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Original poster

Should I take this rude reply further?

132 replies

livingontheedgeee · 09/02/2019 23:12

I recently applied for a job working as a PA to the CEO in a local company.

I wasn't selected for an interview which is fair enough but I did ask the company for some feedback on my application so I could adjust my CV to better showcase my skills.

The response I received from the HR Director was frankly quite shocking - so much it actually upset me.

To paraphrase, he suggested if they offered me the role they would run the risk of needing to re-advertise after 6 months. He told me I must believe their system of selection was flawed and that I was clearly bitter about the fact I wasn't taken any further.

I was very polite in my email and just wanted critical feedback - something which is commonplace when applying for a job. His grammar and spelling was atrocious and after reading the entire email, I was shocked at having been spoken to like I was shit on his shoe.

Should I make a formal complaint or do you think it might just come across as sour grapes and I should let it go?

OP posts:
tessieandoz · 10/02/2019 08:33

ILoveMaxiBondi
Yes !!!

SpanielEars070 · 10/02/2019 09:12

As someone who received over 200 applications for a very niche role and realising that 99% of them had chosen to ignore the line in the advert where it said "Must have previous experience", I got really pissed off when people asked for feedback on why they hadn't got an interview. I decided fairly early on that most people had applied purely to meet their quota of applications for their jobseekers allowance.....

If you want someone to judge your CV, go to a professional. This HR guy was rude, and that wasn't warranted, but imagine if everyone who didn't fit the bill had asked him the same.......

Sometimes it's really hard to put into words why someone isn't suitable..... you've had too many jobs, you've not done enough personal development, you can't actually do the job you're applying for, I don't have time to train you and need someone to talk into the door and lift the load off my shoulders.....

DoingMyBest2010 · 10/02/2019 09:15

Not great publicity for the company. Post it on LinkedIn :-), sounds like Chris has fucked up here!

Coffeethrowtrampbitch · 10/02/2019 09:21

Put a review on www.glassdoor.co.uk and copy and paste his and your emails as part of a review of their company.

Then email a link to the CEO.

A former colleague of dh did this at his last job, they ended up having to have the site blocked as the CEO demanded the review be taken down and it couldn't be as it was factual!

Pomello · 10/02/2019 09:26

I'm shocked on OP's behalf. A polite email does not deserve a rude reply, no matter what the 'cause' of her ineligibility for interview.

@coffeethrowtrampbitch can you do that! I'd be tempted to do it when I had another job.

Pomello · 10/02/2019 09:33

If your name is very unusual anyway, leave it til after you get a job. If your name is claire smith do it now!

Sarahjconnor · 10/02/2019 09:54

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Orchiddingme · 10/02/2019 09:54

I think you pissed the person off by asking for feedback on a CV. They shouldn't have let themselves get irritated by it, but your email comes over to me like you are questioning their procedures a bit and want them to justify why your CV isn't good enough.

I don't think that's what you intended, but it isn't conventional to ask for feedback on a CV and as a sometimes recruiter myself, I would be quite annoyed at having to respond to an email about this (mildly annoyed like, I've got a lot to do and this really isn't necessary).

That's why I'd leave it- you were asking for an extra which really isn't in the remit of the person, they are not there to give you CV advice! Or further justify why you didn't get an interview.

Of course the HR manager should have said this politely, I may well have just ignored the email as I couldn't respond to everyone who sent in a CV with personalized feedback ever and wouldn't see it as my job.

missbattenburg · 10/02/2019 09:55

Sometimes it's really hard to put into words why someone isn't suitable

It should be very easy to put into words. Defining why someone is or isn't suitable in clear and objective terms is the role of the recruiter. Anything less leaves the company open to discrimination accusations. As we can see here.

I'm shocked on OP's behalf. A polite email does not deserve a rude reply, no matter what the 'cause' of her ineligibility for interview.

Totally agree with this.

Springwalk · 10/02/2019 09:55

You sound great!!!
Which is more than can be said for HIM.
Consider it a lucky escape! I would reply with words to that effect. But that is just me, I can be a snappy old dragon with rude people.

