The ability to judge is perhaps one of the key tools a Recruiter must possess. From judging whether a candidate seems like the right fit for a role, or if the reason they can’t turn up for work or make it to an interview is legit. Collectively we’ve spent many years in the Recruitment Industry and to say we’ve heard it all is an understatement! From the complete ridiculous to the outrageously unbelievable, here are Westray Recruitment Consultants worst candidate excuses revealed.
The compulsive liar
"The worst one I’ve had was a candidate who said he’d been in a car crash and sent a picture to prove it. The picture was quite obviously of a car in India and also happened to be one of the first images you’d find on google when you search the term 'car crash'. "
The football fan
"I received a call from a candidate’s wife to say he needed to call home ASAP as his father had died. After speaking to the client, it was decided I should go down to the factory personally to tell the candidate and then send him home.
As I was signing out, the security guy informed me that his brother also worked there (perm staff) so I went back in to tell HR. They brought the brother into the office, told him … and he laughed. He told us his brother hadn’t spoken to the family for years and was a ‘waste of space’. Turns out England were playing football that night and he wanted an early finish to go to the pub and watch the match"
The party girl
There was a temp who didn’t turn up for work one day and when we called, she said she’d been up all night with a toothache and was on her way to the dentist for emergency treatment – but later posted on Facebook that she was hungover and not bothering to go into work, publicly commenting ‘its ok, it’s only a temp job, they’ll never find out'. "
The one you don’t even know how to respond to
"The dog is dead on the bean bag..."
The one spooked off a little dog mess
"I had a temp call me at 5:30am on the morning of his first shift at a client to tell me he wouldn’t be able to attend as he had stood in dog poo. He said he would need to go home and not be able to take the job anymore. I explained that he lived 5 minutes from the factory and he would be changing into his safety equipment when he arrived anyway. He still did not attend the shift."
The one who loved his bike more than his desire to work
"I had a man say he couldn’t return to a client as the wheels of his bike were getting too worn and dirty from driving from through the town on the pavement. He only wanted to ride his bike on the grass."
The one who blamed his dog
"My dog tripped me up and sprained my ankle but my phone was upstairs meaning I couldn’t get up to ring and let you know"
The one who didn’t think to walk instead
“My front wheel has just fallen off my bike so I can’t get there”
The drama queen
“My windscreen wipers are broken, let me check the weather.
*checks weather*
Yeah it’s drizzling, I can’t go”
Looking back, we understand that these excuses can seem humorous, however at the time, cancelling an interview or even worse, not turning up for work reflects badly on not only yourself, but your Recruiter too. Whilst some excuses are valid and ones we can appreciate, if you do find yourself going to such extreme measures to avoid an upcoming appointment or going to work, perhaps it’s time to ask yourself why. As Recruiters we are here through the good and the bad and when you find yourself unhappy with in a work related situation, remember we are here to help. For a confidential chat, speak to one of our consultants today on 0191 492 6622
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