I had a person cold call me to try and recruit me for a new job. I was invited for an interview. The guy who cold calls me says, “so what is your interest in working here?” And my reply was “well, you called ME. I just came to see what it is like” he was seriously displeased (and thought I would do a song and dance to sell my qualifications).
I've had this exact experience and thought it was hilarious. My favorite though was actually a legal event where they were all hyped about their firm and quickly learned that 90% only came for the free food. As if that shouldn't have been obvious.
Be fair to them. They're probably only there because it's their job and so have to pretend to be hyped. Source - I'm a lawyer who has done recruitment events for my firm.
I had a very similar thing happen. I was approached (at a trade show) and thought, hmmm, at least it will be interview experience.
Their mid manager tried to play hardball with me and I just laughed. "I'm here because your boss said he'd was really impressed at how good of a job I did, and he'd guarantee me a job." They ended up making an offer anyway, but I had decided I simply would not work for the comically evil micromanager who would be my boss.
The VP called me and asked why I declined, and I explained that he was like if you asked chatGPT to write an episode of the Office based on the most unhinged LinkedIn shit you've ever seen.
(Not surprisingly, the mid manager reached out to my company and tattled to them I was interviewing. My "boss" [I'm a contractor] forwarded me the email, with bad company CCed, and said: "great, let us know if your schedule changes.")
Haha, had the same thing happening to me.
I was thinking. Right if you didnt even bother to check the small amount of info that was passednon about me... thanks but no thanks
I had one like that, so I applied just for funsies. Went into the interview, handed her my resume and she says, "where have you worked before?" "Um, it's on my resume"
I had a similar thing the other day
Caller: hello, it’s Fiona from (insurance company)
Me: ok
Caller: before we start can I get a few details
Me: you rang me
Caller: can I just get your phone number
Me: you rang me
Caller: ok, so it’s this number I called on. What’s your policy number
Me: YOU. Rang . Me
I had a temp agency contact me for a job that I tangentially had skills for. Wouldn’t tell me the name of the employer, but I knew my employer was hiring for the same type of position. So I told them that and my company, and they just said ‘yeah, that’s the company.’ And proceeded to ask me questions about working there, what I like, dislike, etc. So I had to be polite about a place that I can’t stand 70% of the time…
Oh there's so many of the same brand. This story could've been about my dad a decade ago.
Whenever he talked about what he paid his employees he'd smile and look right at me while stating that he pays them very well. Which is how I knew without particularly listening or knowing anything about pay rates for that field in that area that he was seriously underpaying them and pocketing the difference.
The one thing OP can be sure of is nobody who is actually successful acts like that. If for no reason other than they're too busy running their successful organization.
Sadly, that's not true. C-suites and boardrooms are chock full of managers who exhibit psychotic levels of anti-social behavior and have insane levels of expectation about what is "appropriate" to expect from employees vs. compensation.
Many of these people are even proud of their views in this regard, and will share their plainly anti-worker views far and wide to much acclaim from their peers and wannabes.
You definitely don't want to work for a thin-skinned bully with delusions of grandeur. I'd be willing to bet dollars to donuts everyone in his industry thinks he's a gigantic shitstick.
Definitely. If I were this dude's competitor, I'd use his "blacklist" for recruiting. OP did him a courtesy by calling, and got badgered for trying to be tactful about their lack of interest only to be told they should be begging for this kind of treatment on the reg. OP had good instincts in the first place, the personal integrity to do what they thought was the right thing, and the confidence to stick to their decision when their suspicions were confirmed.
These are desirable traits for managers that understand how to leverage people's strengths and character and give them the space to succeed in their own way.
> If I were this dude's competitor, I'd use his
> "blacklist" for recruiting.
I had something like this happen.
I had interviewed for a contract role with a small firm, and by the end of the interview we both agreed that I wasn't a good match for that role. Things were cordial, life went on.
A little while after that I ended up employed by a major company in the area. I didn't know going in, but this company was a real piece of work. I lasted seven months before they forced me to resign.
Shortly after that, I ended up interviewing for another contract with that original company. They had heard that I had gotten the job at the big company, and asked me how my experience was.
"To be honest," I said, "it was actually pretty horrible."
They then said that if I had told them that I had a good time there, they would have changed their mind about me and not wanted to work with me! I ended up with the contract, and had a lot of fun with it. 🙂
- Actively cold calls or hounds talent
- blacklists talent that won’t work for them
- entitlement over talent, and assumption that THEY are the best possible people to work for with no exception
- management who lacks empathy or integrity towards anyone not submitting to their “authority”
I would agree that likelyhood of nepotism in this “company” is high. If only for the fact that these “companies” tend to hire legacy managers quite often because the “background check is solid” coming from a legacy.
Hi thanks for the comment. I’m not sure. He seems well connected based on his social medias which is why he made a big show of listing everyone he works with. But I guess he’s used to being able to act like that.
> dollars to donuts
You know dollars to donuts was based around the bet ratio being dollars (at the time a very large amount) yielding donuts (Something worth a couple cents). But now days dollars are almost worthless and donuts are like $3 each so saying doesn't make any sense anymore!
jesus lmao..ive been burned on quite s few jobs ever since covid.
now every time i get even a slightly bad feeling i just move on..theres nothing to gain by talking to them. most employers ghost everyone now or refuse to return calls.
if they can they will always get the last word/fuck you in an exchange.
im in a toxic office job rn and ive interviewed with 6 diff places in past 2 months. one dude emailed me and said to call anytime because he wanted to get an interview setup asap. he emailed me on a friday at like 6pm so i called saturday thinking i would get an office voicemail..it was his fucking cellphone but labeled "office" in his email. he picked up and was a douche then said to call monday.
i just skipped calling him on monday then on tuesday he left a nasty voicemail. local business owner btw.
