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Lucky Hunter funny cases: Part II
Regularly communicating with different people, we faced a lot of situations. We met candidates who cheat during live coding interviews, specialists that decided to pass an interview with their wife, as well as candidates who scheduled an interview at 6 a.m. and then dropped off the radar.
These stories were quite extraordinary, that we even wrote a separate article dedicated to them. A lot of time has passed since then, and today we want to share new, no less strange and unusual cases with you in today's article. Grab a seat: our stories are no worse than a Hollywood blockbuster!
These stories were quite extraordinary, that we even wrote a separate article dedicated to them. A lot of time has passed since then, and today we want to share new, no less strange and unusual cases with you in today's article. Grab a seat: our stories are no worse than a Hollywood blockbuster!
Candidate With Long Nails
This story is perhaps the only one among those that happened in the "pre-COVID" times when remote work was not so widespread, and candidates passed face-to-face interviews.
For one of our clients, we found a worthy candidate, whose skills perfectly matched the requirements for the position, so the specialist received an invitation to pass a face-to-face interview at the client's company.
Convinced that the candidate passed the interview perfectly and was about to get a job at the client's company, we contacted the client to find out the details of the meeting.
For one of our clients, we found a worthy candidate, whose skills perfectly matched the requirements for the position, so the specialist received an invitation to pass a face-to-face interview at the client's company.
Convinced that the candidate passed the interview perfectly and was about to get a job at the client's company, we contacted the client to find out the details of the meeting.
Our assumptions turned out to be incorrect: the candidate didn't pass the interview, but not due to the fact that he had weak technical skills.
The reason for the refusal lay in the candidate's long nails, which quite seriously embarrassed both the client and the HR department of the company.
Realizing that all people are different and the employer can't always manage to bear with the candidates' particularities, we are nevertheless glad that remote work is popular today, and such stories of "inconsistencies" are becoming less and less.
Realizing that all people are different and the employer can't always manage to bear with the candidates' particularities, we are nevertheless glad that remote work is popular today, and such stories of "inconsistencies" are becoming less and less.
"Sorry, I'm drunk"
On the eve of the New Year 2021, we, as usually, were looking for specialists ready to consider new openings. So we got in touch with one candidate, who from the very first moment seemed a not really ordinary specialist.
Despite the fact that the specialist was interested in the position, he responded to our messages with delay, which made it difficult to agree on the date of the first interview.
Despite the fact that the specialist was interested in the position, he responded to our messages with delay, which made it difficult to agree on the date of the first interview.
Nevertheless, we managed to arrange an interview for the first week after the New Year holidays. When the holidays were over, the candidate, as agreed, passed the first interview. Surprisingly, he passed it quite successfully. Our candidate was invited to the second, final interview, which, unfortunately (or fortunately), didn't take place.
On the day when the candidate had to pass the interview, he didn't get in touch with us and our client. Later, the candidate nevertheless contacted us and said that he had overslept.
On the day when the candidate had to pass the interview, he didn't get in touch with us and our client. Later, the candidate nevertheless contacted us and said that he had overslept.
Realizing that such stories can happen to anyone, we began to agree with the candidate on a new date, however, however hard we tried, we didn't succeed :)
The candidate wrote incoherent phrases to us, made many typos and mistakes in words. After a long and "painful" chatting, the candidate finally put everything in its place by writing us a short but сlear message. He wrote to us: "Sorry, I'm drunk."
Funny and tragic at the same time. We believe that such cases are rather an exception to the rule and we hope that this candidate is doing well because he is a really excellent specialist!
Funny and tragic at the same time. We believe that such cases are rather an exception to the rule and we hope that this candidate is doing well because he is a really excellent specialist!
Gap in work experience
This story has happened to us quite recently. We found a great specialist with a very well-written CV and a cool background.
Without hesitation, we sent the specialist's CV to the client and quickly received feedback that the client's team was ready to arrange an interview with the candidate. We promptly agreed on an interview between a specialist and a client.
Without hesitation, we sent the specialist's CV to the client and quickly received feedback that the client's team was ready to arrange an interview with the candidate. We promptly agreed on an interview between a specialist and a client.
The candidate passed the interview successfully, so he was invited for a second interview, which was no less successful.
The third, final interview with the specialist also went well, and the company was already ready to make an offer to the candidate.
