7 Recruiters Share Their Weirdest Hire Stories

Did you experience a job interview that turned out so outlandish that you were unable to resist the laughter (or shed tears) afterwards? You’re not the only one though. We have a few experiences that are going to make you appear to be an ordinary, balanced person. We sought eight recruiters to send in their strangest, wackiest, and most memorable entry-level hiring incidents, and they responded big time.

From absurd questions for interviews to unexpected clothing mishaps, these stories are guaranteed to make you laugh out loud (or chuckle to yourself).

So strap on for a crazy journey into the global arena of finding talent and recruiting freshers.

1. The Curious Case Of An Impersonator

One recruiter recounted an instance of an applicant who stated that he was another person all through the process of interviewing. The applicant entered with a falsified ID and pretended to have an entirely distinct history and abilities. The impersonator was only identified when the hiring manager called the names that the references supplied, but none of them was aware of the applicant.

The result was foreseeable: the candidate was instantaneously dismissed from the campus hiring process. However, the hiring manager was perplexed as to why somebody would resort to such measures to replicate another person in a job interview.

2. A Mysterious Disappearance

Recruiters sometimes meet prospects who fail to turn up for interviews, however, this is a unique case. One recruiter recounted the incident of an applicant who turned up to undergo an interview, then mysteriously vanished. The interview was originally set by the hiring manager with the applicant, a fresh college alum who looked prepared to begin his professional journey. The potential employee, however, was not to be seen on the actual day of the interview. The recruiter tried to contact the applicant via phone and email but got no response.

The hiring manager had practically given up faith in ever getting in touch with the applicant again after several days. However, the candidate resurfaced approximately two weeks following the arranged interview. He apologised to the recruiter for his absence. According to the applicant, he was “kidnapped” by his pals on an unanticipated road trip. The hiring manager was startled by the response, but the candidate claimed that it was correct. Despite the peculiar situations, the candidate eventually got hired and demonstrated to be an excellent employee.

3. An Interviewee With A Parrot

A recruiter connected his encounter with an applicant who carried a pet to the job interview. The applicant arrived carrying a pet parrot, which shrieked and interrupted the interview. The hiring manager was taken off guard yet the applicant kept his cool and proceeded with the interview. The applicant did not get the job in the end, but the hiring manager had a terrific story to tell.

4. The Creative Interviewee

In our fourth tale, a recruiter recounted her encounter with an applicant who used an unconventional interviewing strategy. The prospective employee pulled out an assortment of cards and sought the recruiter to choose any card. The applicant then described how the card connected to her talents and expertise. The recruiter was intrigued by the candidate’s innovative thinking and efficiency, which is why she eventually hired her.

5. The Case Of A Cryptic Resume

Employers depend on resumes to get an idea of an applicant’s skills and knowledge, but what if the CV is difficult to understand? One recruiter spoke of a fresher hire who submitted a confusing resume that had them racking their heads.

The resume was riddled with obscure assertions and tricky-to-understand internal jokes. It wasn’t evident if the person applying was attempting to be savvy or whether there had been an error. Despite the uncertainty, the hiring manager opted to give the applicant a go and invite him for an interview.

The candidate could answer questions about the references on their CV during the interview, and it became obvious that he had a distinct viewpoint and a sense of wit that would blend well with the business culture. The individual eventually got hired and has proven to be an invaluable part of the team since then.

6. Tagging Along An Unwelcome Guest

A recruiter described her encounter with an applicant who invited an unwelcome partner to the interview in our sixth tale. The guest of honour was the applicant’s elderly mother, who sat during the interview process and provided feedback on the questions. The recruiter was taken aback but proceeded with the conversation. Although the applicant was not recruited, the recruiter is going to recall the encounter fondly.

7. An Interviewee With A Unique Skill-Set

Our last tale was provided by an employer who described his encounter with an uncommon skill-set prospect. The applicant’s qualifications included “expert in crocheting” and “world-class omelette flipper.” At first, the recruiter was confused about how these skills were positioned but opted to give the applicant an opportunity. Finally, the potential hire proved to be a great employee, even teaching the staff how to crochet. But there could have been a solution to this. If the company had used recruitment management software, these skills could have been sieved out!

Conclusion

There you have it — some of the craziest hire tales from recruiters that are going to make you chuckle, cringe, and shake your head all at the same moment. These stories demonstrate that both virtual hiring and offline recruiting procedures may be packed with unanticipated events from pretenders to vanishing acts and unwanted visitors to pet parrots.

But what could we draw out from these stories? For starters, remember that demeanour is crucial during the job hunt. Although it’s excellent to be innovative and stick out from others, it’s also important to do this in a manner that isn’t odd or improper.

Not forgetting the hiring managers, who face the arduous task of pruning through every irrelevant piece of information to find the most suitable applicant and hire freshers. We have no idea how they must be feeling on an everyday basis!

So, the next time you’re in the hiring process, keep it respectable and leave pets and unconventional interview strategies at home. And if you’re a hiring manager, keep up your excellent job, try bringing an online recruitment management software into use, and keep sending us those strange hire tales — we aren’t getting enough of these!