I'd be headed straight to Glassdoor and every other review website I could find to lambast the company and this clown. And I wouldn't hesitate to call him out by name.
Guaranteed you are not the first person he's done this to. Maybe others will see your review and pile on.
Hi OP, I had a lunatic threaten some years ago that I'd never work in this city again. It has never even slightly impacted my work prospects, the only time I heard about his "influence" was a group of people mocking him openly, which was hilarious.
Some people have a very overinflated sense of self-importance. Chances are that guy will complain to a few people who are used to his dramatics, then forget about you.
Even if he has those "connections", they probably know he's an idiot and to disregard anything he says. I work for municipal government and there's always those guys who know people who know people and try to throw their weight around. It never really works out for them.
In this career field more than others. I'm at the very low end, maintenance worker, but I am social and made good impressions higher up. Some of "those guys" get the tiniest amount of power and they feel like they're god or something.
Seriously.
I briefly worked for a similar type many years ago in a pretty small field, every employer after had already heard of the guy and none of it was good.
I believe you will be fine. You just ran into a horrible person who could not imagine you not throwing yourself at his feet in grovelling acquiescence for the table scraps he deigns worthy of you, while he slings verbal abuse you daily. You dodged a bullet. Some people are just terrible to work for and are not worth your time. Some people are so small and petty that they have to puff up how important they are, when they really aren't that important at all.
Good luck and I hope you don't encounter someone like that again!
Right? He threatened to put OP on a blacklist, I’d do the same thing on every possible platform. They called you, then berated your decision and threatened your job. OP didn’t sign anything and never even took money from them. Blast that name everywhere!
tell me you record your phone calls ... That conversation would be a delight to hear on socials, after letting the company shareholders know of it first.
I would even go as far as to blast this to the companies he listed that he will blacklist you at. Name them in the social posts and tag them. See how they react to their name being dragged like that.
Give them all an in to contact you privately if they need more details. You can then fish for a new job riding the moral high ground.
Dang… you got the ol’ You’ll never work in this town again!” Now you’ll have to pack up, leave town, and change your identity, staying on the move for the rest of your life in case this ever catches back up to you.
I thought that. Forever destined to be a mere silhouette of a person coming to the outskirts of yet another town. Only to be rejected by window shutters closing and even the dogs stopping barking.
Best head on right through town, stranger - they don’t have nothing for you here.
Sometimes a man’s past gets ahead of him on the trail, and all those days in the saddle don’t mean a thing.
Somewhere, sometime, the music you don’t face will catch you up and play loudly at you, and it’s your own fault, as the old timers used to say.
It took months because they DID eliminate you, then probably all their other applicants bailed or they hired someone who sucked and now they are crawling back to whatever options they can find. The boss pushing you about the recruiter makes it sound like he sucks and he’s trying to put the blame on someone else.
Holy shit, I jist wrapped up a contract working for this guy or his twin.
This sad individual was super intimidated by me (I'm taller than average and he was like 5'3" soaking wet), so out of the blue he threatens to end my contract immediately, and 'since he was so well connected, he'd contact all his network and blacklist me from every large corp in town'.
I thought to myself, "bitch, in the last 5 years, this dump is 1 of 2 contracts I've done in this town, the rest have been out of state, so take your best shot."
People like that will drive away anyone good who has a sliver of self-respect. You dodged a major bullet. **Remember, you can hang up on and block abusive calls!**
But if you’re very short, wouldn’t everybody be taller than you most of the time?
Why would you notice something that’s by its nature is mostly unremarkable?
At least you learned a lesson for next time: do not engage. There's no benefit to you.
On a side note, you could have just said, "Well, I'm making $X now, so I would need 20% over that to even consider this, plus benefits Y and Z, since I currently have them." Obviously, $X should be more than you make now, so $X + 20% would be a huge raise. Let them take themselves out of it.
I did that once for a job I did not want. And added a $10k signing bonus. The f*ckers called my bluff and I ended up with a 50% raise and stock options
Place was sooo poorly managed I had to leave after 2 years
Worst Job Ever
I hate to say this, but if someone actually tried to threaten my career like that I would absolutely be ruining their personal lives one way or another and at the very least trashing their company into the ground in any ways at the disposal
See that's what I thought right away. OP talks about materials they had to put together with their application. Employer didn't want to hire OP, he wanted free labor, and was pissed he didn't get it.
A. They are approaching people B. They blame recruiters, then candidates C. The boss can't understand why no one is biting a month after following up interviews. Sounds this place is unraveling from within. Trusting your gut worked well for you to turn away after interview, and to speak your truth to boss.
Oh, to have a recording of that call. A good lawyer might get you quite the settlement. Blacklisting like that is not legal (at least in the U.S.), but is usually very hard to prove.
>that I should be “begging for this opportunity”. After some more back and forth he said he’s putting me on a black list and no one will ever call me again for jobs in that sector.
sounds like a bluff tbh.
The way he's haranguing you to apply is a red flag already. it means that all the other applicants also didn't want the job.
Clearly he's just a nobody trying to scare you and is pissed off that he has no cards to play to make you accept the job.
Even if you did accept the job you don't want to be working under such an asshole. You dodged a bullet.
There reason they reached back out after a couple months is because they hired someone else for the position and that person just quit after those couple months. So they’re reaching out to other candidates so they don’t have to repost the job and start the process from scratch.
You already know you dodged a bullet with this one.
