Potential employee stories?

DanHolohan

Just for laughs, what's the wackiest story you've ever heard from a potential employee that 100% convinced you NOT to hire him/her?

SlamDunk

I have two:
First person interviewed really well. He was a maintenance man for a client who wanted a field service job because the client was going under, so my company knew him. After the formal interviews were over, I took him to lunch and, as if a switch flipped, he start rapid firing racists jokes! I called him on it and shot him down. Other people who interviewed him had a hard time believing it but they did believe me.

Second person was for an engineering position. Just graduated from a state university. Didn't know how to read a simple schematic... He asked what PSI stood for then added, that his tires have "psi" on them but never knew what it meant!

I have come to learn that engineering students are not thought to draw or read prints, the common language we use to communicate, they are just thought how to do the math.

retiredguy

I was the most experienced service tech and had been with the company longer that any other person except for the owner, so I was called upon to evaluate a potential new hire. I was not allowed by the owner to ask any questions about this person or to know any information that he had written on his application for employment. I took him to as many varied jobs as we could fit into a 12 hour day. I allowed him to explain and show me what he thought he knew. Wow, he knew nothing. All he could say was steam, hot water, fuel type, and that the burner was firing or shut down. When I returned to the shop the owner and I went into his office alone and he showed me his employment application. The potential new hire wrote that he knew all about and worked on high pressure and low pressure steam, hot water for heating and domestic water, Honeywell, Fireye, McDonald Miller, Cleveland, Penberthy Injectors, different burners firing both gas and oil, everything you may find in many boiler rooms. He stated that he had 5 or 6 years experience in the field. I said to my boss---- he is 18 years old and his hands are as soft as a baby's butt. He had worked in this institution with his uncle during the summers from the time he was about 12 years old.My boss was flabergasted and asked "with a straight face" if I thought he would be a good hire. You can guess my answer. Let me say that they hired him as a helper to satisfy his uncle who was a good customer and not as an experienced service tech

DanHolohan

You can't make this stuff up.

HVACNUT

I'm not a business owner and never hired anyone directly. New guys would ride with me for a week or two, and I'd relay the info up. I can say that most times I can tell within the first 15 minutes from the introductions when the newbie meets other techs as a group intro. He or she might be a little nervous, but they made through the first audition. That first meet, you can get a good read as soon as the questions start flying at the newbie.
And then there's the times when you immediately get the "Deer in the headlights" look and it's over before it even started.
Another common one is they pass the drug test and a month later the van gets smacked or something, and guess what?

KC_Jones

Wasn’t in an interview, but at a job fair. One of the students said: “I’m a professional googler.”

I threw his resume away when I got back to the office.

DanHolohan

LOL!!!!

JakeCK

> @SlamDunk said:
> Second person was for an engineering position. Just graduated from a state university. Didn't know how to read a simple schematic... He asked what PSI stood for then added, that his tires have "psi" on them but never knew what it meant!

........
How?

You would think natural selection would weed these people out.

SlamDunk

@JakeCK
I dunno! I learned about psi when my first bicycle tire went flat. Learned more about it in HS physics. my jaw hit the floor

ratio

Not really an employee story, but funny nonetheless: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nq-hMRrMTvY

mattmia2

I'm not sure i would discount someone just on the "professional googler" comment. Reading the manual isn't a bad thing, saying it in an awkward way shouldn't disqualify you.

John Ruhnke

So I was bowling with this kid he was 18 at the time. We bowled on the same league. He was really good averaged over 200. I liked the methodical routine he had. He threw a great hook and gotta lotta strikes.

So the kid asks me if I need a helper. He isn't doing well in school and wants to try the trades. I hire him and put him with my main mechanic Fred. Second day I show up to see how the job is progressing. I ask Fred "How is the new helper?" Fred roles his eyes and says "When ever he gets off the phone he is ok." The kid was out back putting hangers up and didn't hear us. All of a sudden the kid comes up to us and asks where the bathroom is. He goes into the outhouse but never comes out. I can hear him talking and laughing on the phone. 1/2 hour later he comes out and walks up to Fred and I. "What do you want me to do now? He asks. I said. "Just go Home" and that was that.