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[der_gadfly]

Dear Mr/Ms HR jerk Director,

I want to personally thank you for installing such a perfectly functioning abysmal system for accepting my CV for the job posting. I found it highly amusing relevant that I attempt for over an hour to decipher the error message "helpdesk" simply because my elementary school (which burned down years ago) was NOT in your system, yet you STILL want to know where I went.

I mean, after all, I simply want to submit my documents, and don't at all mind typing in my name, but to tell the truth, my Elementary school teachers are all dead a buried by now, and even if they were alive to provide a reference for the job (which requires a doctorate), would probably not remember me through the haze of their Alzheimer's disease.

Would it be too much to ask that you talk to the programmers and have the site set up so that job candidates do not have to forego hours of sleep to apply for a job?

[regular_joe]

DG,

You have GOT to be kidding! What place wants to know where you went to elementary school---and then on top of it won't let you enter the name manually?!? Can bring yourself to publicly shame them? It will make you feel so much better!

RJ, picking up his jaw, which fell to the floor after reading this

[choirguy]

P.S. If your ad asks for only letter of application, C.V. and list of references don't set the !@#$%^Y online system to require additional documents.

[inthelab]

P.S. If your ad asks for only letter of application, C.V. and list of references don't set the !@#$%^Y online system to require additional documents.

CHIME!!

[mouseman]

HR issues are pandemic:  I recently tried to apply for a job at an Australian University.  I clicked on the country where I lived (the USA was there), and then the system wanted to know which state I lived in.  The problem was that their choices were:  Australian Capital Territory, Jervis Bay Territory, New South Wales, Lord Howe Island, Northern Territory, Queensland, Torres Strait Islands, South Australia, Tasmania , Victoria, and Western Australia. 

[msparticularity]

HR issues are pandemic:  I recently tried to apply for a job at an Australian University.  I clicked on the country where I lived (the USA was there), and then the system wanted to know which state I lived in.  The problem was that their choices were:  Australian Capital Territory, Jervis Bay Territory, New South Wales, Lord Howe Island, Northern Territory, Queensland, Torres Strait Islands, South Australia, Tasmania , Victoria, and Western Australia. 

So, you're a specialist in the Tasmanian long-tailed mouse?

[timurid]

...and enough with the damn hard copies already.

[der_gadfly]

HR issues are pandemic:  I recently tried to apply for a job at an Australian University.  I clicked on the country where I lived (the USA was there), and then the system wanted to know which state I lived in.  The problem was that their choices were:  Australian Capital Territory, Jervis Bay Territory, New South Wales, Lord Howe Island, Northern Territory, Queensland, Torres Strait Islands, South Australia, Tasmania , Victoria, and Western Australia. 

simple mis-programming in that case. they must have hired a web developer with an Associates degree for that one

[mad_doctor]

HAHaha...  If they talked to any of my elementary school teachers I'd never be able to get a job.

[embitteredhistorian]

...and enough with the damn hard copies already.

AMEN

What is wrong with these people? For one job I had to print out copies of every one of my publications and send it--about 400 pages. Not to mention the Oxbridge JRF applications that require 10 copies of everything, or the appalling HR web form (I've encountered some that aren't Mac compatible, making my life harder), or the personalized letters of reference required before a longlist is made. ARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHH

[alleyoxenfree]

Two email rejections today and the second was so rude, it made me glad I didn't get the job.  Dear HR, please learn to compose a pleasant and polite rejection.  I wanted to respond, f*** you!  But no, I didn't have a meltdown.

This after having been told I would hear two weeks ago, being kept waiting through the holidays, having my polite check-in email to the SCC ignored (this was a non-teaching job), and then this pleasantry.  Starbucks, here I come!

[der_gadfly]

Methinks that the HR sector of higher ed is  really not hiring the right people for the job.

Ok, I get it:
we need to automate certain things. No problem there.
We need to cut costs, no problem there.


Now, is there a way to do both of the above AND at the same time, NOT PO applicants? YES

[lorelei]

HR issues are pandemic:  I recently tried to apply for a job at an Australian University.  I clicked on the country where I lived (the USA was there), and then the system wanted to know which state I lived in.  The problem was that their choices were:  Australian Capital Territory, Jervis Bay Territory, New South Wales, Lord Howe Island, Northern Territory, Queensland, Torres Strait Islands, South Australia, Tasmania , Victoria, and Western Australia. 

This kind of crap is endemic in US HR forms too. Either they demand a US state of residence, or if they'll allow a foreign country, the form still won't go through without a US zip code (and 00000 is not permitted).

And their telephone number fields don't have enough space for all the digits of an overseas phone number.

I recall having to try to explain this - via phone and email - to some rabbit-head HR woman at a SLAC.

[embitteredhistorian]

HR issues are pandemic:  I recently tried to apply for a job at an Australian University.  I clicked on the country where I lived (the USA was there), and then the system wanted to know which state I lived in.  The problem was that their choices were:  Australian Capital Territory, Jervis Bay Territory, New South Wales, Lord Howe Island, Northern Territory, Queensland, Torres Strait Islands, South Australia, Tasmania , Victoria, and Western Australia. 

This kind of crap is endemic in US HR forms too. Either they demand a US state of residence, or if they'll allow a foreign country, the form still won't go through without a US zip code (and 00000 is not permitted).

And their telephone number fields don't have enough space for all the digits of an overseas phone number.

I recall having to try to explain this - via phone and email - to some rabbit-head HR woman at a SLAC.

You'd be amazed at how many Europeans live in Beverly Hills, 90210 for just this reason. Also, you can reach them at 555-1212.

[mouseman]

HR issues are pandemic:  I recently tried to apply for a job at an Australian University.  I clicked on the country where I lived (the USA was there), and then the system wanted to know which state I lived in.  The problem was that their choices were:  Australian Capital Territory, Jervis Bay Territory, New South Wales, Lord Howe Island, Northern Territory, Queensland, Torres Strait Islands, South Australia, Tasmania , Victoria, and Western Australia. 

This kind of crap is endemic in US HR forms too. Either they demand a US state of residence, or if they'll allow a foreign country, the form still won't go through without a US zip code (and 00000 is not permitted).

And their telephone number fields don't have enough space for all the digits of an overseas phone number.

I recall having to try to explain this - via phone and email - to some rabbit-head HR woman at a SLAC.

I am soooo not surprised by this.  I can just imagine what that phone conversation was like.