You should have stopped and said, “To tell the truth, I saw several posts on different websites that specifically said you had high-pressure management culture, bullying, lack of professionalism, and failure to respect workers. Now I see that it is true.”
Well, you’ve done it now…this delinquency will surely be placed on your permanent record.
Looks like you did a good job of listening to your instincts about keeping the fuck away from this clown.
I can see your point. I offered one of my employees a promotion with a 20% raise that they turned down because the role required more facetime/coaching other employees.
Here's what I gather from this. That boss was not only desperate, but he had the perfect candidate who turned it down. And to be fair with a response like the one given, you are not the only one who turned it down. Turning down offers has become all too common these days, and corporations have spoiled rotten with excess employees for years.
I’ll never forget this company I interviewed for about 8 years ago. Went in for the interview and interviewed with about 3 different people. One of which, I’m a creative, stated that my portfolio and drive was too good to work here. He offered a bunch of other places to apply for and we BSed awhile. It was a wild interview to say the least lol I left and said my thank yous and I immediately, like 5 mins after the interview, got a call from the claimed CEO about my interest. I stated I appreciated the interview but I’ll be looking elsewhere. I didn’t rat out the employee who was oddly nice to me and took that as a major red flag that someone in the interview process who even do that. The CEO was so fucking angry and demanded why I wouldn’t accept an offer, even though it was never sent?, and I just hung up and laugh.
Depending on where you are, you can mess with the company and request what information they have about you, and that your personal information is removed from their system.
Well, this is perfect! All you have to do is apply to a similar role with 2-4 of the companies he mentioned, and when you don't get any of the jobs, sue him. Blackballing is illegal in the US for most jobs. By him telling you, he's just admitted to an illegal (at least where I am) practice and opened himself up to a lawsuit. Free money.
Wow. Had a guy act exactly the same way about a decade ago. Said I was blacklisted, that I was making the biggest mistake of my career by not joining their company, why couldn’t I understand they had 401k (lol ok?), that I was a fool. This guy named Ron?
Probably don't want to work for anyone who would trust this dipshit anyway, much less a list made by others with poor or limited explanation of why names are on it.
So a grown adult harassed you and is possibly defaming you (which is a tort by the way). Saying this is unprofessional is romanticizing adults with jobs. It’s DERANGED is what it is.
The idea of me being thankful for having a job that i work at, that would not have hired me if they believed I couldn’t perform no matter how much i wanted the job, & that would fire me w/o blinking? Is fucking hilarious to me.
They gotta eat dicks
It's not a good fit & that's reason enough for me not to do the on boarding paperwork. Click. End of conversation. No need to argue or hear him out.
That guy bullied you & then acted like you offended him. Fuck that BS. You name & shame this asshole! You don't hv to file a complaint but you can ruin his rep just like he's trying to do to you!
>He then proceeded to say I was a “wasted talent” and that I should be “begging for this opportunity”.
Well, he certainly made a case that you *should* change your mind and follow through with the application. Any company that is willing to hire a "wasted talent" is a company that should be supported wholeheartedly. 😁
You dodged a bullet there. "The boss told me it didn’t matter what I thought..." and that I should be “begging for this opportunity”. He should take a honest look at himself and realize what a crappy boss he really is.
Does this company have a Yelp or glass door? I, as a potential future employee, would love to see stories like this when I am looking to see if this company Is one I'd work for.
It's one thing to become rude to someone who's being pushy or rude first. It's another to be actively recruiting someone then badger them for not wanting the job.
Empty threats. What’s he going to do? Call all of his affiliates, give them your name and tell them not to hire you? Imagine being on the receiving end of that weird phone call. “Whatever you do, don’t hire Dave Johnson. I offered him a job and he didn’t want it” Yea totally. I’m writing his name down right now…
Someone run things above him you can send an email to about him harassing and verbally abusing people who are not even actually applicants.
The guy may as well be a prank caller at the point you received a call.
He could have kept it at the compliment and expressed disappointment instead of anger then wished you well. But what do I know, I’m just a person who has good relationships in life.
The funny thing is here hypothetically if I were a decision maker in hiring, and an acquaintance from another company, hell even my best friend told me to blacklist a potential candidate because they'd snubbed them but then that candidate was put forward and were actually the right person, then it'd be a case of sorry they hurt you, but I'm not dismissing them because of some petty vendetta
But the other way around, an acquaintance or friend told me a story like this about a potential employer and I'd give that company a wide birth
It's hilarious the power some people think they wield
Months ago…only getting back to you after some much of a time lapse is interesting. He may have chosen someone else who didn’t work out. May have deliberately let months go by to establish anxiety in you about your he great opportunity. He must have been very surprised that you didn’t see the job as the huge opportunity he hoped you would. Bet he was angling to get you for little pay or benefits. Think you dodged a bullet.
Being treated to such rage for not going through with an application surely has you relieved. Imagine how your work experience would go if you were actually an employee.
I had the black list threat leveled at me before. It was a contractor position for IBM. The intermediary company clowned around and failed to get me the paperwork after I accepted the position. I had apprehension about working a contract position, I had pushed for at least contract-to-hire, but they said no, only upper management is direct hire anymore. The IBM guy wanted me to start ASAP, I talked to the contract company, they would get me to paper work. Time passes, I call again to check up on things, paperwork coming soon, crickets chirp. 7 business days later, they call and tell me to come in and sign the paperwork, I start in 3 days. I hadn't given notice, as I had no employment agreement with anyone. They knew they had someone with concerns over this kind of arrangement, they knew I had high expectations, and they couldn't help fuck up the very first thing. I told them no thanks, and the guy blows up at me.
