rude applicant

Caroliso

I interviewed Jock for an AA position. He had a bit of a negative atttidue with regard to his former employers, and that, plus his lacking some required skills compared with the successful candidate, cost him our job.

He called me to ask me "some follow-up questions." They were nothing not already covered in the interview, so I saw them as an attempt to keep himself fresh in my mind, I guess, and to see if persistance would win him the job.

He called me one final time on the day I said I would be deciding, to find out the outcome. When I told him, he asked the usual question, "what did the successful candidate have that I didn't?" I answered briefly (I know, I know), he hesitated and showed me his disappointment by dragging out his response to my two or three closing comments (one of which was "hello?" because I was getting nothing but silence on the phone). My final comment illicited the words "boilerplate comment" from him. Well, it was, of course, but that's neither here nor there.

Here's my minor dilemma. I am sending all those interviewed and not selected a turndown letter, including one woman i delivered the same message to by e-mail. But I would simply rather not send it to Jock. I don't want to give him another reason to focus on this unhappy and "frustrating" (his word) event.

Do I need to send him the letter in the spirit of treating all applicants the same? Or so I can say I sent him a TD letter if he ever claims he didn't get a response on the outcome?

Carol

Parabeagle

I'd go ahead and send it. Generally, you can't go wrong by treating all applicants equally. Dealing with 'frustrated' applicants who don't get the job is a fact of life in our profession.

Caroliso

You're right, Parabeagle, it's just been awhile since I've encountered someone who was so unsuccessful at hiding it... or wasn't trying to.
I would have thought someone with his job history would know that was the kiss of death. Maybe he concluded I'd already written him off completely so he thought he had little to lose.

crawfod

I would probably send him a letter, although you could justify not doing so by saying you personally gave him your answer, but I would word it briefly and not imply anything negative about his qualifications or positive about his future prospects.

gismo

I also would send out the letter, again, just to validate that you did end the process with him.

Balloonman1

You could refernce your conversation that you had told him this over the phone. "As we discussed on the phone a more qualified candidate was chosen....."

My $0.02 worth,
The Balloonman

Caroliso

>You could refernce your conversation that you
>had told him this over the phone. "As we
>discussed on the phone a more qualified
>candidate was chosen....."
>
Good suggestion, Balloonman. Thanks, and thanks to everyone who replied.

Carol

Caroliso

A follow-up:

I did send the letter as described above and I got a rude follow-up voicemail message that left me a little unnerved. His last sentence was "*(&(D you all." I'm sure others of you have heard worse, and as the days go by i'm less worried about him doing anything more, but I must say I didn't sleep well that first night, and the next day made sure our receptionist was on the lookout for his call or possible visit to our offices.
All I can say other than that I'm not sure I'd send the letter if I had to do it over, is that we sure dodged a bullet. I hate to think of the HR problems I would have inherited with him in the work force.

crawfod

Sorry for your stress. Can you save the voicemail or at least write it down verbatim? You'll probably never hear from him again, but this type of response should be saved, just in case.
As to not sending the letter, you may be right, but then again, he could still be calling you regularly. He obviously got the point from your letter.

Caroliso

Yes, I have saved the voicemail and will take your suggestion to transcribe it or see if it can be downloaded in some was, as or system purges voicemail messages after 30 days.

pork1

I agree you made the right call, don't doubt your actions and professional things to do and to do it right the first time. Your alert to the receptionist is also a good idea, so you can be prepared with the next professional thing is to issue a "NO TRESPASS", NO LONGER WELCOME TO STEP ONTO THE COMPANY PROPERTY WITHOUT AN APPOINTMENT!
I have had to issue numerous "NO TRESPASS" letters for negative attitude x-employees. Once they have this letter and they violate the warning we call the local police authority and have them removed or arrested for trespassing. They letter is required, even though, you may have verbally warned the individual.

PORK

Caroliso

Pork, that's good to know. There have been no further contacts so I think I'll hold this in my back pocket.

LarryC

The fact that he left a voicemail rather than talk to you directly tells me that the guy is a coward and probably doesn't need to be worried about. BUT ya' never know, I guess. You did right on being proactive.

Caroliso

I had the same thought, Larry, but i think it wise to keep my eyes open and not assume anything. I read too much mystery and thriller fiction (not to mention newspapers) to feel comforted by my own amateur psychology :-S

Whirlwind

GRRRR. Doesn't that just make you want to call him back and say "#@*# you too!"? I know, I know -- we're supposed to be Better Than That. Still, this is among my fantasy scenarios for when I reach my last day of employment in the HR field.

But, Caroliso, you totally did the right thing and you ARE better than that.

Balloonman1

If you have a good large caliber handgun you could keep it in your briefcase for a couple of days..........nothing more soothing than having you Glock within reach!

The Balloonman

PS IF you don't own a gun I could make you up a balloon lazergun or sword....just let me know.

Caroliso

Balloonman, tempting thought, but I think the world is better off with Caroliso sans firepower! Waterpistol maybe.....

Caroliso

Whirl, a couple of times during the course of this I had to stop myself from saying something like "Mr., what in the world are you thinking? Has no one ever talked to you about burning bridges? D'ya think maybe I might at some time in the future have another opening you might have been eligible for?"

I am indeed better than that, or at least smart enough to know that getting the last word in is not a game i want to play with this guy.