[kilus]

I have been going to interviews for 2 months. One thing I've noticed is the interaction of the interview with certain key HR people. In the past and recently, I have realized that when HR women interview me, they are strict and unflexible. For example, when i initially sit with a manager or other non-HR people of the company, the interaction goes well. But when an HR woman (theyre all women, by the way) interviews me in the last leg of the interview, I notice that shes stiff like shes got a wrench up her ass or she asks questions in a manner thats a bit disrespectful.

Has anyone noticed this phenomenon also?

[Pete]

Yep. I had that happen too. I was in an interview a few weeks ago and the woman looked at me like she hated me.

She had no empathy. She looked like a robot. Thank god I didn't get hired, 'cause she would've been my supervisor.

[MrXY]

Sure-everybody in business knows that HR attracts the most horrid cunts

[Freedom]

Fortunately not for me. I was always treated well by HR staff and frequently got freebies when hired for "white collar" jobs. Freebies included (not all from the same company) a company lunch bag, a company fleece jacket, company t-shirt, company mug. I know usually people get these things after working a lengthy time, but in my case perhaps they were for my talents and choosing to work for them.

[NY Digital]

(04-13-2013 04:26 PM)Freedom Wrote:  

Fortunately not for me. I was always treated well by HR staff and frequently got freebies when hired for "white collar" jobs. Freebies included (not all from the same company) a company lunch bag, a company fleece jacket, company t-shirt, company mug. I know usually people get these things after working a lengthy time, but in my case perhaps they were for my talents and choosing to work for them.

Wow that's some quality, A-grade treatment right there....

[ryanf]

(04-13-2013 04:26 PM)Freedom Wrote:  

Fortunately not for me. I was always treated well by HR staff and frequently got freebies when hired for "white collar" jobs. Freebies included (not all from the same company) a company lunch bag, a company fleece jacket, company t-shirt, company mug. I know usually people get these things after working a lengthy time, but in my case perhaps they were for my talents and choosing to work for them.

I run game on the HR girls at my work. Calms them down.

[Brosemite]

Had an interview with a marketing firm back in 2008. Got along with the company, but the HR lady was a total disrespectful cunt. Can relate.

Had another interview back in 2012 where I got to skip the HR nonsense as the VPs of the company spent a great deal of time making fun of the HR ladies & the remedial crap they do. Great company & people, but I decided not to take the job so I could pursue other things.

[Balkanite]

One of the few places women can get power in corporate America. In HR. When they get there they feel they have a license to be a grade A cunt. When they see a good looking confident guy come in with a decent resume, it's an opportunity for them to showcase their power and treat you like shit. Had that happen to me a few times.

[Kabal]

As an undergraduate looking for a full time job, one of my worst interviews was with a blonde ice queen HR girl from the hedge fund Citadel.

I went in there expecting to talk markets and work out some brainteasers, not having some ex-sorority slore shit-testing me about my "greatest weaknesses."

She was very doable though.

[ElBorrachoInfamoso]

My company doesn't let HR conduct interviews. HR is there to serve.

[horn]

There's no power in HR. LOLOLOL at that nonsense. Next you'll be telling me the waitress who brings my order at Capital Grille is full of power.

[dotbiz]

I used to work for a big Swiss bank and I had to go through several rounds of interviews and assessments.

While your future boss might be quite friendly in the interview and talk business, the HR guys have a different education and purpose.

They don't care about your expertise and know-how, they try to gauge your soft skills.

They will provoke you by purpose to see how you react to that. Will you get defensive or angry? Will you shoot back? Or will you stay calm, smile and answer the question in a deescalating and convincing manner?

They will try to stress you to see how you can handle pressure. For example they might refer to skills or working experiences of yours and literally say things like "Unfortunately I don't think you can handle [some area of the job you're applying for] considering the fact that [some skill or something else from your CV]!" or "[Your university or education] is not exactly good enough for this job!".

It's like a shit test. But you better don't want to agree and amplify.

I don't know if it was part of the interview strategy or not, but your best bet is to stay friendly and answer on a professional level.

Think of it as LMR and handle it accordingly: "Yes, you're right, but..." and follow up with logic reasons on a technical level.

It's a lot like game. They wouldn't have invited you for the interview if they weren't interested in you, similar to a girl that goes on a date with you.
Now it's up to you to not fuck it up.

[Nineteen84]

some people are just cunts

[kilus]

(04-15-2013 06:08 AM)dotbiz Wrote:  

It's like a shit test. But you better don't want to agree and amplify.

