Swift exits

Last week when my colleague Sarah wrote an article on interview blunders I promptly posted a blog on my own experiences. This week her article on first day howlers has me stumped though. I don't have any first day stories to tell however I do have a couple of swift exits to report.

The first a new recruit who had been a highly impressive interview candidate seemed a little shocked on her first day when I ran through what was expected of her. But she seemed to settle in well. That was until she didn't show up on her third day. Anxious I called to see whether she was ok. She didn't return my call. But when she did, several days later, she told me quite bluntly: "I'm not coming back. I don't like you, and I don't like your team." Charming.

The other was a likeable and well-respected guy who was transfered to my team after his department closed down. We were delighted to have him on board. Sadly though he was none too pleased at the transition from a small quiet department to a large frenetic one. He too didn't show up to work one day and failed to return our calls. We had no idea what had happened to him until a Christmas card arrived a little while later apologising for the swift exit explaining that "a man's got to do, what a man's got to do." Quite.

Comments

[Al Moore]

The fastest exit I have ever heard of was 4 hours; a new senior manager for a well known chain of high end UK department stores. Arrived on day one and immediately realised the company was far from wonderful and nowhere close to the public image it has created of itself; picked up her handbag and left.