Recently, I have had a number of people express interest into ‘getting into’ HR. Some times the inquiries are sort of irritating, as if you can pick this up like a cold, any time during a career. Honestly, this work requires SOME skill, flair, compassion, empathy, humor, education and experience.
These are ACTUAL experiences, ALL mine. Where else do you see this?
Candidates
A candidate brings her imaginary friend to an interview and asks me for an extra chair.
An interviewing candidate informs me that geckos are climbing all over my walls during our interview. (That was probably an acid flashback)
A candidate brings Salary.com survey to the interview and advises me of what the proper offer will be.
Candidate defines working with a diverse community as gals, foreigners and Vietmanese. (check the spelling).
Candidate referred to himself in the third person for the ENTIRE INTERVIEW.
Employees
Employee likes to play Solitaire on the work computer and can’t figure out why that’s a problem. (Um, we don’t employ professional Solitaire players)
Employee doesn’t make it to work because it was just a day, “she didn’t feel like working.” Wow.
Employee didn’t understand the rebuke from a married colleague. Can we say stalker? (He didn’t last)
Two employees get into a fight over a paperweight.
Supervisors
Had a supervisor advise me on an employee problem, “well SOMEBODY needs to talk to her.” (Well dude, that would be YOU)
Had a supervisor want to allow a psycho- employee retract a letter of resignation. Um no.
Had a supervisor, advocating for an employee raise, tell me personally that she really didn’t want him to get anything. Really could I fire him? (Head shaking) WHAT??
Supervisor thinks we all need to ‘hug more.’ (Can we say harassment?)
Had a supervisor complain that our office thinks candidates just ‘fall out of the sky.” (Well actually, we keep them freeze-dried in the closet and when you call our office and place the order, we just add water).
(it’s almost as good as Monty Python) Who WOULDN’T want this job?
3 Comments on “So you want my job?”
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Posted on 11. August 2008 at 17:04
I would LOVE it if a candidate referred to himself in the third person throughout the interview. I would start doing it back: “Tell me about one of John Smith’s biggest challenges.”
Posted on 12. August 2008 at 03:47
I laughed out loud at this list!!
Two employees get into a fight over a paperweight…yes. Been there - seen that ( though I think it might have been a stapler…)
And the employee who was seconded to our office from overseas and spent a huge chunk of her day online keeping up with her family and friends back home. Asked why she did not do that in the evening she said that she had no access to the internet outside the office. She was pointed to the nearest internet cafe. Improved her social life too!
Posted on 12. August 2008 at 05:22
Working with people is always something. I think the best part of the job is being ready for anything that comes at us! Keeps us sort of edgy, in an intellectual sort of way.