The third, final interview with the specialist also went well, and the company was already ready to make an offer to the candidate.
Nevertheless, before hiring a new employee, recruiters decided to ask why the specialist hadn't worked anywhere for a year and a half.
We decided to clear up the matter, being still sure that, of course, the candidate didn't work because of regular issues such as household chores, travelling, or any other popular story in such cases.
However, everything turned out to be not so rosy. In response to our question, the candidate told us a heart-piercing story about how he spent that one and a half years in jail. He even shared with us the reason for such an unusual pastime and even noted that he was released early for good behaviour.
Considering that the candidate had a really good experience and strong skills, our client nevertheless decided to make him an offer, turning the blind eye to a dark period in the history of a specialist's life.
However, everything turned out to be not so rosy. In response to our question, the candidate told us a heart-piercing story about how he spent that one and a half years in jail. He even shared with us the reason for such an unusual pastime and even noted that he was released early for good behaviour.
Considering that the candidate had a really good experience and strong skills, our client nevertheless decided to make him an offer, turning the blind eye to a dark period in the history of a specialist's life.
It's also surprising that the candidate declined the offer as he decided to stay at his current job.
Agile
This story is also connected with a very recent case, and, unlike other stories, this story is not about the candidate, but about the client.
We recently received a call from Austria. Willing to find an IT specialist for their team, the customer contacted our company.
As it always happens during the initial acquaintance with the company, we decided to learn a little more about the specifics of the project and the company itself. The first thing that the potential client noted is the method that the development team adheres to.
We recently received a call from Austria. Willing to find an IT specialist for their team, the customer contacted our company.
As it always happens during the initial acquaintance with the company, we decided to learn a little more about the specifics of the project and the company itself. The first thing that the potential client noted is the method that the development team adheres to.
The client told us that they work according to the methodology of ISIS (a terrorist organization banned in the Russian Federation) and would like the developer to share the methods of their company.
Of course, we decided to ask again, because it's extremely strange for the client to be associated with criminal activity.
Despite the fact that the client held her ground, convincing us that she was looking for a specialist who shares the ISIS method, we got down to bedrock. As it turned out, that when she was saying the ISIS methodology she meant the Agile method =) (In Russia ISIS is pronounced as IGIL).
By the way, the client asked us to find an HTML developer. Hearing this, we realized that we would definitely not work with such a client, and politely hang up with the client.
Despite the fact that the client held her ground, convincing us that she was looking for a specialist who shares the ISIS method, we got down to bedrock. As it turned out, that when she was saying the ISIS methodology she meant the Agile method =) (In Russia ISIS is pronounced as IGIL).
By the way, the client asked us to find an HTML developer. Hearing this, we realized that we would definitely not work with such a client, and politely hang up with the client.
I am not Victor, I am Andrew
And finally, we will tell a short but rather funny story in which the candidate wasn't completely sure of his name =)
Once we found an excellent (at first glance) specialist who successfully passed all the selection stages and was about to accept an offer from our client. But, as in all stories in this article, the case didn't end with an offer =)
Once we found an excellent (at first glance) specialist who successfully passed all the selection stages and was about to accept an offer from our client. But, as in all stories in this article, the case didn't end with an offer =)
When we called the candidate to invite him to the final interview, the candidate told us that we dialled the wrong number, and his name was not Victor at all, his name was Andrew. Being a bit confused, we decided to double-check if we had dialled the correct number.
After making sure that there was no mistake, we decided to write to the candidate and noticed that the specialist had deleted the correspondence history.
After making sure that there was no mistake, we decided to write to the candidate and noticed that the specialist had deleted the correspondence history.
There is still no explanation, what it was, but of course, we made a special mark in our CRM system =)
These stories, of course, are not the only ones in our practice. We have many unusual cases, which, by the way, we are now actively talking about in our telegram channel. Subscribe if you don't want to miss them =) (All the content, though, is in Russian)
Polina Barabanova
Content Manager at Lucky Hunter
Specializes in tech staff recruitment, startups, tech research, career, HR, and news topics. With her expertise, she provides valuable insights and practical advice to navigate the ever-evolving tech industry.
And if you are looking for an IT specialist, you know what to do =) Still, 99.9% of cases in our practice have a happy ending =) We are waiting for your requests!
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