An Error

Desired profile:
Candidate has to be highly assertive, with excellent communication skills. He/She should be able to interact with customers effectively and should have a pleasing personality.

The above lines were the description given in a job search website for the position of an HR professional.

My Experiences:

Org 1- Nokia

The HR Executive welcomed me with a friendly smile. She asked me to wait in a room until the interviewer arrives. Since it was their lunch hour she asked whether I had my lunch and told me that I still have time to grab a bite in their canteen. After the interview she came back to me enquiring how the interview was and how did I perform. This was the first and last time I had seen such a friendly person.

Org 2 (Over the phone)

HR- Is this Aarthi? [No Ms or Mrs. not even my surname]
HR- I tried to reach you a lot of times but couldn’t.
Me- Oh really!! I have been waiting for your call so I returned all my missed calls and I am sure didn’t get any calls from you.
HR- [Not bothered about what I said] asked about my qualifications.
[After a series of conversations] Will call you soon.
Me- After 2 weeks time I called her.
HR- Why did you call me? I said I will.
Me- Ya, but it has been 2 weeks already and that’s why…….even before I finished.
HR- I’m out on a holiday call me back after this weekend.
And it was me who called her after that-always. It was an STD call and she made me wait for more than 5 mins while I could hear her chatting with her friend on some other line.

Org 3

This person was the best-I still doubt whether he knows how to smile. Some questions he had asked me

* What do you want?
* So what?
* Do you drive? [This was totally irrelevant to what we were discussing]
* Do you think you’ll do well in the next round? [In spite me doing absolutely well in the previous round]
* What have you been doing all these days?

Org 4

Monday-After introducing ourselves
Me- This person had asked me to meet you regarding this.
HR- Sorry who?
Me- I repeated.
HR-Just wait for a few minutes.

After 10 minutes
HR- We have certain things to be sorted out between us so you may go now and you have to come back when I call u.
Me- But that person told he had informed you already and all I have to do is just collect the form from you. [I had to travel for more than an hour and just did nothing]
HR- No, I’ll call you. You can come then.
Me- Ok, so when can I expect a call from you and do you have my contact number.
HR-Ya, I have all your details and I’ll call you before this Thursday.

Friday
I called him. I got the number by searching in google.
Me- Hi, This is Aarthi, we met this Monday.
HR- I told I’ll call you, Right. [Believe me it was so harsh]
Me- Ya, but you said you’ll call me before Thursday and today is Friday.
HR- Telling someone’s name-has gone out of station, will call you once he returns. You need not call me until then.

I thought HR executives are meant to be friendly, if not friendly at least not rude, but most of my experiences were very bad. I don’t know why they have to be like this, is that to show that it is not sure that I will be working with them or there is no need/gain for them to be friendly or it is to just create seriousness or they all have never been like that before?????? When I asked my friends regarding this, they said it was very common!!!!! and the best way to handle this is to just neglect their harsh words and reactions.

I feel the graduates who would be tensed already might get more tensed coz of such rendezvous. Eventually, more than the interview and the questions I started to fear the HR people. So, now-a-days I prepare myself to be as friendly as possible and to carry a smile always so that even the most lifeless face can lighten up seeing a smile.

Just compare my experiences[Actual Result] and the lines I had mentioned about HR Executives in the beginning[Expected Result]. I learnt that Error exists when expected result is not = to the actual result. ER is not equal to AR.