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Terrifying recruitment stories. In 6 words!

I can tell you a story about recruitment that will make you shiver. Make you recoil in horror. And I can do it in six words.

Here are 20 such horror stories to get you screaming, blocking your ears, and running for the exit.

‘I will call you back. Promise’.
‘Can I just think about it?’
‘I just got a counter-offer’.
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Monday
Your bonus threshold just went up.
My ‘under-offer’ candidate won’t return calls.
Source. Introduce. Manage. Negotiate. Placement. Counter-offer.
Yes! Must just check with wife.
Best Client. Third candidate ‘no-show’.
Placed candidate calls week after starting.
12-month temp job bomb-out.
Dead cert placement until… ‘internal candidate’.
Friday afternoon. Beer fridge is empty
9 am Temp start. 9.15 client calls
Margin calculation. Forgot all on-costs.
‘HR want to do psych testing first’.
‘What do you DO for your fee?
‘The job is now on hold’.
‘Your candidate is perfect! Anyone else?’
Hiring freeze ordered by US head-office.
‘I gave the order to 6 agencies’.

What about you? Do you have a recruitment horror story? Can you tell it in six words?
Bet you can.

Let’s have it then! In the comments below please.

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Subscribe to The Savage Truth, ‘Like’ our Facebook page, and connect with Greg on LinkedIn to ensure you get your recruiting brain-food fix.

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  • Posted by Greg Savage
  • On January 28, 2015
  • 64 Comments
Tags: recruitment, recruitment humour, recruitment info, recruitment stories

64 Comments

Helen
  • Mar 4 2015
  • Reply
governing body wants to conduct audit
Alan
  • Dec 2 2015
  • Reply
Vacancy has been open for months Other agencies are cheaper All you agencies are the same
Balraj Kaur
  • Dec 21 2015
  • Reply
Just so real pictures of the recruitment world.
Martin
  • May 5 2017
  • Reply
candidate applied directly 11 months ago
Michael Jones
  • May 5 2017
  • Reply
We have decided on a re-org.
Kamila
  • Jun 26 2017
  • Reply
Please screen 70 candidates ASAP. Just reject all of them. Perfect candidate - can't relocate. Perfect candidate - turned out he's not eligible to work in X country.
Mike Mumford
  • Sep 24 2018
  • Reply
Savage just posted another blog post
    Greg Savage
    • Sep 24 2018
    • Reply
    That's a sweet remark, Mike. You must have dug deep into your reservoir of goodwill and decency to make the effort to post that. To think, you made someone on the other side of the world, who you don't know, feel a little bit shitter about himself today. Good job! Your mum must be so proud of the man she raised
Abigail Britnell
  • Jan 28 2020
  • Reply
My Mum came into the interview. He was 32.
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Greg Savage & The Savage Truth

Greg is the founder of leading recruitment companies Firebrand Talent Search, People2People and Recruitment Solutions, and a current shareholder and director of several others, including Consult Recruitment. He is a regular keynote speaker worldwide and provides specialised advice for Recruitment, Professional Services & Social Media companies.





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