Comments on: Want to get the job? Don’t make people hate you by stalking them. http://www.radiantveracity.com/2009/05/want-to-get-the-job-dont-make-people-mad-by-stalking-them/ Where Talent Strategies + Social Media Intersect Sun, 31 Oct 2010 11:52:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Announcing a new series featuring profiles of job seekers! http://www.radiantveracity.com/2009/05/want-to-get-the-job-dont-make-people-mad-by-stalking-them/comment-page-1/#comment-1297 Announcing a new series featuring profiles of job seekers! Mon, 18 Jan 2010 21:21:20 +0000 http://radiantveracity.wordpress.com/?p=417#comment-1297 [...] I have said in numerous posts that it’s not a recruiter’s job to find you a job. [...] [...] I have said in numerous posts that it’s not a recruiter’s job to find you a job. [...]

]]> By: Ten resume tips for the non-HR job seeker « PseudoHR http://www.radiantveracity.com/2009/05/want-to-get-the-job-dont-make-people-mad-by-stalking-them/comment-page-1/#comment-23 Ten resume tips for the non-HR job seeker « PseudoHR Sun, 31 May 2009 23:15:44 +0000 http://radiantveracity.wordpress.com/?p=417#comment-23 [...] fax and mail the resume or follow up with a call about dropping off your resume; that is form of recruiter stalking and its drives us batty. Follow [...] [...] fax and mail the resume or follow up with a call about dropping off your resume; that is form of recruiter stalking and its drives us batty. Follow [...]

]]> By: Krista Francis http://www.radiantveracity.com/2009/05/want-to-get-the-job-dont-make-people-mad-by-stalking-them/comment-page-1/#comment-22 Krista Francis Tue, 26 May 2009 22:02:42 +0000 http://radiantveracity.wordpress.com/?p=417#comment-22 Wow, great post. It is disruptive to have to stop what I'm doing to take multiple calls like this everyday. I'm not sure where people learned that they need to call (and keep calling and keep calling) to check on the status of their resume, but it's the one piece of job-seeking advice many people have taken to heart and run with! They will ignore every other tip in the book (like spell-checking), LOL, but they won't let this one go. I've also had people call me with an accusatory tone of voice saying "I sent a resume two days ago and I *still* haven't heard from you!" Where does the sense of entitlement come from, I wonder? I do send a receipt in response to each emailed resume, but that's about all I have time for, unless I actually want to contact you to discuss a position. Sometimes when people call 'just checking on the status of my application,' I'm half-tempted to tell them the truth: it's sitting in a pile. LOL, yep, you asked, you wanted to know, and that's the truth! Wow, great post. It is disruptive to have to stop what I’m doing to take multiple calls like this everyday. I’m not sure where people learned that they need to call (and keep calling and keep calling) to check on the status of their resume, but it’s the one piece of job-seeking advice many people have taken to heart and run with! They will ignore every other tip in the book (like spell-checking), LOL, but they won’t let this one go.

I’ve also had people call me with an accusatory tone of voice saying “I sent a resume two days ago and I *still* haven’t heard from you!” Where does the sense of entitlement come from, I wonder? I do send a receipt in response to each emailed resume, but that’s about all I have time for, unless I actually want to contact you to discuss a position.

Sometimes when people call ‘just checking on the status of my application,’ I’m half-tempted to tell them the truth: it’s sitting in a pile. LOL, yep, you asked, you wanted to know, and that’s the truth!

]]> By: Karla Porter http://www.radiantveracity.com/2009/05/want-to-get-the-job-dont-make-people-mad-by-stalking-them/comment-page-1/#comment-21 Karla Porter Tue, 19 May 2009 03:17:42 +0000 http://radiantveracity.wordpress.com/?p=417#comment-21 As a Corporate Recruiter I had this type of persistent unprofessional "follow-up" on several occasions as well as threats of "If you don't hire me I'll claim discrimination" and an actual frivolous EEOC complaint which made me wish my phone calls were recorded. It's the complete opposite of the great resume in your face that seems to have no valid contact information. It could be chalked up to unprofessionalism or desperation or both, but I tend to think it is simply the manifestation of unfortunate compulsive behavior. No one in their right mind could be "pressured" into giving someone an interview much less resisting the urge to shred a resume. After a while I learned to manage candidates and adopted the following approach which worked out very well for me. I would send a receipt of resume email clearly stating that contact would be made in 2 business days if there was a potential match for a current position. If not, resumes would be kept on file in a searchable database that would be consulted only if and when there were other opportunities and further contact could not be expected unless there were a potential match. I learned not to commit to or decline a next step during a phone screen, instead indicating that next step notification would be made by email. And so on and so forth, each step notification was promised by email. If I were really interested I would call the candidate back in a few hours but that expectation was never set. All calls went directly to voice mail to be screened even if not on a call. It took time to discipline myself in this way and to figure out a system that worked for me, but when I found it I found it worked quite well. Of course I had an enormous amount of wonderful experiences with candidates as well, some so memorable I will never forget them in a very endearing way. Every job has its potential hazard and working with people opens us to an infinite amount of behaviors. As a Corporate Recruiter I had this type of persistent unprofessional “follow-up” on several occasions as well as threats of “If you don’t hire me I’ll claim discrimination” and an actual frivolous EEOC complaint which made me wish my phone calls were recorded. It’s the complete opposite of the great resume in your face that seems to have no valid contact information.

It could be chalked up to unprofessionalism or desperation or both, but I tend to think it is simply the manifestation of unfortunate compulsive behavior. No one in their right mind could be “pressured” into giving someone an interview much less resisting the urge to shred a resume.

After a while I learned to manage candidates and adopted the following approach which worked out very well for me.

