loose cannons, interviews from the toilet, and other stories of ridiculous job candidates by Alison Green on August 2, 2016 A couple of weeks ago, I asked readers to share the weirdest or worst behavior they’ve ever seen from job candidates. The entire thing ended up being hilarious, but here are 12 of my favorites: 1. The winner of them all Listed in the “interests” section of a managerial candidate’s resume: “shitting.” Candidate called us shortly after […] Read the full article →
my company asks personal, invasive questions about your childhood and adolescence by Alison Green on July 27, 2016 A reader writes: I’ve been working for the past three years at a large global organization. After three interviews, I was brought on board for a one-year trial period, a common situation for junior staff, and I was recommended to go through the formal hiring process at the end of that first year. Thus began […] Read the full article →
how should we handle job candidates who show up for interviews way too early? by Alison Green on July 26, 2016 A reader writes: I’ve seen a lot of mentions on your blog about candidates who arrive too early (including that it is not something top candidates do). Accepting that there will always be some people who will show up early anyway, do you have any suggestions on mitigating the awkwardness that ensues if someone is […] Read the full article →
how do I ask references about a candidate’s personality? by Alison Green on July 7, 2016 A reader writes: I am a manager at a nonprofit and hire part-time workers to work in recreation-type centers across the city. Since they are working with kids, adults, volunteers, stakeholders, etc., strong interpersonal skills are part of what we look for. However, interviews make people nervous, and it can be a little hard to […] Read the full article →
job candidates who call for more information before we’ve invited them to interview by Alison Green on May 2, 2016 A reader writes: I work for a company with a very small number of permanent employees (10) that employs a large number of entry-level seasonal workers (~25) at a couple points in the year. The company is so small that we don’t have landlines; we just have company cell phones, and we have no HR […] Read the full article →
why are job candidates balking at an interview over lunch? by Alison Green on March 28, 2016 A reader writes: I am a recruiter for medical offices. I have been in business for 18 years. Most of that time, I have had a home office. I typically will interview my prospects (99% women) at a café or coffee shop. However, my latest client is a single man who is hiring an administrative […] Read the full article →
should pet peeves impact a hiring decision? by Alison Green on March 24, 2016 A reader writes: I am hiring for a position that I will manage. Our office is small (fewer than 20 people), so this individual and I will work together very closely. I know selecting interviewees and employees is not truly “fair,” but how much should someone touching on my pet peeves impact the decision to […] Read the full article →
what to do if you catch a job candidate lying in an interview by Alison Green on March 16, 2016 A reader writes: I work in software development. As a part of our interview process, I ask a series of technical questions. In the past five years of interviewing, I’ve managed to catch two applicants boldface lying/cheating (by looking up the answers online) during a phone interview. The first time, I didn’t say anything to […] Read the full article →
how to reject an internal job candidate by Alison Green on February 19, 2016 A reader writes: I was just promoted at work, into a position that comes with an assistant. The hiring process for the assistant was already underway. I really like one of the candidates and I was ready to hire her. But at the last minute, the person who is temporarily in the assistant role applied. I […] Read the full article →
should you penalize job candidates who apply at the last minute? by Alison Green on February 12, 2016 A reader writes: How do you feel about job applicants who wait until the very last day/minute to apply for a position? I’m hiring and have had a posting up for just over three weeks and received plenty of applications, but received a mountain on the very last day, and I find this happens often. […] Read the full article →