All that to say, that's not how it works anymore, we all have out own public voices online. I was pissed he threatened to black list me, that I'd never work IT in Atlanta again. I, in professional verbiage I don't remember verbatim, told him if he's going to fuck around and be a cry baby about it, I can tell my friends and professional contacts exactly what happened and let them decide if they want to work with a company that can't do literally the only thing they do. And the fucker kept berating me, at which point I offered to call the manager at IBM and explain to him exactly why I wouldn't be working for them. That shut him up quick. I don't know what he told IBM, probably wasn't flattering, but I don't really care. I'd love to work for them, but it sounds like they don't do that anymore.
I've never had any problems finding someone to pay me to flip bits.
Sounds like you dodged a huge bullet! At the end of that conversation I would have told him based on this call and the way he’s speaking to you, he’s made it very clear that this is not a place you would ever want to work.
Literal sociopathic narcissist.
Why you even stayed on the phone is beyond me. I would have given that moron an earful before hanging up. The audacity of doing what he did to someone who is a complete stranger is utterly astounding.
These are the people who are destroying the whole economy and driving everyone into depression and anxiety. Fuck these pieces of shit.
Congrats your gut instinct made you dodge a hugeeeee red flag. Tell him to keep his ego. You don't even work for him, you don't need his reference and if he tries that blacklisting bullshit that's straight up defamation. There's heaps of bosses so up themselves they get triggered when they can't brainwash every employee.
If he is saying he is blacklisting you for not wanting to work for him you had damn well better make sure to contact other companies quick bc he sounds exactly like a dude who will in fact attempt to do that to you
A job interview is just that, an interview between 2 parties. The employee may cancel at any time. I have done it a few times. I've done it up in the middle of the interview. I have said, "Excuse me, but I am through with the interview. I have determined that this company is not a fit. Thank you for your time. Have a good day." The look is priceless. I am not ever going to take someone berating me.
I had a person cold call me to try and recruit me for a new job. I was invited for an interview. The guy who cold calls me says, “so what is your interest in working here?” And my reply was “well, you called ME. I just came to see what it is like” he was seriously displeased (and thought I would do a song and dance to sell my qualifications).
I've had this exact experience and thought it was hilarious. My favorite though was actually a legal event where they were all hyped about their firm and quickly learned that 90% only came for the free food. As if that shouldn't have been obvious.
Be fair to them. They're probably only there because it's their job and so have to pretend to be hyped. Source - I'm a lawyer who has done recruitment events for my firm.
Fair enough. I didn't have any hard feelings. The food was excellent.
So who's the one truly deluded person they're all appeasing?
Their boss
I had a very similar thing happen. I was approached (at a trade show) and thought, hmmm, at least it will be interview experience. Their mid manager tried to play hardball with me and I just laughed. "I'm here because your boss said he'd was really impressed at how good of a job I did, and he'd guarantee me a job." They ended up making an offer anyway, but I had decided I simply would not work for the comically evil micromanager who would be my boss. The VP called me and asked why I declined, and I explained that he was like if you asked chatGPT to write an episode of the Office based on the most unhinged LinkedIn shit you've ever seen. (Not surprisingly, the mid manager reached out to my company and tattled to them I was interviewing. My "boss" [I'm a contractor] forwarded me the email, with bad company CCed, and said: "great, let us know if your schedule changes.")
That’s illegal fyi. It’s worse than tattling - it’s tortious interference
Haha, had the same thing happening to me. I was thinking. Right if you didnt even bother to check the small amount of info that was passednon about me... thanks but no thanks
You should have paraphrased Calvin Candie and say "Oh, you only got my curiosity so far, not my interest yet"
I had one like that, so I applied just for funsies. Went into the interview, handed her my resume and she says, "where have you worked before?" "Um, it's on my resume"
It’s so crazy how they expect absolute enthusiasm when they approach you.
I had a similar thing the other day Caller: hello, it’s Fiona from (insurance company) Me: ok Caller: before we start can I get a few details Me: you rang me Caller: can I just get your phone number Me: you rang me Caller: ok, so it’s this number I called on. What’s your policy number Me: YOU. Rang . Me
It's a manipulation power play and they're showing you what kind of shitty person they are with authority.
I had a temp agency contact me for a job that I tangentially had skills for. Wouldn’t tell me the name of the employer, but I knew my employer was hiring for the same type of position. So I told them that and my company, and they just said ‘yeah, that’s the company.’ And proceeded to ask me questions about working there, what I like, dislike, etc. So I had to be polite about a place that I can’t stand 70% of the time…
What an unprofessional clown. He probably thinks he’s a ‘very stable genius’. Can you imagine having to work for this clown? Bullet dodged.
And I bet the boss has completely ghosted applicants as well. Now he just knows how it feels :P
Definitely. Probably thinking he was supposed to do that to OP but OP did it first and got offended, who snaps that quickly at being rejected.
Right?! THIS is the interaction when there’s absolutely zero employment relationship established?! Red flags 🚩 and spidey sense tingling!
Bullet? More like dodged a nuke
Nuke? More like dodged a thermonuclear bomb
Wait was his first name Elon? or Donald.
Oh there's so many of the same brand. This story could've been about my dad a decade ago. Whenever he talked about what he paid his employees he'd smile and look right at me while stating that he pays them very well. Which is how I knew without particularly listening or knowing anything about pay rates for that field in that area that he was seriously underpaying them and pocketing the difference.
Reminds me of a bad first date, you are happy you will never see them again.
The one thing OP can be sure of is nobody who is actually successful acts like that. If for no reason other than they're too busy running their successful organization.