Think of it as LMR and handle it accordingly: "Yes, you're right, but..." and follow up with logic reasons on a technical level.

Hi dotbiz.. Can you explain what you mean by this? You said at first to NOT agree with their negative shit tests. But then you said to answer them like an LMR in ssaying, "Yes, youre right, but.." So by doing this, dont you think youre agreeing with them in the first place which you said not to do?

[chyamor]

(04-13-2013 08:49 PM)ElBorrachoInfamoso Wrote:  

My company doesn't let HR conduct interviews. HR is there to serve.

Agreed. Its one thing to do the first phone interview with them just so they can screen people but doing an in-person interview should never involve them.

When I was unemployed I would get hr assistant call me and start asking me questions, just listening to them say ummm before every question usually lead to me telling them if the head HR person cant make time for me then I cant make time for your company.

If you have 4 or more years of experience and are dealing with HR interviewing you, your probably wont like working there.

[Blackmagic]

One of the girls I've been banging for a few months works in HR for a Fortune 500 company. She's told me a few stories about how she belittles some of her male co-workers. She sounds like she would be a total cunt at work because she has very little empathy, hates children, and seems to not like people in general. I imagine most HR women are this way. At least she is a decent lay and travels a lot for work, so she's very low maintenance.

Anyway, you have to game those harpies on job interviews just like you would a chick on a first date. Show personality and make them laugh/smile. If you were able to score a face to face interview, they're satisfied with your technical (paper) aptitude to perform the job but interviewing with HR is more about soft skills and making sure you will fit the company culture. HR interviews tend to be far easier to BS your way through than the one with the hiring manager. Unfortunately, most companies that have HR as part of the face to face interview process ultimately give the HR department control over who gets the job and who doesn't, even if you dazzled the hiring manager.

[Freedom]

(04-13-2013 08:49 PM)ElBorrachoInfamoso Wrote:  

My company doesn't let HR conduct interviews. HR is there to serve.

I may have misunderstood the OP. I was never interviewed by HR staff, but I was hired by them. Meaning once the program or project manager accepted me, they sent me to HR to do the paper work.

@Kilius, perhaps you were hated because you were selected instead of a different prospect or that your position was in HR.

[kilus]

(04-15-2013 11:25 PM)Freedom Wrote:  

(04-13-2013 08:49 PM)ElBorrachoInfamoso Wrote:  

My company doesn't let HR conduct interviews. HR is there to serve.

I may have misunderstood the OP. I was never interviewed by HR staff, but I was hired by them. Meaning once the program or project manager accepted me, they sent me to HR to do the paper work.

@Kilius, perhaps you were hated because you were selected instead of a different prospect or that your position was in HR.

No, no.. the jobs I interview for are mostly in finance, not HR. Depending on the job, one may be interviewed by HR first or management first. Again, it depends on the job and company. Each and every company has its own strategy of interviewing. Not every company interviews the same way.

Many times I've noticed HR interviewing me and others with indignity. One HR woman at Lehman Bros. interviewed me a bit harshly. I felt like slapping her after the interview. After the interview was over, I reluctantly sent her the typical obligatory thank you letter. She called me days later and said, "why did you send me this letter as if confirming your hiring with us? We never hired you." Mind you, it was ONLY a thank you letter for the interview, NOT a thank you letter for hiring me since DUH! I know you're not hiring me yet, idiot woman.

So, those are my experiences with HR women in interviews. My friends' experiences and those apparently on this thread support their bitchy attitude. Unfortunately, we have to sit there and take it. I wonder if females interviewees are treated any differently though. I bet they are and given better treatment.

[xmlenigma]

A little insight that I think comes from a different angle.

More core business folks look down at HR and push them wrong way as a utility function. They will be too busy to do interviews for people they want to hire and then hold HR accountable.

HR gets stuck between a rock & a hard place. So, they are not super happy about being treated like crap. The STRESS & EGO-BURN adds up and hence the reaction.

Again, this is not the case everywhere. I've met some great HR people and also some not so good ones.

Usually they either ROCK and are super warm/ welcoming, or they are plain sucky.

[Brodiaga]

Most HR chicks I talked to either at job interviews or as an employee were polite, nice and sometimes even helpful, but that was outside of the US. At my current company, HR is almost non existent which is great.

[playa_with_a_passport]

HR juice depends on the industry. HR sole purpose is to prevent employee lawsuits. The larger the company, the more power they have. In city and state govt, HR is God. All the interviews that I have been on HR is always siting in on them. They are really looking for reasons not to hire you. Its always good to play the Game and be as beta as possible at least until your 90 day probation is up.