Dear Sir/Madam,
I have been working in HR for the past 4 years.
Changing jobs in HR can be very challenging. HR personnel often call for interviews and provide various excuses afterward, as follows:
1. Your profile is suitable for Corporate HR, and this position is for IR. (Then why do these people shortlist this resume and call the candidate for an interview?)
2. You don't meet our criteria. (The criteria are not specified and are not clarified afterward either.)
3. Some HR professionals keep you waiting for hours and do not bother to provide feedback after the interview.
4. Many HR professionals ask questions about topics unknown to the candidate, and if the candidate attempts to answer, they are told not to bluff. (If the candidate does not answer the question, they are then told they do not know that particular thing and are rejected.)
Most HR professionals tend to prefer female candidates over male candidates for HR recruitment.
Whenever cost-cutting measures are needed, the first department where it typically begins is HR.
Other employees often mention that the HR department is of no use; they seem to be always relaxed even when the situation is different.
I am feeling perplexed about this profession. Please advise me on how to deal with these situations.
Thanks & Regards.
From India, Mumbai
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1I have been working in HR for the past 4 years.
Changing jobs in HR can be very challenging. HR personnel often call for interviews and provide various excuses afterward, as follows:
1. Your profile is suitable for Corporate HR, and this position is for IR. (Then why do these people shortlist this resume and call the candidate for an interview?)
2. You don't meet our criteria. (The criteria are not specified and are not clarified afterward either.)
3. Some HR professionals keep you waiting for hours and do not bother to provide feedback after the interview.
4. Many HR professionals ask questions about topics unknown to the candidate, and if the candidate attempts to answer, they are told not to bluff. (If the candidate does not answer the question, they are then told they do not know that particular thing and are rejected.)
Most HR professionals tend to prefer female candidates over male candidates for HR recruitment.
Whenever cost-cutting measures are needed, the first department where it typically begins is HR.
Other employees often mention that the HR department is of no use; they seem to be always relaxed even when the situation is different.
I am feeling perplexed about this profession. Please advise me on how to deal with these situations.
Thanks & Regards.
From India, Mumbai
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[QUOTE=amit.chaudhari5;1993405]
1. Your profile is suitable for Corporate HR, and this profile is for IR. (Then why is this resume shortlisted, and why are candidates called for interviews?)
You need to first understand and realize if this answer was given to you by a recruiting officer of a company or by a recruiting consultant working in a consultancy. There are consultancies that appoint people from non-HR backgrounds who do not have a major understanding of job descriptions and hence cannot understand alignment. My advice is to first get information from your consultant about the detailed job requirement that he/she has obtained from the company. You yourself compare if you have anything to contribute to the profile or if your CV/skills match it. When you do not find it common, you can politely explain that the profile is way different from what you currently do and explain what you do. This would help him/her source better for you. :-)
[QUOTE=amit.chaudhari5;1993405]
2. You don't meet our criteria. (The criteria are not specified and are not specified afterward either)
Again, as said above, if a recruiting officer of the recruiting company tells you that you don't meet the criteria, he/she would have the reasons for saying so and would surely share them if you ask. However, the reasons are not told to recruiters. Understand what happens -
A company gives a consultancy a vacancy to fill. A consultant posts a job or sources CVs from portals and calls you to confirm your approval to forward your CV. When she forwards the CV, the recruitment officer of the company might have rejected your CV based on you meeting criteria or desired profile. However, while communicating back, they just tell the consultant whether or not you are shortlisted for further rounds; they don't give them any reasons. So how do you expect the consultant to give you the reason back? Of course, they can't say they don't know, so either they switch the topic or would say we can't disclose.
[QUOTE=amit.chaudhari5;1993405]
3. Some HR people keep you waiting for hours, and after the interview, they don't care to give feedback.
Be it a recruitment officer of a company or a consultant agent. There are a number of profiles soaring in. There are numerous candidates they speak to. There are several tasks they are assigned to. If they do not respond by the promised day/time, you can call the person the next day and inquire about your status. How does it harm? It would only make you clearer about your next Plan of Action, right?
[QUOTE=amit.chaudhari5;1993405]
4. Many HR people ask something which is not known to the candidate, and if the candidate tries to answer, they say don't bluff. (Now if the candidate doesn't answer the question, then they say he doesn't know that particular thing and reject him).
Asking you questions to understand how much knowledge you have on a particular subject is a task of HR or a person who is conducting your interview. If the person has asked you a question of which you do not have knowledge, and if you are bluffing, expect the same reaction. Anyone would say that whatever you've said is wrong. More so, appreciate that habit of HRs as it would make you realize you were wrong on that topic and you can brush that up before you go for your next interview, else you would end up giving wrong answers everywhere, right?
Also, if you do not have any idea on an answer, you can politely confess so. If it was a part of your curriculum, still you can say that although it was a part of the study process, you are unsure if you have a clear idea on the same. Trust me, it is appreciated that you can consider and accept the fact that you lack info rather than beating around the bush and getting nowhere. It takes real guts to say, "I don't know this," and if you could say that, and can convince that you can, however, learn on the go, that would really impress.
[QUOTE=amit.chaudhari5;1993405]
Most HR people prefer girls over boys in HR for recruitment.
Though a majority of HR professionals or people in the HR industry are females, what you state is not always true. There are many job listings which say only male candidates are allowed, even for HR profiles. If the profile involves lots of journeying and needs better commitment.
Also, understand that HR is a soft skill; you need to be empathizing with employees as well as implementing corporate rules. Moreover, when it comes to sharing problems, people are more comfortable doing so with females. It becomes a little difficult and odd to cry in front of a male colleague, maybe because of that.