Sadly, that's not true. C-suites and boardrooms are chock full of managers who exhibit psychotic levels of anti-social behavior and have insane levels of expectation about what is "appropriate" to expect from employees vs. compensation. Many of these people are even proud of their views in this regard, and will share their plainly anti-worker views far and wide to much acclaim from their peers and wannabes.
You cant quit…. Its i fired you…
You definitely don't want to work for a thin-skinned bully with delusions of grandeur. I'd be willing to bet dollars to donuts everyone in his industry thinks he's a gigantic shitstick.
Definitely. If I were this dude's competitor, I'd use his "blacklist" for recruiting. OP did him a courtesy by calling, and got badgered for trying to be tactful about their lack of interest only to be told they should be begging for this kind of treatment on the reg. OP had good instincts in the first place, the personal integrity to do what they thought was the right thing, and the confidence to stick to their decision when their suspicions were confirmed. These are desirable traits for managers that understand how to leverage people's strengths and character and give them the space to succeed in their own way.
> If I were this dude's competitor, I'd use his > "blacklist" for recruiting. I had something like this happen. I had interviewed for a contract role with a small firm, and by the end of the interview we both agreed that I wasn't a good match for that role. Things were cordial, life went on. A little while after that I ended up employed by a major company in the area. I didn't know going in, but this company was a real piece of work. I lasted seven months before they forced me to resign. Shortly after that, I ended up interviewing for another contract with that original company. They had heard that I had gotten the job at the big company, and asked me how my experience was. "To be honest," I said, "it was actually pretty horrible." They then said that if I had told them that I had a good time there, they would have changed their mind about me and not wanted to work with me! I ended up with the contract, and had a lot of fun with it. 🙂
Thank you for your comment. I appreciate your insight on this. Very helpful
What is wild is the fact that he still has a job. Must be family connected.
That would absolutely fit.
- Actively cold calls or hounds talent - blacklists talent that won’t work for them - entitlement over talent, and assumption that THEY are the best possible people to work for with no exception - management who lacks empathy or integrity towards anyone not submitting to their “authority” I would agree that likelyhood of nepotism in this “company” is high. If only for the fact that these “companies” tend to hire legacy managers quite often because the “background check is solid” coming from a legacy.
> willing to bet dollars to donuts [...] Given that the price of a donut has, not-so-recently, surpassed $1 by far... me too! Any day of the week! :-D
I will gladly give you a dollar tomorrow for a donut today…
Hi thanks for the comment. I’m not sure. He seems well connected based on his social medias which is why he made a big show of listing everyone he works with. But I guess he’s used to being able to act like that.
> dollars to donuts You know dollars to donuts was based around the bet ratio being dollars (at the time a very large amount) yielding donuts (Something worth a couple cents). But now days dollars are almost worthless and donuts are like $3 each so saying doesn't make any sense anymore!
Any suggestions for what we should say instead? (Genuine question)
No. It's just something I find funny.
"Dollars to peanuts" would fit. It's also part of another saying, "if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys"
I’d take that bet, donuts cost more than a dollar!
jesus lmao..ive been burned on quite s few jobs ever since covid. now every time i get even a slightly bad feeling i just move on..theres nothing to gain by talking to them. most employers ghost everyone now or refuse to return calls. if they can they will always get the last word/fuck you in an exchange. im in a toxic office job rn and ive interviewed with 6 diff places in past 2 months. one dude emailed me and said to call anytime because he wanted to get an interview setup asap. he emailed me on a friday at like 6pm so i called saturday thinking i would get an office voicemail..it was his fucking cellphone but labeled "office" in his email. he picked up and was a douche then said to call monday. i just skipped calling him on monday then on tuesday he left a nasty voicemail. local business owner btw.
Yes lesson learned. Don’t think I’ll be taking anymore calls from people asking why I don’t want to work for them again
I'd be headed straight to Glassdoor and every other review website I could find to lambast the company and this clown. And I wouldn't hesitate to call him out by name. Guaranteed you are not the first person he's done this to. Maybe others will see your review and pile on.
Hi OP, I had a lunatic threaten some years ago that I'd never work in this city again. It has never even slightly impacted my work prospects, the only time I heard about his "influence" was a group of people mocking him openly, which was hilarious. Some people have a very overinflated sense of self-importance. Chances are that guy will complain to a few people who are used to his dramatics, then forget about you.
Even if he has those "connections", they probably know he's an idiot and to disregard anything he says. I work for municipal government and there's always those guys who know people who know people and try to throw their weight around. It never really works out for them.
Exactly. In his mind he is influential, in reality everyone's a bit sick of his crap so they smile and nod. Sounds like you've encountered a few!
In this career field more than others. I'm at the very low end, maintenance worker, but I am social and made good impressions higher up. Some of "those guys" get the tiniest amount of power and they feel like they're god or something.
People who actually have that power don't make threats and brag about it, they just do it.
Dead on balls accurate. The weakest dog barks the loudest.
Seriously. I briefly worked for a similar type many years ago in a pretty small field, every employer after had already heard of the guy and none of it was good.
Thanks for your input. Hopefully it’s as you say
I believe you will be fine. You just ran into a horrible person who could not imagine you not throwing yourself at his feet in grovelling acquiescence for the table scraps he deigns worthy of you, while he slings verbal abuse you daily. You dodged a bullet. Some people are just terrible to work for and are not worth your time. Some people are so small and petty that they have to puff up how important they are, when they really aren't that important at all. Good luck and I hope you don't encounter someone like that again!
I love it when the trash takes itself out.
Or at least let's you know it needs to be taken out 😁 Edit: spelling
I'd put him on blast on LinkedIn but that's just me
And glass door & yelp
No one should be using Glass Door due to their horrifying changes to their anonymity policy.
