Comments on: More dumb things actually said in job interviews http://www.hrrecruitingalert.com/more-dumb-things-actually-said-in-job-interviews/ Headlines and advice for the practicing recruiter Mon, 20 Jun 2011 04:03:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc By: Tom in California http://www.hrrecruitingalert.com/more-dumb-things-actually-said-in-job-interviews/comment-page-1/#comment-16867 Tom in California Fri, 16 Oct 2009 22:40:54 +0000 http://www.hrrecruitingalert.com/?p=1988#comment-16867 Joyce's comment reminded me of a situation I had to deal with. A few years back I was an internal corporate recruiter at a software company. I vividly remember a woman calling me several times over the course of a year to ask about what kinds of job opportunities might exist at our company --- for her son. She said he spent most of his time with his friends or in his bedroom watching TV or playing video games (he was college-age, by the way). Mommy thought it would be a good idea if her little boy got out of the house once in a while. I suggested to her that the best first step would be for her son to be the one to start calling around for job openings, but she didn't want to bother him or get him upset, so she was doing it for him. Joyce’s comment reminded me of a situation I had to deal with. A few years back I was an internal corporate recruiter at a software company. I vividly remember a woman calling me several times over the course of a year to ask about what kinds of job opportunities might exist at our company — for her son. She said he spent most of his time with his friends or in his bedroom watching TV or playing video games (he was college-age, by the way). Mommy thought it would be a good idea if her little boy got out of the house once in a while. I suggested to her that the best first step would be for her son to be the one to start calling around for job openings, but she didn’t want to bother him or get him upset, so she was doing it for him.

]]> By: Joyce http://www.hrrecruitingalert.com/more-dumb-things-actually-said-in-job-interviews/comment-page-1/#comment-16469 Joyce Fri, 09 Oct 2009 21:14:40 +0000 http://www.hrrecruitingalert.com/?p=1988#comment-16469 LOL @ Mary Kelley. My first gut reaction when a woman calls for her husband or boyfriend is to say "If he gets hired, are you going to come to work for him as well?" I have never seriously considered an applicant if they have someone else call for them. LOL @ Mary Kelley. My first gut reaction when a woman calls for her husband or boyfriend is to say “If he gets hired, are you going to come to work for him as well?” I have never seriously considered an applicant if they have someone else call for them.

]]> By: JCE http://www.hrrecruitingalert.com/more-dumb-things-actually-said-in-job-interviews/comment-page-1/#comment-16451 JCE Fri, 09 Oct 2009 18:56:37 +0000 http://www.hrrecruitingalert.com/?p=1988#comment-16451 When I asked someone what kind of notice they'd have to give their employer before they could start with us, he told me that he couldn't give me an exact time frame. His employer had paid for some training for him and if he quit he would have to pay it back. If he got fired, then he wouldn't. So, he couldn't give me a time frame because he wasn't sure how long it would take for them to fire him. When I asked someone what kind of notice they’d have to give their employer before they could start with us, he told me that he couldn’t give me an exact time frame. His employer had paid for some training for him and if he quit he would have to pay it back. If he got fired, then he wouldn’t. So, he couldn’t give me a time frame because he wasn’t sure how long it would take for them to fire him.

]]> By: Carol http://www.hrrecruitingalert.com/more-dumb-things-actually-said-in-job-interviews/comment-page-1/#comment-16436 Carol Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:25:27 +0000 http://www.hrrecruitingalert.com/?p=1988#comment-16436 A candidate once said to me, "you seem like a reasonable woman. This is only a technician job; I won't really have to take a drug test, will I?" A candidate once said to me, “you seem like a reasonable woman. This is only a technician job; I won’t really have to take a drug test, will I?”

