 55 with full pension😭😭😭
Thank God I am nearing retirement and don't have to do any of this sort of sh*t
I did a job application a year back. I had JUST switched my career choice a year before that from Fast Food to Care Giver. I moved locations with 8 months experience and really great references. The job required 10! Professional references in that field. All with their professional emails their work phone and cell phones, the employer wanted ME to send questionnaires about me for my references to email back to the potential employer. It was a pre typed document I had to forward. The previous place I worked at because of the shift I was on we rotated between 3 of us per shift never met the rest of the staff for more than a few min. I wss more than qualified they only required 6 months and they wanted someone new in the field to train properly. Being an introvert is bad when looking for jobs.
Position: Cashier at retail store. Pay rate: $10/hour. Job requirements: Proficient in calculus, analytical geometry, have at least 15 years of experience programming in C++, speak 8 different languages, have a masters degree in archeology, a medical degree from an Ivy league school, be proficient at musical composition, and have at least. three published novels.
My thoughts exactly,thank goodness near retirement and job hunted in a day where you knew someone,you took your resume into place of business and were interviewed and hired or not.I think the hardest one i had was for hospital dietary and had one interview with 3 people but it was a good union job with great pay.Like and idiot 19 year old was offered job but decided no because woukd have to do shift work.I could worked there,retired at 55 with full pension😭😭😭
