Husband sent cringy email to recruiter. If you’re a recruiter would this put you off?

[Winterleaves1]

My husband is a qualified doctor but not eligible to work in the U.K. at the moment as he has exams to complete specific to the U.K.
While he’s studying for his exams I work in clinical trials and found a job that would be perfect for him. He’s Indian and has good English but doesn’t know how to word job applications so I helped him with the application. It took two hours as it was really long and I wanted to make sure it was spot on. I submitted the application for him. I have no connection with the employer at all. I just work in a similar field.
He came back to me and said the job application has an email for an informal chat or to ask any questions. He said he would email to introduce himself and let the manager know he is interested in the position.
Now I know in some countries this may be seen as proactive and increase your chances but I know from my managers opinion it’s been seen as annoying and socially awkward. It has definitely put them off and generally made them think the applicant didn’t understand British culture and wouldn’t fit in well within the team. Bit harsh but I’m just going by what their reaction has been when someone has done this.
They’ve also said the email should only be used for questions as the managers are busy and may have many applications where they are the manager and need their inbox clear. It’s also just not a ‘done thing’ here. I explained all this to him and told him it could negatively affect his chances of getting the job.
Well today I’m reading emails on our joint email account and he’s sent this email
‘Dear miss xxxxx,
i am writing to let you know I am very interested in your position and have completed the application. I think my skills and experience matches job well. Please consider my application’.
I know that this manager is married but no title was given so ‘miss’ was inappropriate. Also his grammar and English wasn’t the best in the email.

I’m really annoyed because the application was really strong and while he may not have got an interview I’d have at least felt that we’d given it our best shot. I feel this cringy email has really ruined his chance at an interview and will be viewed negatively.
If it was just this one application I could forget about it but it seems that he refuses to take my advice and I am sure he will continue sending an email to managers for all jobs he applies for moving forwards.
I know I sound really mean. I promise I’m not, just trying to help him as o know he wants to be in work.
So AIBU to think this email has affected his chances? If you are responsible for recruiting would this put you off? I’m hoping I’m overthinking.

Haven't RTFT but the bigger issue is the discrepancy between the 'perfectly crafted' application and this, which is clearly the opposite.
And if he goes for an interview... the discrepancy between his speech patterns and written English will clearly highlight that someone else has helped with the applications.
If they can't trust that a grown man has done it himself why would they trust anything that he says in the interview?

Thank you for taking the time to give an example. I still find it difficult to see what so many people found so very wrong about his email though. Perhaps this is always the case for a second language…

It's not the language. It's the lack of value.
We assume that anybody who's bothered to complete the application is interested in the job. And as OP has stated the manager' busy.
So what does the email achieve? It's like a form statement copied off Google.
Asking intelligent questions, highlighting unique/relevant experience all ok but not that.
Furthermore, 'show not tell'. Anybody can say they 'think' their experience matches X Y Z.
But saying 'I have done A B C' (which is relevant to the job) is more solid proof.

As someone who hires people I’d initially find this a bit cringe ngl. But once I’d looked at cvs, personal statements etc, I’d make my main judgement based on that.

Not really, being smart and qualifing as a doctor doesn’t mean he understands how things work in other countries. Same way if OP who I am assuming is a white British woman moves to India, she will have to learn how things work there and adjust. She can’t just go with this is how we do things in the UK and expect to get results.

I was born in the UK but to Nigerian parents so I have some insight into how things work there and eg some applicants require date of births and pictures in your cv in Nigeria. If I know someone applying in the UK I will advice him to remove those information as it’s frowned upon in the UK. It doesn’t mean the person is not smart or that I am patronizing, it just means I understand the counties better.

The only way it can be patronizing is if OP was speaking to him rudely but I don’t see any indication that is the case here.

And guess what he will also have to adjust and adapt when he gets the job if not he can get in trouble as many things that will be accepted in India will not in the UK. She can guide him and help him in this regard.

The term unsustainable micro-management springs to mind.

When I was a manager (now retired) I was always happy to receive emails or candidates ringing for an informal chat. I considered it to be showing an interest/ initiative and it was a positive for me. I certainly wouldn’t worry and good luck to him in securing the post.

Woodywoodpeckerharrison

Its ‘applicants ‘who’ not ‘what’. Shouldn’t criticise other peoples grammar especially if English isn’t their first language

My partner is a doctor in the NHS and when they are recruiting they would expect someone to make contact and would look poorly on not making contact

@Winterleaves1 I'm not completely sure you should be throwing stones at his grammar and English given your own style, but maybe your husband would do better with some help rather than criticism?

I used to work in HR and we always felt that anyone who made the effort to make contact outside the main 'process' was showing initiative and interest. It would usually be prior to an application - where we would say 'for further info please contact x' - and anyone who rang x and asked a few questions about the role would be seen in a positive light.

