A few weeks ago I went for an interview by a local the organization, a small business looking to grow in the fuel industry they own several service stations according to their website. So here's what happened, I was called for an interview at a local firm in Tynwald, believe me I'm tempted to mention the name but unfortunately I'm not on a name and shame but I hope they see this blog and learn how to handle prospect employees. The interview was for sales and marketing people and was at 8am and I arrived 15 minutes earlier and found 2 other people waiting for the same interview sitting on an old bench outsider. I asked if they saw anyone else because when I barrived I looked for the reception first before I saw the guard who politely asked me to sit where others were sitting as instructed. We sat there for an hour and not a single employee attended to us to just apologize and update us on why there was such a delay. A few minutes after 9 one of the guys waiting for the interview decided to go ask if they knew we were waiting for them, shortly he came with a shocking excuse that they were waiting for someone. A few minutes later another guy came along (for an interview) and asked for updates and we told him we were not attended, then he decided to go because he was convinced that people who are not time conscious are not professional. Then at 10 O'Clock we were called up 1*1 for some kind of test or exam with a few questions to be answered, after filling all the details we were rudely told to wait on that old bench in the sun. Well before I wrote the test the lady taking up people for interviews asked me for a hard copy of my CV, which I told her I didn't have since she had already received my CV on email and called me for an interview. She didn't ask me to bring a hardcopy of my CV. This incident demotivated me to the last extent because I expected them to have my CV on email or print it out since I sent an email in the first place. So after I was told to wait outside for some more minutes or hours who knew I decided to give them 15 minutes only since I had already spent 2 good hours without production earlier to top that I had to go back to work. So I decided to leave, and I noticed 2 other people following me out of the 5, and they complained all the way and we're furious. The HR team now started to chase after us asking us to come back after they had ignored us and had rude responses to each and every one of us. These are the reasons that made them furious: First things first the lady was rude as if we were desperate for a job and their company was the last on earth. Their employees lack training, no one even attended us or at least show interest in us, it was as if we were trash or a threat to them. What of we were clients??? Very poor time management. I was late for work that They lied that they resurfaced their road on their website as part of corporate social responsibility. What makes you think a company like that sticks to it's promises to you.
What I realized; It is vital to (1) place a value on yourself based on your qualifications, experience and personality and as a human being. No one has the right to treat you like trash. People forget that they might be employing a person who might quickly rise and become your boss, then what? Unprofessional people think that a person coming for an interview is desperate. I for one, am not desperate for a job, there are a lot of jobs in my field, only good ones who compensate well are few but it's not like you will see a marketer at home starving because they didn't find a job, no way! (2) You can identify an incompetent and unprofessional employer just by the way you're treated when you go for an interview. One of the most important signs is poor time management, then treatment by the staff, those guys were so unwelcoming I wonder how they work. In my next blog I'm going to specify the difference between, marketing, sales and brand ambassadors. Most small businesses tend to confuse those. There is no such thing as marketing people.
Please share your thoughts and comments so that others may benefit. HR professionals are encouraged to to help shade the light on why some organizations do this. Ryan Chiweshe
Well said 🤝