I Hate Your Guts but I'll Represent You, You Stupid Dick.

I am finding that one of my biggest challenges of late is finding and having to represent the most abhorent, rude, arrogant, pompus, skilled, intelligent, well-educated, experienced jerks with inflated senses of self-worth. Originally when I came across these people I parked them in my database and said, "the hell with you, you stupid dick! I hope you never get another job again." However, I realized that my approach is immature. In real life I can decide to cut jerks out of my life (and do, regularly) however, in my career, though I may really, really not like certain people, if they are well skilled, experienced, and hiring managers love them (as is often the case and I can add "manipulative sociopath" to the list of their terrible personality traits) I need to just suck it up and do my job. As long as they know how to interface with a hiring manager and, as is often reflected in their resumes, can hold a job at a Fortune 500 company and do well, I could care less how they talk to me on the phone or through an e-mail. I'm no doormat but I'm not stupid.

It's really hard for me. I like to stick it to people and bring them down a peg whenever possible but I guess this is part of the evolution from idiot with a college degree to working professional. I can't help but feel I am compromising myself. Where is my catcher in the rye? C'est la vie.

Comment by Dan Nuroo on April 1, 2009 at 10:20am: Depends on where you find out you don't think the person's attitude works for you. If early on, I would probably not have submitted in the first place, but hindsight rocks.

As a client myself at times, I would prefer to know. It can be phrased nicely, but if said person I am hiring, who I think is a gun (as I have only seen interview candidate on best behaviour), turns out to be an as#$%@%e and it slipped out down the line that my TPR had a thought (or expeirence) this may be the case, and didn't inform me I'd be disappointed.

If I was given the information (ie this guy is good, however he can potentially rub people up the wrong way with his attitude at times") and still decided to hire, then it's my call and I wear it. (Too Pollyanna? maybe, but I would, in my current role)

Comment by See_Jane_Recruit on April 1, 2009 at 10:47am: Maybe the difference is agency vs. headhunter but I don't think it's my job to try to predict whose personality is going to work and whose won't work. If a hiring manager says to me, "I like Dan on a technical level but I think his personality may clash with my team" and I already have a personal experience that suggests the same then by all means I would say, "I think I understand what you mean. Let's put Dan on a backburner and explore other options." Otherwise I think creating a problem where there is none is not a good idea. Let's not make our client second guess themselves.

Comment by Todd Kmiec on April 1, 2009 at 12:32pm: Great post. Mostly because it made me laugh. But you are soooooo right. One of my favorite sayings about this business is that everyone belongs somewhere. Our job is to find the right people for our clients (not all of our clients are the most fantastic people either) or to find the right place for our candidate. We run into every kind of person in this business which makes it really interesting. The best thing to do for everyone involved is to be a pro even when others are not. Good thoughts, nice vent, but everyone belongs somewhere.

Todd Kmiec
Todd Kmiec & Associates
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Comment by Suresh Kannan on December 28, 2009 at 7:11pm: Great posts from everyone. See_Jane_Recruit, what you have brought up is a very good point. I know, some guys who know that they are really good at something have a bloated ego. I remember onetime trying to screen an Oracle DBA he looked like a real stud in the resume and had all the skills the Client wanted but he was not even giving a complete answer, it was like in yes/no responses. after a few minutes I just had enough and I just said, I respect your time and I would expect you to honour the same. If you are interested in this position call me back at this # Click....