DH should probably have at least added something extra in his email, if that was at all possible. But I can't see that sending a short follow up as he did would be a problem.

Ultimately his application and interview (hopefully) will be basis on which they decide, so fingers crossed for him.

Flipping heck … I’m speechless. 🧙‍♀️

I don’t think I ever appointed anyone who hadn’t been for an informal visit first. (NHS/nurse.) I always put it in the job advert, with the appropriate person to contact. If nothing else it helps the candidate work out if they think they’ll fit in/get on with their prospective team/manager.

I work in a hiring role and yes this would put me off tbf . He's not giving anymore information about himself just asking for consideration as he thinks he's right for the job.

It's kind of patronising as it a) implies I do not give proper consideration to all candidates and b) asks that I pay his application more attention than all of the others because he thinks he has the right skills (when it's my job to assess every candidate and determine this)

I agree that it does also show cultural inappropriateness and sort of arrogance?

Another thing to add is please make sure beforehand that the job will even consider sponsorship (if that is what he needs as you say he's not yet eligible for work in uk). Its immensely frustrating for everyone for someone to go through an application and assessment only to find out that the role will not offer sponsorship when the candidate needs it.

I do have to say I feel for you though as i can totally imagine my partner doing this (he's also from a country where people tend to be pretty direct and has also been trying to find work in UK with a company that can sponsor)

I think the issue is when the native party is declared sole arbiter of what's culturally "done"... So for example, a personalised follow up email certainly isn't the norm in the UK. But there's enough variation in the responses on this thread to show that some people do it or like it.

I think it's helpful and accurate to say it's not common practice, and has an equal chance of helping and hurting your application. But there's no need to paint it as definitely crossing some sort of horrible taboo in the UK. It's misleading and not that cut and dry.

DH always tells me insistently that "we don't do things like that in the UK". I used to trust him until I realised a lot of things were the subject of great big debates online, meaning the way I did things aligned with 50% (or at least a good chunk) of the British population!

In my household, at first, a lot of disagreements that were down to individual variation somehow turned into an East Asian vs UK thing. So while he should definitely value your advice, I also think it could be worth stepping back and reflecting on whether you can definitively speak for everybody or every recruiter in the UK – and then take a deep breath and let it go if he doesn't obey your advice to the letter.

I imagine he is unlikely to get the job unfortunately because his performance at interview will be nothing like the standard of his application. TBH I'd take a step back and let him present himself as he truly is for professional purposes. That might mean taking a lower grade job for a while until he gains familiarity with the peculiarities of British work culture and language.

I also networked (nothing brash or brazen) my way into a job here paying much more than DH's (and we both met at a G5 uni so that's not a low benchmark of comparison at all) while going against DH's very insistent advice on the best way to do things in this country. So you might be surprised.

Tbh you can't be sure how both cultural elements will interact, or that every workplace shares your views on complete cultural homogeneity etc... Learning is always a trial and error process for both parties (him and you), so make your thoughts known and then give him some space to work it out!

He's not eligible to work as a doctor. Presumably he doesn't need sponsorship or else he wouldn't be in the UK unemployed as the only way to do that is to be a student or already have a sponsored job.,

I was in charge of hiring and firing at a place years ago. Not NHS.

I would have seen this email as a pointless waste of time - why didn’t he also tell them what he had for breakfast while he was at it?

what does he think the hiring manager is going to do? ignore the application if he doesn’t get a badly written grovel email?

bottom of the pile me thinks.

I wouldn't feel comfortable using a shared email address and have my partner scrutinize and critically evaluate everything I was writing to people and then shame him on Mumsnet with it - poor guy. It's his life - not yours. The only thing that will matter is if he fits the criteria in the personal spec. End of. Stop overthinking your husbands emails lol - live a little.

I actually like people being proactive so not everyone would be put off

I think it's clear English isn't his first language and he doesn't explain how he's a good fit exactly. It seems a bit old fashioned to introduce yourself but some people like that but it doesn't seem to be a very effective introduction at any rate. I think he should take on board what you have to say considering you know the culture, just as you would take on board his local culture if you were trying to fit in where he's from. I'm not sure it's hindered his chances but they would have discovered his English isn't 100% down the line so that certainly would have hampered his chances.

Yes ...the only place you worked at...so everyone here has probably worked somewhere ...usually emailing or follow up is encouraged...ur workplaces weird...

Same!

I don't do hiring any more but when I did, I wouldn't have minded an email like that. The Miss wouldn't bother me either as you can see he is trying to be polite with English obviously not being his first language.

I think you are being a bit of an arse, yabu.

👍🏻👌🏻. This is spot on