Top 10 Ways to Identify and Eradicate a Pest

Posted November 2nd, 2009 by admin

Some candidates are pests. They just bug you. These are the folks who work hard to take up as much of your time as they can. Here’s how to identify them and how to deal with them:

1) Pests apply to every job on your corporate job site. They reason that if applying to one job is good then applying to 200 is even better. They don’t realize that this is a sure fire way to be identified as a pest. Where I work we disposition every job that a candidate applies to. That results in a long list of rejections which is like a neon sign to recruiters that says ‘Don’t hire me!’

2) Pests track you down every way they can. They email you. They leave multiple voice mail messages. They send you messages on LinkedIn, twitter or facebook. They call other people in your company to let them know how great they are. Pests don’t understand that taking a shotgun approach does not cause them to be viewed in the best light. They are viewed as spammers or junk mailers and nobody likes them.

3) Pests drop by your office and ask for just a few minutes of your time. They bug your front office people who may not know how to deal with them.

4) Pests tell you that they were referred by someone at your company. Oftentimes you eventually find out that the person that ‘referred’ them doesn’t even know them or perhaps doesn’t recommend them.

5) Pests show up at every job fair. They tell you that they met one of your colleagues at a previous job fair who told them that they were a great fit for your company.

6) Pests write cover letters that have two columns: one that lists your requirements and another that shows where their skills match up. This would be OK if they didn’t stretch the truth so much or make nebulous associations.

7) Pests think that listing everything they have ever done on their resume is a good idea.

Pests think that providing a long list of references with their resume is a good idea.

9) Pests think that name dropping will help their case.

10) Pests just won’t take ‘no’ for an answer

There is a really simple way to deal with pests and it does not involve the use of harsh chemicals. When you identify a pest there is just one thing to do and that is to pick up the phone and call them. Genuinely let them know that you appreciate their interest and give them an opportunity to talk. Make sure that you really listen to what they have to say and that they know that you are listening. After that have a really straight conversation with them. Review their resume with them and the positions they applied for and let them know that you don’t see a fit. You should never give them details so just keep it general. I’ve done this countless times and mostly I receive a thank you for taking the time to reach out. An amazing thing usually happens. The pest ceases to be a pest!

(Via Blog Posts for All Users on ERE.net.)

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For other great articles, check these:

Creating Your Position: Market yourself as the perfect candidate for your “dream job/career
Economic and Political Cartoons to Think About
Graphs, Stats; About the Economy
Don’t Be Like This Alpha Dog -Funny Tips for the Job Seeker
How Personal Branding Works and Its Affect on Your Job Search