I wish my HR career had a happy ending, but the powers that be were like, nah, that’s not for me. I wrote all about it in my story: Why I Turned Down an ‘HR for Happiness’ Role in a Top Software Company.
A new day, I mean, a new year. A new try, a far cry. How about tech recruiting? IT sounds like a plan, I’m going to be the best hiring-man.
Knock, Knock at Hell’s Door
There were no red flags, just regular recruiting job stuff. If you want to hire others, you need to be hired, first. So, I’m chatting with my to-be-employer. Then, I get asked this question:
“Are you willing to fight for your candidates? Will you do everything it takes for them to be hired?”
I’m on a mission. I am going above and beyond, but my top picks aren’t going to be rejected. Everything has to be perfect. I wanted to know more.
Now, this wasn’t exactly what I signed up for. We went back and forth. There was a rationale that this was for the greater good. I’m not cheating, but actually helping. The candidates are talented devs who are being discriminated against. It’s more than just hiring. We’re talking about saving and changing lives. Yeah, it was cheesy, but I was so curious. How in the world are they going to pull it off?
This is a legit concern. When I worked as a recruiter for one remote work platform, I was only the first point of contact. You know, who you are and where you are from. Tell me something about yourself. The next tech interview levels were reserved for clients or experts. There were some tests and stuff.
So, if it’s not about the looks, then it must be about the English? I got that one right. These great guys will improve their English skills along the way, but their dev know-how is what we’re selling. There were so many things that didn’t make any sense at all. I was in a loop: in-and-out repeat. Then, I had the WTF moment.
I was trying to wrap my head around the Slack group I just joined. There were dozens of groups and hundreds of people. This was a factory. How many companies are out there? This is an entire industry of fake dev job interviews. Are these poor souls from Asia and South America paying in advance or after they get hired? To those who’re judging, I’m not justifying, but understanding. Have you ever been desperate? Well, desperate times call for desperate measures.
With people like these, holier-than-thou doesn’t mean a thing. So, I told them that I got cold feet. The truth was, this wasn’t my beat.
Only Fools and Horses (Work)
I was willing to let it go. Not the first and sadly the last crazy things you see and experience these days. Then, I stumbled upon this viral LinkedIn post:
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7292604406464671744/?embedable=true
Was this one of my “colleagues?” You’re laughing, but let me remind you about something. We’re using the “Will Smith eating spaghetti” video as a golden standard for AI video improvement. The hiring guy in this video insisted on putting a hand in front of your face as the only way to deal with AI. What’s going to happen in a year or two?
Once bitten, twice shy. I thought for a moment. I don’t have a reason to doubt the authenticity of this post. However…
This is a cybersecurity company that’s hiring. The co-founder is an “ex-ethical hacker.”
If it’s a marketing stunt, my hat off. It worked. On LinkedIn alone, more than 5K engagements and almost a thousand comments. I wasn’t in the mood to check out Reddit and other social media. I reached out for a comment directly to the guy who posted this on LinkedIn. No reply.
If it’s true, then we’re cooked. Technology will improve, and people won’t. There will always be shady and greedy people. Now, they have new toys and tools.
I remember when I passed an English exam for my best friend back in our university days. We replaced images in his student’s ID. Thirty years ago, it was all paper. We used a boiled egg to forge the stamp. I don’t regret it a bit, and here’s why. He needed the highest grade possible. It wasn’t enough just to pass it. He was studying at two universities at the same time. Two different degrees. He needed the scholarship so badly. We did it. We ordered a pizza and laughed all night. He’s a professor now with more books and publications than my stories.
Those were different times and different vibes. They say, once a cheater, always a cheater, but in a different context. I did a wrong thing for all the right reasons. I have my limits and principles. Some people look for the stories. Here I am. Crazy stories keep finding me.
I have to prepare for my job interview. I got an email that AI is going to have a word with me. That’s going to be fun. I’m recording the whole thing for sure. But then, I saw so many hilarious videos about AI job interviews gone wrong. I’m bringing nothing new to the table. So, I’m going to skip it. You don’t have time for me. I don’t have time for you. It’s one thing that AI is going through my resume, but this interviewing thing is the next level.
Until next story – trust AI – don’t worry.