]]> By: Mary Kelley http://www.hrrecruitingalert.com/more-dumb-things-actually-said-in-job-interviews/comment-page-1/#comment-16428 Mary Kelley Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:51:26 +0000 http://www.hrrecruitingalert.com/?p=1988#comment-16428 We had a wife call on behalf of her husband for a job. Wife said that her husband really needed a job becuase 20 years in prison just has made him so sad. (We looked him up afterwards, arrest consisted of escape, hard core drugs, child molesting, assault on an officer, grand theft over $100,000, etc, etc) She then went on to explain that we needed to overlook the most recent cocaine charges, because "You know how it is when you are visiting a friend, he gets arrested and everyone hanging around just gets arrested too. My husband was perfectly innocent." Wife kept telling me that I will just love her husband, "He is such a sweet guy". We did not hire this one. We had a wife call on behalf of her husband for a job. Wife said that her husband really needed a job becuase 20 years in prison just has made him so sad. (We looked him up afterwards, arrest consisted of escape, hard core drugs, child molesting, assault on an officer, grand theft over $100,000, etc, etc) She then went on to explain that we needed to overlook the most recent cocaine charges, because “You know how it is when you are visiting a friend, he gets arrested and everyone hanging around just gets arrested too. My husband was perfectly innocent.” Wife kept telling me that I will just love her husband, “He is such a sweet guy”. We did not hire this one.

]]> By: Cari http://www.hrrecruitingalert.com/more-dumb-things-actually-said-in-job-interviews/comment-page-1/#comment-14212 Cari Mon, 24 Aug 2009 17:52:29 +0000 http://www.hrrecruitingalert.com/?p=1988#comment-14212 I asked an applicant where he saw himself in 5 years and he said that he really wanted to go to Disneyland. Unfortunately, a fellow manager had just walked by the door and stood there making funny faces at me over the answer. Somehow I kept composed and clarified my question. I asked an applicant where he saw himself in 5 years and he said that he really wanted to go to Disneyland. Unfortunately, a fellow manager had just walked by the door and stood there making funny faces at me over the answer. Somehow I kept composed and clarified my question.

]]> By: Mel Kleiman http://www.hrrecruitingalert.com/more-dumb-things-actually-said-in-job-interviews/comment-page-1/#comment-14207 Mel Kleiman Mon, 24 Aug 2009 16:04:20 +0000 http://www.hrrecruitingalert.com/?p=1988#comment-14207 Interviewers need to change their perspective. These are not dumb answers these are great answers. There are no wrong answers to an interviewing question at least from the interviewers point of view. These applicants have just given you reasons not to hire them. Would you rather they not tell you and you find out these things after you hire them? I will take these answers every day and love them. Interviewers need to change their perspective. These are not dumb answers these are great answers. There are no wrong answers to an interviewing question at least from the interviewers point of view. These applicants have just given you reasons not to hire them.

Would you rather they not tell you and you find out these things after you hire them? I will take these answers every day and love them.

]]> By: Joyce http://www.hrrecruitingalert.com/more-dumb-things-actually-said-in-job-interviews/comment-page-1/#comment-14107 Joyce Sat, 22 Aug 2009 17:12:19 +0000 http://www.hrrecruitingalert.com/?p=1988#comment-14107 How about the guy applying for a safety sensitive position coming to the interview wearing a pot leaf earing and necklace? Doubt he could have passed the drug screen. How about the guy applying for a safety sensitive position coming to the interview wearing a pot leaf earing and necklace? Doubt he could have passed the drug screen.

]]> By: Elicia http://www.hrrecruitingalert.com/more-dumb-things-actually-said-in-job-interviews/comment-page-1/#comment-14013 Elicia Fri, 21 Aug 2009 15:15:06 +0000 http://www.hrrecruitingalert.com/?p=1988#comment-14013 Really? It is so hard to believe that someone will actually say those things. As people that may hire you, cant you be smart enought to HUMOR US? Wow, really? Lol Really? It is so hard to believe that someone will actually say those things. As people that may hire you, cant you be smart enought to HUMOR US? Wow, really? Lol

]]> By: Posts about sexual harassment (best posts combined for review) as of August 17, 2009 | Discrimination Law News http://www.hrrecruitingalert.com/more-dumb-things-actually-said-in-job-interviews/comment-page-1/#comment-13786 Posts about sexual harassment (best posts combined for review) as of August 17, 2009 | Discrimination Law News Mon, 17 Aug 2009 18:30:06 +0000 http://www.hrrecruitingalert.com/?p=1988#comment-13786 [...] out kind of excited about A/R, or at least kind of intrigued . Oh, how the worm does turn. More dumb things actually said in job interviews – hrrecruitingalert.com 08/17/2009 When HR pros ask candidates why they’re leaving their [...] [...] out kind of excited about A/R, or at least kind of intrigued . Oh, how the worm does turn. More dumb things actually said in job interviews – hrrecruitingalert.com 08/17/2009 When HR pros ask candidates why they’re leaving their [...]

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