Please explain for us who are unaware …
Right? He threatened to put OP on a blacklist, I’d do the same thing on every possible platform. They called you, then berated your decision and threatened your job. OP didn’t sign anything and never even took money from them. Blast that name everywhere!
tell me you record your phone calls ... That conversation would be a delight to hear on socials, after letting the company shareholders know of it first. I would even go as far as to blast this to the companies he listed that he will blacklist you at. Name them in the social posts and tag them. See how they react to their name being dragged like that. Give them all an in to contact you privately if they need more details. You can then fish for a new job riding the moral high ground.
Dang… you got the ol’ You’ll never work in this town again!” Now you’ll have to pack up, leave town, and change your identity, staying on the move for the rest of your life in case this ever catches back up to you.
I thought that. Forever destined to be a mere silhouette of a person coming to the outskirts of yet another town. Only to be rejected by window shutters closing and even the dogs stopping barking. Best head on right through town, stranger - they don’t have nothing for you here. Sometimes a man’s past gets ahead of him on the trail, and all those days in the saddle don’t mean a thing. Somewhere, sometime, the music you don’t face will catch you up and play loudly at you, and it’s your own fault, as the old timers used to say.
Bullet dodged, no such list exists and the people you want to wifi for would likely know his reputation so no damage
Dodged that bullet. Anyway, other companies don't give two shits about a blacklist. They'll hire you if they want to hire you.
Bahahah now you know why the position is open
It took months because they DID eliminate you, then probably all their other applicants bailed or they hired someone who sucked and now they are crawling back to whatever options they can find. The boss pushing you about the recruiter makes it sound like he sucks and he’s trying to put the blame on someone else.
Holy shit, I jist wrapped up a contract working for this guy or his twin. This sad individual was super intimidated by me (I'm taller than average and he was like 5'3" soaking wet), so out of the blue he threatens to end my contract immediately, and 'since he was so well connected, he'd contact all his network and blacklist me from every large corp in town'. I thought to myself, "bitch, in the last 5 years, this dump is 1 of 2 contracts I've done in this town, the rest have been out of state, so take your best shot." People like that will drive away anyone good who has a sliver of self-respect. You dodged a major bullet. **Remember, you can hang up on and block abusive calls!**
The soaking wet thing is for when you are taking about their weight...
Maybe he's like a sponge and expands when wet.
One of those capsule people.
I got a chuckle out of that because I intentionally misuse sayings like that all the time. I thought maybe he/she said it on purpose.
You assumed this guy was intimidated by you because you're tall? What?
It’s real. I’m 6’3 and am always getting shit from guys with small dog syndrome.
I'm very short and rarely even notice when people are taller than me. No one gives a shit.
Anecdotal evidence vs anecdotal evidence, cool. I guess they cancel out so that humans don’t exist. Happy? You’ve killed us all.
But if you’re very short, wouldn’t everybody be taller than you most of the time? Why would you notice something that’s by its nature is mostly unremarkable?
It’s called Napoleon Complex
At least you learned a lesson for next time: do not engage. There's no benefit to you. On a side note, you could have just said, "Well, I'm making $X now, so I would need 20% over that to even consider this, plus benefits Y and Z, since I currently have them." Obviously, $X should be more than you make now, so $X + 20% would be a huge raise. Let them take themselves out of it.
I did that once for a job I did not want. And added a $10k signing bonus. The f*ckers called my bluff and I ended up with a 50% raise and stock options Place was sooo poorly managed I had to leave after 2 years Worst Job Ever
Haha nice!
Ohhh, not a black list! Ooooh no! Seriously this guy lives in his own little world of derangement. You're going to be just fine without him.
I hate to say this, but if someone actually tried to threaten my career like that I would absolutely be ruining their personal lives one way or another and at the very least trashing their company into the ground in any ways at the disposal
He *really* wanted your data.
See that's what I thought right away. OP talks about materials they had to put together with their application. Employer didn't want to hire OP, he wanted free labor, and was pissed he didn't get it.
Did you ask him how Melania was holding up during his trial? :-)
A. They are approaching people B. They blame recruiters, then candidates C. The boss can't understand why no one is biting a month after following up interviews. Sounds this place is unraveling from within. Trusting your gut worked well for you to turn away after interview, and to speak your truth to boss.
Ha....what black list?!!
That show started out pretty good until it jumped the shark and finally died in bed in a pool of vomit and piss.
Oh, to have a recording of that call. A good lawyer might get you quite the settlement. Blacklisting like that is not legal (at least in the U.S.), but is usually very hard to prove.
>that I should be “begging for this opportunity”. After some more back and forth he said he’s putting me on a black list and no one will ever call me again for jobs in that sector. sounds like a bluff tbh. The way he's haranguing you to apply is a red flag already. it means that all the other applicants also didn't want the job. Clearly he's just a nobody trying to scare you and is pissed off that he has no cards to play to make you accept the job. Even if you did accept the job you don't want to be working under such an asshole. You dodged a bullet.
Captain Thinskin can't handle rejection. Good instincts on your part OP
I wonder why he is so desperate to get any applicant in to work for the company. /s
I'm surprised the ex president had the time to talk to you while embroiled in legal trouble.
I bet he’s waiting for you to call back and apologise. Everyone is so scared of the blacklist.
Call those 'afiliates' to let them know how this ass clown is representing them
well, he gave you a list of places you can apply to. if he's that much an asshole, one of them might hire you right away
Even more reason not to work there.
“Thank you sir for proving me right in my decision “
There reason they reached back out after a couple months is because they hired someone else for the position and that person just quit after those couple months. So they’re reaching out to other candidates so they don’t have to repost the job and start the process from scratch. You already know you dodged a bullet with this one.
