Sunday, September 9, 2007

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.

3 comments:

  1. Hey "An Error" - just shows off the other faces of the HR... yeah its a gud one...i do really love it...great work arthi.. though they look for some criteria from ppl but they never used to follow it...cause they are already working and moreover they too humans(can do mistakes but should rectify).. its not like i do support them... but just a suggestion.... here comes an another 'error' from my side...just kidding...

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  2. hmm.. nice post aarti.. interesting... eppadi irrukai.. hows life??:)
    btw.. ive tagged u in my blog.. continue this chain if possible... heres the link..
    http://drshashikant.blogspot.com/2007/09/tagged.html

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  3. @selva
    not funny...

    @shashi
    Nalla iruken...:)

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