Wait, Who is Calling?

One of the best parts of being a recruiter or a resource manager at a consulting firm is extending job or contract offers. Think about the last time you received that call; it was so exciting! We want you to work for us and we’re going to pay you to do it – hooray! I take this part of my job very seriously because I’m literally changing someone’s life. We all spend so much time and energy working that changing jobs is, to be blunt, a big deal.

So typically the worst possible thing that could happen would be rescinding an offer. Until I came across this article from CNN about helicopter parents and a hiring manager who received a call from a candidate’s mother asking about her child’s offer and responsibilities. Uh, really? A recruiter got a call from someone’s mom? She withdrew the job offer. And I would have done the same thing.

This article made me think back about the candidates I have worked with this year and several were in the under 30 age range. And surprisingly I realized that some of these individuals did talk about their parents during the offer process. One candidate talked to his father about financial implications and another mentioned her parents when discussing relocating. I think this is understandable – family is family whomever you choose. However, career decisions are the candidate’s, not the family’s and therefore, the family should not be talking to the company.

So here’s my message to anyone under the age of . . ., oh, you know what, this applies to everyone. Never, ever, under any circumstances, ever, never have your mom call your prospective employer. Never. It won’t end well.

About the author

Cassie Sturdevant

Cassie Sturdevant is a Senior Recruiter for Impact Advisors, a healthcare IT strategic and implementation services consulting firm just named 2013 Best in KLAS for Overall Services. She specializes in humor and follow up.

2 Comments

  • Great post, Cassie – it reminded me of when I was in the 2nd grade, and Tommy Hopkins brought his dad’s Playboy magazine to school for show and tell. I came home and told my mom, who promptly called Tommy’s mom to ask her what in the hell was wrong with their family?! I was mortified, and continued to be mortified throughout my childhood as my mom attempted to singlehandedly right all the wrongs that came across my path. But thankfully, that all stopped on my 18th birthday. 🙂 Sounds like that poor candidate’s mom didn’t know when to quit!

  • Thanks Gwen! That reminds me of the scene in A Christmas Story where Ralphie blames “oh fudge, but I didn’t say fudge” on his friend and the mothers phone each other. Then, Ralphie gets his mouth washed out with soap. Classic scene.

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