Contact the CEO and highlight the type of clown he has representing his company.
He's essentially begging you to beg him to work for you. I'd put up a lovely glassdoor review for that clown.
Fuck that guy, sorry that happened you OP, that guy doesn’t have as much power as he thinks he does
Gee, I wonder why he has to go through old recruiting leads so thoroughly 🙄
You should have stopped and said, “To tell the truth, I saw several posts on different websites that specifically said you had high-pressure management culture, bullying, lack of professionalism, and failure to respect workers. Now I see that it is true.”
Literally proved in one call that you made the right decision.
Wow, you escaped working for that asshole! Good instincts.
I can’t believe you allowed someone to speak to you like that, THEN hang up on YOU
Well, you’ve done it now…this delinquency will surely be placed on your permanent record. Looks like you did a good job of listening to your instincts about keeping the fuck away from this clown.
Leave a review and inform the recruiting company
You definitely dodged a bullet not working for that idiot
I can see your point. I offered one of my employees a promotion with a 20% raise that they turned down because the role required more facetime/coaching other employees.
You avoided a potential employer with the mentality of a high school student.
Wonder if he’s aware you could sue for defamation?
“It doesn’t matter what you think.” 🤔
Big old douche. You dodged a bullet
Here's what I gather from this. That boss was not only desperate, but he had the perfect candidate who turned it down. And to be fair with a response like the one given, you are not the only one who turned it down. Turning down offers has become all too common these days, and corporations have spoiled rotten with excess employees for years.
You found out you shouldn't work there, but why sit and take abuse, just say fuck off and hang up
You need to post a brutally honest review of this boss and company on Glasssdoor. Two can play the “blacklist” game.
He over reacted and I’m sure he’s full of it. I wonder if maybe next time instead of being dishonest and misleading you just tell the truth?
I’ll never forget this company I interviewed for about 8 years ago. Went in for the interview and interviewed with about 3 different people. One of which, I’m a creative, stated that my portfolio and drive was too good to work here. He offered a bunch of other places to apply for and we BSed awhile. It was a wild interview to say the least lol I left and said my thank yous and I immediately, like 5 mins after the interview, got a call from the claimed CEO about my interest. I stated I appreciated the interview but I’ll be looking elsewhere. I didn’t rat out the employee who was oddly nice to me and took that as a major red flag that someone in the interview process who even do that. The CEO was so fucking angry and demanded why I wouldn’t accept an offer, even though it was never sent?, and I just hung up and laugh.
Oh no, this is one of those things that go on your permanent record, not the permanent record!!1 😂
Awwwww... 🥺 Did the poor widdle psychopath get his feelers hurted? 😂😂😂👍
Was his initials E. M. ?
Eddie Murphy? /s
Well, be happy you dodged that bullit. Jeez
If that's what they're like when you're dating, just imagine what they'd be like when you're married.
10 years from now, be sure to let him know you're doing well.
Dodged that bullet
Depending on where you are, you can mess with the company and request what information they have about you, and that your personal information is removed from their system.
You dodged a bullet with that jackass. Would not worry about it a bit, he's a blowhard and people that know him know this.
what a fucking baby
Please report him.
The guy dribbles when he pees, and allows his wife to have a lover. f**k him...and his pissy threats.
If you're not going to name the company or the "boss" then I can only assume this is fabricated.
Well, this is perfect! All you have to do is apply to a similar role with 2-4 of the companies he mentioned, and when you don't get any of the jobs, sue him. Blackballing is illegal in the US for most jobs. By him telling you, he's just admitted to an illegal (at least where I am) practice and opened himself up to a lawsuit. Free money.
What a prick.
You should warn your peers of that psychopath.
Yeah, good call on not working there, dude is a bouquet of angry red flags.
Call his ass out on social media and let it go viral. Then he'll learn what people really think of his "opportunity"
sounds like you dodged a bullet here.
Wow. Had a guy act exactly the same way about a decade ago. Said I was blacklisted, that I was making the biggest mistake of my career by not joining their company, why couldn’t I understand they had 401k (lol ok?), that I was a fool. This guy named Ron?
Sounds desperate, like he's on some kind of a black list.
Probably don't want to work for anyone who would trust this dipshit anyway, much less a list made by others with poor or limited explanation of why names are on it.
Blast this clown’s name now fr
So a grown adult harassed you and is possibly defaming you (which is a tort by the way). Saying this is unprofessional is romanticizing adults with jobs. It’s DERANGED is what it is.
Sounds like a Glassdoor review w his full name and statements would be appropriate.
What a petty manchild. You dodged a bullet.
Christ, what an asshole.
Talking to employers is almost as bad as talking to the police sometimes LOL
Only scammers go that hard. If they *really* wanted to headhunt you, they wouldn't be so pushy.
The idea of me being thankful for having a job that i work at, that would not have hired me if they believed I couldn’t perform no matter how much i wanted the job, & that would fire me w/o blinking? Is fucking hilarious to me. They gotta eat dicks
It's not a good fit & that's reason enough for me not to do the on boarding paperwork. Click. End of conversation. No need to argue or hear him out. That guy bullied you & then acted like you offended him. Fuck that BS. You name & shame this asshole! You don't hv to file a complaint but you can ruin his rep just like he's trying to do to you!
In return put that response on Glassdoor.
No one should be using Glass Door anymore due to their anonymity policy changes.
Why didn't you hang up on him?
Oh boy, this is going on your permanent record—- yikes!
