Harshita Mishra, a talent acquisition specialist, received late-night texts from rejected candidates.
New Delhi:
An HR professional from Noida has shared screenshots of inappropriate messages she received from candidates who weren’t selected for a job. In a LinkedIn post, Harshita Mishra, a talent acquisition specialist, raised the disturbing trend of rejected candidates crossing professional boundaries and sending inappropriate messages at odd hours. She called it a “regular occurrence”.
“Let’s be clear, rejection is a chance for growth, not an invitation to overstep. My phone number is solely for professional communication. As professionals, you’re here to build your careers, if not then at least strive to be respectful human beings who value others’ boundaries and time,” she wrote.
One of the job-seekers called her the “most beautiful girl in the world”, pleading with her not to get “angry”. In a series of messages, the man reminded her, “You took my interview” adding, “You are so beautiful that I haven’t been able to forget you ever since.”
Screenshots show how the man messaged the HR professional repeatedly despite not receiving any response from her. He called her at least five times in a row and even requested to hear her voice for a second or two.
“I am just asking,” he said.
Another screenshot shows a man sending love poetry to Harshita after being rejected for a job. When asked for feedback, Harshita said, “Need improvement. Not fit for us.” Soon after the rejected candidate started sending her love poems hinting that he could not live without her.
It doesn’t end there. Another candidate first asked for a second chance to share a revised resume or “proper CV”. He even asked for the years of experience required for the role. But within minutes, he changed the course of the conversation and went on to pass lewd remarks on her physical appearance.
“You were looking hawwt that day!” he texted, adding that he had not been able to “sleep or wake up” since he saw her.
Harshita shared screenshots without hiding mobile numbers to “expose” the offenders.
“I’m committed to maintaining a respectful and calm demeanor, even in the face of inappropriate behavior. Don’t mistake this for my weakness,” she wrote, adding that people who cannot maintain “even a basic level of professionalism have already failed – both as a professional and as a human being”.
Netizens are in shock. Many users went on to advise Harshita on what she should do or should have done in such a situation.
“I am not saying its your fault… but you will have to contact with the employees through official email instead of whatsapp…” commented one LinkedIn user.
“Sadly, any woman, by default, is not safe,” wrote another and shared five tips including not sharing one’s personal number, asking the organisation to divide the list of candidates gender-wise, and quitting if the company isn’t doing anything about it.
“Don’t wait for ten messages, you can simply block unknown people who text you at midnight,” they added.
