This open letter is actually an email I shot to the HR department of a leading MNC after they invited my application for a post they had already rejected/ignored/belittled me for.
Hello The HR,
I don’t shave often. Now read on…
It's ironical as well as disheartening that the HR & Recruitment module in India is such a typical example of zero coordination and mismanagement. And your department, apparently, is no different. I’ll tell you why.
About a month back, I appeared in the same MB division of the same T Group in the very same building. The other person marked in this mail was the HR/Recruiter coordinating with me. After I sailed through round one, I timely appeared for the final round and met with one Mr. P. The interaction was pleasant and while leaving, I requested the decision be let known to me ASAP. Have I heard from your department ever since? No sir!
I understand I may not have been selected and you may have found a more capable and qualified candidate. However, I cannot, for the life of me, understand how hard it is to explain the same situation to a hopeful. On top of everything, you send me a mail again to invite my application for a similar profile. You’ve got to have balls the size of the rocks of Gibraltar.
Are you kidding me? I do not know how HR executives today are reckless enough to not even maintain a streamlined, updated database of potential candidate. Heck, I don’t know the H of Human Resource and even I maintain a sheet of 130+ candidates I have interviewed in my present company – punctuated with comments, statuses, the works. Let me know if your people need pointers.
Please understand I’m not singling you out here. In fact, it’s not even your fault that you sent this mail to me. But you now know who to blame in your department. This letter is just an angry rant against all those recruiters who ditch candidates right after they’ve had their way with them (read got them to interview, after all).
I’ve had similar experiences with other companies too. Companies who have literally begged (I hate to use this word, but oh well) me to come over for an ‘interaction’. I’m just disgusted with the casual attitude of recruiters in general. They go all out in ‘courting’ the candidate till the time he turns up for the interview. I have made amply clear what happens after that.
Please understand that whenever a candidate interviews with you, besides a lot of hope, he invests his time, effort and aptitude just to catch your fancy. If the incumbent is someone like myself, he even goes through the painful ritual of shaving, combing and dressing up every time he’s supposed to ‘discuss’ his probable stint with your company. The least you can do in return is tell the god forsaken bum he’s not selected. Shouldn’t take much!
Oh, and by the way, I’d still turn up for that interview you lined up. Yeah, the industry’s that pathetic! And I’ll come clean-shaven. Please send me the interview details if, and when, Your Majesty decides to see me.
Best,
The Hapless Applicant.