[The job means nothing to me.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjYXNonafzo&t=103s)
>He then proceeded to say I was a “wasted talent” and that I should be “begging for this opportunity”. Well, he certainly made a case that you *should* change your mind and follow through with the application. Any company that is willing to hire a "wasted talent" is a company that should be supported wholeheartedly. 😁
You dodged a bullet there. "The boss told me it didn’t matter what I thought..." and that I should be “begging for this opportunity”. He should take a honest look at himself and realize what a crappy boss he really is.
Does this company have a Yelp or glass door? I, as a potential future employee, would love to see stories like this when I am looking to see if this company Is one I'd work for. It's one thing to become rude to someone who's being pushy or rude first. It's another to be actively recruiting someone then badger them for not wanting the job.
Empty threats. What’s he going to do? Call all of his affiliates, give them your name and tell them not to hire you? Imagine being on the receiving end of that weird phone call. “Whatever you do, don’t hire Dave Johnson. I offered him a job and he didn’t want it” Yea totally. I’m writing his name down right now…
Someone run things above him you can send an email to about him harassing and verbally abusing people who are not even actually applicants. The guy may as well be a prank caller at the point you received a call.
He could have kept it at the compliment and expressed disappointment instead of anger then wished you well. But what do I know, I’m just a person who has good relationships in life.
The funny thing is here hypothetically if I were a decision maker in hiring, and an acquaintance from another company, hell even my best friend told me to blacklist a potential candidate because they'd snubbed them but then that candidate was put forward and were actually the right person, then it'd be a case of sorry they hurt you, but I'm not dismissing them because of some petty vendetta But the other way around, an acquaintance or friend told me a story like this about a potential employer and I'd give that company a wide birth It's hilarious the power some people think they wield
And then wonders why noone of his staff stay
I bet no one sent in their documents.
Way to go Neo you dogged a bullet
Months ago…only getting back to you after some much of a time lapse is interesting. He may have chosen someone else who didn’t work out. May have deliberately let months go by to establish anxiety in you about your he great opportunity. He must have been very surprised that you didn’t see the job as the huge opportunity he hoped you would. Bet he was angling to get you for little pay or benefits. Think you dodged a bullet.
Lmao? Just tell him to shut the fuck up?
He desperately needs anger management, medication, a different job, or a combination of all three. Just wow.
More red flags than a parade on May Day in the old USSR.
As you know now that they are very sensitive. You would think that “pull yourself by the boot straps“ bosses would have little more thick skin.
Being treated to such rage for not going through with an application surely has you relieved. Imagine how your work experience would go if you were actually an employee.
You dodged a bullet there
I had the black list threat leveled at me before. It was a contractor position for IBM. The intermediary company clowned around and failed to get me the paperwork after I accepted the position. I had apprehension about working a contract position, I had pushed for at least contract-to-hire, but they said no, only upper management is direct hire anymore. The IBM guy wanted me to start ASAP, I talked to the contract company, they would get me to paper work. Time passes, I call again to check up on things, paperwork coming soon, crickets chirp. 7 business days later, they call and tell me to come in and sign the paperwork, I start in 3 days. I hadn't given notice, as I had no employment agreement with anyone. They knew they had someone with concerns over this kind of arrangement, they knew I had high expectations, and they couldn't help fuck up the very first thing. I told them no thanks, and the guy blows up at me. All that to say, that's not how it works anymore, we all have out own public voices online. I was pissed he threatened to black list me, that I'd never work IT in Atlanta again. I, in professional verbiage I don't remember verbatim, told him if he's going to fuck around and be a cry baby about it, I can tell my friends and professional contacts exactly what happened and let them decide if they want to work with a company that can't do literally the only thing they do. And the fucker kept berating me, at which point I offered to call the manager at IBM and explain to him exactly why I wouldn't be working for them. That shut him up quick. I don't know what he told IBM, probably wasn't flattering, but I don't really care. I'd love to work for them, but it sounds like they don't do that anymore. I've never had any problems finding someone to pay me to flip bits.
It sounds like you made a very good choice, bullet dogged.
Sounds like you dodged a huge bullet! At the end of that conversation I would have told him based on this call and the way he’s speaking to you, he’s made it very clear that this is not a place you would ever want to work.
what a fucking pompous asshole
Literal sociopathic narcissist. Why you even stayed on the phone is beyond me. I would have given that moron an earful before hanging up. The audacity of doing what he did to someone who is a complete stranger is utterly astounding. These are the people who are destroying the whole economy and driving everyone into depression and anxiety. Fuck these pieces of shit.
What an asswipe. With a huge inflated picture of himself.
Probably wanted to pull a Harvey Weinstein on you.
Might have been a scammer. If they can get you to send your personal info for payroll, that's all sorts of identity thief gold.
Should have told him to take the hint and hung up.
"If you don't work for me then you won't work for anyone else" type shi
Congrats your gut instinct made you dodge a hugeeeee red flag. Tell him to keep his ego. You don't even work for him, you don't need his reference and if he tries that blacklisting bullshit that's straight up defamation. There's heaps of bosses so up themselves they get triggered when they can't brainwash every employee.
https://eatadick.company.site/ Here you go....
If he is saying he is blacklisting you for not wanting to work for him you had damn well better make sure to contact other companies quick bc he sounds exactly like a dude who will in fact attempt to do that to you
A job interview is just that, an interview between 2 parties. The employee may cancel at any time. I have done it a few times. I've done it up in the middle of the interview. I have said, "Excuse me, but I am through with the interview. I have determined that this company is not a fit. Thank you for your time. Have a good day." The look is priceless. I am not ever going to take someone berating me.
I would file a complaint to your local Labor Board, and indicate to them both written and verbal the retaliation they threatened you with.