[QUOTE=amit.chaudhari5;1993405]
Whenever any cost-cutting is to be done, the first department from where it starts is HR.
For the first time, I heard someone accepting this because people think HR is not affected when the company plans to downsize.
See, though HR has improved considerably, still most organizations view it as a cost center over a profit center, and hence HR becomes a target. When downsizing, a company would reduce the size where they think they can save money by reducing team size and yet not getting the performance of the company affected.
[QUOTE=amit.chaudhari5;1993405]
Other employees say the HR department is of no use; they are always relaxing even though the situation is different.
Whatever different people have to say about HR is based on their experience. My classmates in HR class used to say this, "I took up HR because I always saw HR people enjoying lives while all the others of us would toil like anything. But now I feel I was better with my previous job than doing HR."
The grass is always greener on the other side of the field.
[QUOTE=amit.chaudhari5;1993405]
I am feeling strange about this profession. Please help me how to deal with it.
What you want to deal with is unclear, so I can't answer your query.
Hopefully, I answered all your queries and cleared your doubts.
From India, Mumbai
Acknowledge(0)Amend(0)
1. Your profile is suitable for Corporate HR, and this profile is for IR. (Then why is this resume shortlisted, and why are candidates called for interviews?)
You need to first understand and realize if this answer was given to you by a recruiting officer of a company or by a recruiting consultant working in a consultancy. There are consultancies that appoint people from non-HR backgrounds who do not have a major understanding of job descriptions and hence cannot understand alignment. My advice is to first get information from your consultant about the detailed job requirement that he/she has obtained from the company. You yourself compare if you have anything to contribute to the profile or if your CV/skills match it. When you do not find it common, you can politely explain that the profile is way different from what you currently do and explain what you do. This would help him/her source better for you. :-)
[QUOTE=amit.chaudhari5;1993405]
2. You don't meet our criteria. (The criteria are not specified and are not specified afterward either)
Again, as said above, if a recruiting officer of the recruiting company tells you that you don't meet the criteria, he/she would have the reasons for saying so and would surely share them if you ask. However, the reasons are not told to recruiters. Understand what happens -
A company gives a consultancy a vacancy to fill. A consultant posts a job or sources CVs from portals and calls you to confirm your approval to forward your CV. When she forwards the CV, the recruitment officer of the company might have rejected your CV based on you meeting criteria or desired profile. However, while communicating back, they just tell the consultant whether or not you are shortlisted for further rounds; they don't give them any reasons. So how do you expect the consultant to give you the reason back? Of course, they can't say they don't know, so either they switch the topic or would say we can't disclose.
[QUOTE=amit.chaudhari5;1993405]
3. Some HR people keep you waiting for hours, and after the interview, they don't care to give feedback.
Be it a recruitment officer of a company or a consultant agent. There are a number of profiles soaring in. There are numerous candidates they speak to. There are several tasks they are assigned to. If they do not respond by the promised day/time, you can call the person the next day and inquire about your status. How does it harm? It would only make you clearer about your next Plan of Action, right?
[QUOTE=amit.chaudhari5;1993405]
4. Many HR people ask something which is not known to the candidate, and if the candidate tries to answer, they say don't bluff. (Now if the candidate doesn't answer the question, then they say he doesn't know that particular thing and reject him).
Asking you questions to understand how much knowledge you have on a particular subject is a task of HR or a person who is conducting your interview. If the person has asked you a question of which you do not have knowledge, and if you are bluffing, expect the same reaction. Anyone would say that whatever you've said is wrong. More so, appreciate that habit of HRs as it would make you realize you were wrong on that topic and you can brush that up before you go for your next interview, else you would end up giving wrong answers everywhere, right?
Also, if you do not have any idea on an answer, you can politely confess so. If it was a part of your curriculum, still you can say that although it was a part of the study process, you are unsure if you have a clear idea on the same. Trust me, it is appreciated that you can consider and accept the fact that you lack info rather than beating around the bush and getting nowhere. It takes real guts to say, "I don't know this," and if you could say that, and can convince that you can, however, learn on the go, that would really impress.
[QUOTE=amit.chaudhari5;1993405]
Most HR people prefer girls over boys in HR for recruitment.
Though a majority of HR professionals or people in the HR industry are females, what you state is not always true. There are many job listings which say only male candidates are allowed, even for HR profiles. If the profile involves lots of journeying and needs better commitment.
Also, understand that HR is a soft skill; you need to be empathizing with employees as well as implementing corporate rules. Moreover, when it comes to sharing problems, people are more comfortable doing so with females. It becomes a little difficult and odd to cry in front of a male colleague, maybe because of that.
[QUOTE=amit.chaudhari5;1993405]
Whenever any cost-cutting is to be done, the first department from where it starts is HR.
For the first time, I heard someone accepting this because people think HR is not affected when the company plans to downsize.
See, though HR has improved considerably, still most organizations view it as a cost center over a profit center, and hence HR becomes a target. When downsizing, a company would reduce the size where they think they can save money by reducing team size and yet not getting the performance of the company affected.
[QUOTE=amit.chaudhari5;1993405]
Other employees say the HR department is of no use; they are always relaxing even though the situation is different.
Whatever different people have to say about HR is based on their experience. My classmates in HR class used to say this, "I took up HR because I always saw HR people enjoying lives while all the others of us would toil like anything. But now I feel I was better with my previous job than doing HR."
The grass is always greener on the other side of the field.
[QUOTE=amit.chaudhari5;1993405]
I am feeling strange about this profession. Please help me how to deal with it.
What you want to deal with is unclear, so I can't answer your query.
Hopefully, I answered all your queries and cleared your doubts.
From India, Mumbai
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