The dignified reply would be;

Thank you for your reply, it was very enlightening.
I shall look forward to working with an established, respectable company /firm/office that values enquiring minds and critical thinking skills.
Wishing you every success finding someone prepared to work with you.
YS
Op

Myimaginarycathasfleas · 10/02/2019 10:02

It’s perfectly reasonable and normal to ask for feedback. A professional outfit should be able to produce this easily from the notes taken during selection or interview. No need to be rude about it.

They sound like they could be a nightmare to work for, definitely a bullet dodged, OP.

SleepOhHowIMissYou · 10/02/2019 10:03

Have you changed jobs a lot OP? Do you have a lot of positions where you've only stayed 6 months on your CV? If yes, then this is what this person meant with their (clumsy, rude and unprofessional) reply.

Romanov · 10/02/2019 10:03

can you post the reply (removing details obviously?)

oldmum22 · 10/02/2019 10:06

Springwalk ...I love how you think !!!!

In my old job we had an acronym titled FART, factual, actual, relevant and topical and your response covers that beautifully .

icannotremember · 10/02/2019 10:07

I'd reply to his email with the CEO cc'd in, just saying "thank you for your response", and then I'd forget about them. You really don't want to work with people like that, do you? What an awful culture that company must have for one of the employees to think that was acceptable.

Bluntness100 · 10/02/2019 10:09

Can you post his response?

In my experience feedback is usually requested after interview, not on an application only. I mean who has time for that. And yes, I can easily believe they had thirty odd applicants in a day,

So I'm wondering also if you've interpreted it wrongly.

Orchiddingme · 10/02/2019 10:09

It’s perfectly reasonable and normal to ask for feedback. A professional outfit should be able to produce this easily from the notes taken during selection or interview

I don't think it's reasonable and normal to ask for feedback on an online or CV based application at all. If you've been part way through the selection process, say a telephone or face to face interview, yes, but surely with a CV what is there to say other than other CV's met the job spec more clearly?

Most jobs I've applied for, and when I recruit assistants, it says that if you don't get through to the interview you won't hear anything at all! So, the company was being kind by letting the OP know she hadn't got an interview and they wouldn't be taking it further, this is more than most large recruiters nowadays.

There's also the legal issue- if they gave feedback on a CV only application they may be exposing themselves to discrimination claims or even just complaints such as the one suggested here. That's probably why most large organizations do not contact you after an application unless it has been successful in getting you an interview.

Springwalk · 10/02/2019 10:10

oldmum22GrinGrin thank you, I feel for op she sounds like a really good candidate. Totally their loss

Bluntness100 · 10/02/2019 10:14

It’s perfectly reasonable and normal to ask for feedback

No it's really not. It's normal to ask after interview when you weren't selected, it's not the norm to ask for cv advice.

And I think it can be interpreted as a passive aggressive way of asking why she didn't get an interview.

ivykaty44 · 10/02/2019 10:16

Oh sorry I didn’t realise it was CV help, I thought it was interview feedback after not being selected.

NunoGoncalves · 10/02/2019 10:20

I do agree that in my experience, asking for feedback when you didn't even reach an interview is unusual. But that doesn't really justify a rude response, so I'd still want to know, if I was this person's boss.

Juells · 10/02/2019 10:22

Am I the only one who wants the OP to copy/paste the reply so we can all tear it to shreds? 😅😅😅

DontCallMeCharlotte · 10/02/2019 10:23

I had an interview for a similar role. Having been in constant work and only changing jobs if headhunted, this was my first "cold" interview for over two decades and my performance was quite frankly appalling! Obviously I didn't get the job but I decided to give them some feedback as they had kept me waiting for nearly an hour and then an alarm went off on the HR person's phone and she had to disappear to do another interview (obviously weren't going to keep them waiting although actually I presume it was a crafty technique to wrap up my interview).

To his credit, the CEO responded graciously and we had a mildly amusing email exchange. Still didn't get the job of course but I did feel better about myself afterwards.

You're clearly better off out of there OP.

Nomorepies · 10/02/2019 10:24

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ on the poster's request.

AzureApps · 10/02/2019 10:26

I am surprised that he took the time to reply and I wouldn’t bother complaining further.