I would send a receipt of resume email clearly stating that contact would be made in 2 business days if there was a potential match for a current position. If not, resumes would be kept on file in a searchable database that would be consulted only if and when there were other opportunities and further contact could not be expected unless there were a potential match.

I learned not to commit to or decline a next step during a phone screen, instead indicating that next step notification would be made by email. And so on and so forth, each step notification was promised by email. If I were really interested I would call the candidate back in a few hours but that expectation was never set.

All calls went directly to voice mail to be screened even if not on a call. It took time to discipline myself in this way and to figure out a system that worked for me, but when I found it I found it worked quite well.

Of course I had an enormous amount of wonderful experiences with candidates as well, some so memorable I will never forget them in a very endearing way. Every job has its potential hazard and working with people opens us to an infinite amount of behaviors.

]]> By: Want to get the job? Check your inner stalker at the door. radiantveracity.wordpress.com - Twitoaster http://www.radiantveracity.com/2009/05/want-to-get-the-job-dont-make-people-mad-by-stalking-them/comment-page-1/#comment-20 Want to get the job? Check your inner stalker at the door. radiantveracity.wordpress.com - Twitoaster Mon, 18 May 2009 23:56:42 +0000 http://radiantveracity.wordpress.com/?p=417#comment-20 [...] ATLRecruiter  7 hours ago Want to get the job? Check your inner stalker at the door. http://radiantveracity.wordpress.com/200... [...] [...] ATLRecruiter  7 hours ago Want to get the job? Check your inner stalker at the door. http://radiantveracity.wordpress.com/200... [...]

]]> By: Ask a Manager http://www.radiantveracity.com/2009/05/want-to-get-the-job-dont-make-people-mad-by-stalking-them/comment-page-1/#comment-19 Ask a Manager Mon, 18 May 2009 23:43:04 +0000 http://radiantveracity.wordpress.com/?p=417#comment-19 Stephanie, great post! I wish people realized that stalking can be a deal-breaker; when I'm hiring, I'm looking for people who demonstrate some business savvy ... or at least don't demonstrate a lack of it, by this kind of stalkerish behavior. Stephanie, great post! I wish people realized that stalking can be a deal-breaker; when I’m hiring, I’m looking for people who demonstrate some business savvy … or at least don’t demonstrate a lack of it, by this kind of stalkerish behavior.

]]> By: Dana http://www.radiantveracity.com/2009/05/want-to-get-the-job-dont-make-people-mad-by-stalking-them/comment-page-1/#comment-18 Dana Mon, 18 May 2009 21:21:43 +0000 http://radiantveracity.wordpress.com/?p=417#comment-18 STephanie, I completely agree and I posted about this last week on my twitter acct. I had an employee referral, whom I screened, mostly as a courtesy at the time. I told him things were loosening up out there and to stayed tuned, I may have something for him. He also mentioned he'd reached out to other people at the company, which I said, "fine, great!- in this market, you have to continue to network!". Well, lo and behold a week later, I had something he may fit and immediately called him and submitted to hiring manager. They interviewed him right away- in the interim, he called me every day, and emailed after the voicemail, starting before 6am my time (home office). He was nice, but kind of driving me crazy. Anyway, interview did not work out, and I told him this, and he proceeded to contradict himself with me and the interviewer feedback in addition to emailing and calling multiple names he had at the company. I just started to get annoyed. The end result- I tried to help this guy, was really proactive about it, and now I am loathe to present him for anything else that may come up because he drove me completely crazy with his persistence. So yes, there is definitely a fine line. Be professional and ask for constructive feedback... and everything else you mentioned above! STephanie, I completely agree and I posted about this last week on my twitter acct. I had an employee referral, whom I screened, mostly as a courtesy at the time. I told him things were loosening up out there and to stayed tuned, I may have something for him. He also mentioned he’d reached out to other people at the company, which I said, “fine, great!- in this market, you have to continue to network!”. Well, lo and behold a week later, I had something he may fit and immediately called him and submitted to hiring manager. They interviewed him right away- in the interim, he called me every day, and emailed after the voicemail, starting before 6am my time (home office). He was nice, but kind of driving me crazy.
Anyway, interview did not work out, and I told him this, and he proceeded to contradict himself with me and the interviewer feedback in addition to emailing and calling multiple names he had at the company. I just started to get annoyed. The end result- I tried to help this guy, was really proactive about it, and now I am loathe to present him for anything else that may come up because he drove me completely crazy with his persistence.

So yes, there is definitely a fine line. Be professional and ask for constructive feedback… and everything else you mentioned above!

]]> By: Paula Wood http://www.radiantveracity.com/2009/05/want-to-get-the-job-dont-make-people-mad-by-stalking-them/comment-page-1/#comment-16 Paula Wood Mon, 18 May 2009 17:28:49 +0000 http://radiantveracity.wordpress.com/?p=417#comment-16 This post made me laugh out loud. I love my candidates and know that even though they aren't the ones who pay me, I would not be successful without them. I appreciate the relationship I am able to develop with each of them and feel great satisfaction in my ability to help them to make a successful career transition. Having said that, it is important for candidates to know the different types of recruiters that are out there and what their role is in helping them. As Stephanie said, "Be politely persistent, and understand and respect the process." Paula Wood www.financerecruiter.com Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/paulawood Twitter: http://www.twiter.com/@financejobs This post made me laugh out loud. I love my candidates and know that even though they aren’t the ones who pay me, I would not be successful without them. I appreciate the relationship I am able to develop with each of them and feel great satisfaction in my ability to help them to make a successful career transition.

Having said that, it is important for candidates to know the different types of recruiters that are out there and what their role is in helping them. As Stephanie said, “Be politely persistent, and understand and respect the process.”

Paula Wood
http://www.financerecruiter.com
Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/paulawood
Twitter: http://www.twiter.com/@financejobs

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