Hello,

Anonymous

February 17,2023 at 3:06AM UTC

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Hello,

I had a phone screen interview yesterday which lasted for half an hour. The HR person didnt really ask me any questions about my skills for the job I applied for ( I did pre write my qualifications in a separate email). He really went through my entire resume and mentioned that his wife and myself had worked at the same college and university in the same roles.

He then asked if I was prepared for working a full time job, as the some of the work positions on my resume were part time. I have been looking for full time work in the post secondary sector for a few years, and have not been successful with obtaining full time employment, the positions are limited and competition is high.

This job for this company would be awesome, as it involves designing learning programs and instructional design, which I am more than qualified to do.

Felt uncomfortable with the "wife" comments and also the question about handling full time employment, of course I can handle it, I wouldn't have applied if I didn't.

Any thoughts would be welcomed about this situation.

he said he would let me know either way if moving forward or not.

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BeaBoss979975February 17,2023 at 5:24AM UTC
What is there to be uncomfortable about a comment that you and his wife had once worked at the same place doing the same work? I don't see that there is anything sinister about that.
Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistFebruary 17,2023 at 5:29AM UTC
Ok - so I look at every resume that applies to my open requisitions. Any that I think would be a fit I short list for the hiring manager to review. They take a look and either send me an email letting me know how they'd like to proceed or we have a call to discuss.
The questions he asked are questions my hiring managers ask me to drill down on with candidates all the time.
You think it's weird that you haven't worked a full time role in the last few years and the hiring manager would want to make sure you're looking for a full time role before moving you forward?
Many times I ask a candidate a question like this and get "no, I'm really looking to continue working part-time" as an answer. Even though the position is clearly listed as a full time role.
What, specifically, about him mentioning mentioned that his wife and yourself had worked at the same college and university in the same roles made you uncomfortable?
AnonymousFebruary 17,2023 at 1:43PM UTC
As a former recruiter I think one of the comments here is spot on.
HR folks are not necessarily recruiters but they do have a questionnaire which I did as well for specific jobs and or an overall questionnaire to screen candidates. That may be a good fit. I wouldn’t think about it too much. I think he was trying to find a common ground, and that was it.
Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistFebruary 17,2023 at 6:10PM UTC
I agree. I always try to build a rapport with candidates. Mentioning something personal like his wife worked at the same places the OP did is a way to do that. Personally, I think it would be kind of weird if he didn't mention it.
AnonymousFebruary 17,2023 at 6:21PM UTC
Thanks for the comments, I wouldn't have applied if I wasn't interested in a full time role. The comments about his wife and I working in the same place was due to the fact it wasn't a great work environment which he commented on. I chose not to add to those comments, as not wanting to appear negative.
Nothing sinister implied.
I dont know how HR operates, so appreciate this feedback.