How to post your way out of a job...(Rant)

lol I love you George

My point exactly

This isn't only an "online" problem.

In my past experience as a School Governor, we would (the School) advertise vacancies. One stipulation was that they (the applicants) would have to fill in the application form in Black Ink. In their own handwriting.
Those that sent in their application form in hand written black ink, got put into the serious sifting pile.

Those that sent in their application forms in typed black ink - OK, got into the sifting pile. (For maybe consideration)

Those that sent in their application form in hand written blue ink, (Biro or fountain pen) got put into the shredder.

Those that sent in their application forms in handwritten Black ink, got an interview.

"Failure to follow instructions, usually leads to failure"

That would be the 40% who understand, whereas apparently you don't, that raising a hand when requested to indicate understanding before you begin is not the same thing as raising one to ask a question after you begin. :rolleyes:


To the OP: On the one hand, it is appalling when people don't follow your instructions. Even more so when a supposed IT professional can't deobfuscate an email address. But I'd probably still at least LOOK at the responses before deleting them just to make sure I'm not weeding out one of those savant types who does great work but may have "special needs" for management. Usually it takes just a glance to confirm the delete.

But sometimes... maybe not often... but sometimes... one of them is interesting... in not quite the way you were imagining them to be, but maybe in some other way that yanno, just might work out better... if it works out at all that is.

When you find one of those... they're way more than worth the added management headache. And in my years of managing people I've learned that one of them usually outperforms a handful of "normal" people. Figuring out how to make them fit into the big picture (and coaching/mentoring them as needed) is how I add value (ie earn what I get paid) as a leader.

However, to the black ink aholes and the trick question aholes, and all the other HR aholes who still think the IBM trick interview tactics from the 60's (like if someone salted the food before tasting it, etc etc etc) were a good idea... the fact that you can trick people into failing your test doesn't make you a smart boss, or make it a valid test.

That is, unless you are explicitly stating that you add zero value as a manager or a leader, and therefore you have no choice but to hire people who can be neatly pigeonholed into a role that's simple enough for you to understand and keep on top of.

As long as you can find enough "good" candidates that you don't need the ones you filtered out, then hey, no worries. You'll be fine with the candidates you get, and the (few) potentially stellar candidates who may have been great additions to your team with just the least bit of leadership, well honestly, they are far better off working somewhere else. Besides, you'll never even suspect you're staffing for next years draft pick rather then this year's superbowl.

But I digresss. ;-) Back to the OP... I definitely feel your pain. Just try to recognize that your investment in time spent staffing should match your expected return on that investment over its expected time horizon and the process will hopefully be less frustrating.

Nobs and wankers Tim

My fave terms for idiots lol (Who would think I'm a respectable middle aged woman)!

Just a word in defense of the other side...

Some of us weren't born to follow directions, we were born to blaze trails.

That's all.

~Bill