Five Things That Really Annoy Hiring Managers

Date Posted: 02/21/2017

Beyond impressive track records and qualifications, what is perhaps more crucial to any jobseeker is making a good impression on hiring managers. You’ve probably heard countless tips kung paano magpasikat — be confident and professional. However, it is also important to be aware of the attitudes and behaviours that tick hiring managers off. Here are some of them:

1.  Tardiness. While hiring managers all have unique preferences and pet peeves, tardiness is one sure turn-off. If you want to convince them that you really want the job, arrive on time. Besides, nobody takes the “traffic sa EDSA!” excuse seriously anymore.

2. Being disrespectful. Respect (and the lack of it) manifests itself in many forms. Being punctual to appointments and submission deadlines shows respect for the hiring manager’s time. Wearing appropriate attire and conducting yourself in a professional manner shows respect for the company and yourself. On the other hand, carrying yourself and communicating with the hiring manager in any way that devalues their position is downright disrespectful and will surely work against yours.

3. Be prepared. Hiring managers, especially those that deal with international recruiting, have a difficult job. They go through hundreds of applications and talk to numerous people every day, and coming to an appointment unprepared wastes their time. Apart from not doing any research about the job or the company, another thing that irks hiring managers is coming in without all your paperwork and essentials such as a pen. They’re hiring managers, not your yaya, and it shouldn’t be their responsibility to provide you with something you should have prepared for.

4. You are not entitled! Everyone knows that finding a job abroad is challenging and often stressful. However, this is not an excuse for you to act pasaway. You are an applicant, not a client or investor. While hiring managers, your employment agency and other recruitment staff are expected to follow basic etiquette (e.g., notifying you about your application status or other updates), they are not duty-bound to update you every day or answer to all of your demands. It’s also annoying not only to hiring managers but to any company employee when an applicant talks down to them or even complains. No one likes a maldita, and such attitude is a big no-no, especially for jobs abroad where you will be expected to adapt to the culture and the environment.

5. Being dishonest. Lying about anything during the application process is not only annoying, but inexcusably wrong and could cost you not only the specific job you are applying for but your reputation as well. Recruitment agencies offer invaluable assistance in your job search, but they also value honesty and integrity and being dishonest about your experience or qualifications will break the agency’s trust in you. Make no mistake, dishonesty is ruinous not only in the grand scale, but also in the little things such as excuses for being late, lying in your resume or for not submitting any requirement.

At the end of the day, the most useful principle is to avoid doing anything you would be annoyed with if you were the hiring manager. Finding a job abroad is a long and complicated process, but this will ultimately be made easier by establishing good rapport with the people who are helping you land that dream career abroad.