Hiring Horror Story: Entrepreneur Faces Verbal Abuse From Job Candidate

A Mumbai-based entrepreneur, Senain Sawant, recently shared a troubling experience with a job candidate who verbally abused her during a WhatsApp conversation. As the founder of a start-up company, Sawant has faced difficulties finding suitable candidates and took to LinkedIn to highlight the challenges entrepreneurs encounter during the hiring process.

Sawant had scheduled a video interview with a candidate applying for the position of a social media executive. She explained that the candidate's resume lacked sufficient information for an immediate hire, so she wanted to assess their potential through an interview. The interview was arranged via Google Meet.

Mumbai Entrepreneur Faces Verbal Abuse from Job Candidate

The candidate joined the call with their camera off, claiming they didn’t own a computer and citing an iOS update that allegedly prevented video calls. Sawant recounted in her LinkedIn post, "I asked them to join at a time when their video can be turned on since this is an interview, and I need to see who I'm speaking with. They said 'Fine' and cut the call."

According to Sawant, the candidate's tone was off from the beginning, they were not clearly audible, and there was a lot of background noise, suggesting they were in a public place.

Following the abrupt end to the video call, Sawant shared screenshots of the WhatsApp exchange that followed. She had pointed out that the calendar invite clearly stated it would be a video interview and expressed scepticism about the candidate's claim regarding the iOS update.

The candidate became defensive, stating they had applied for the role of a social media executive, not for an internship. Sawant responded, "Your resume speaks otherwise. All the best."

The candidate then responded aggressively, saying they were "okay skipping this one (the role)" and mentioned they had a year of work experience. The conversation took a shocking turn when the candidate said, "With all due respect, don't be a bi**h. The arrogance you speak with." Sawant replied, "Excuse me?" to which the candidate doubled down, saying, "No one would want to speak to you."

Sawant ended the conversation by thanking the candidate for clarifying their level of experience and professionalism.

Netizens React 

Support poured in for Sawant on LinkedIn after she shared the incident, with many users commenting on her post. Reflecting on the experience, Sawant spoke with Hindustan Times about her disappointment in the sense of entitlement she perceives among some job candidates.

“More than being upset, I am disappointed with the sense of entitlement that I see amongst candidates applying for work. Here at Grump, we’re trying to cultivate a positive and respectful work environment,” said Sawant, who is in her mid-20s.

She further highlighted concerns about generational differences in the workplace, stating, “With this new age of candidates, it almost feels like they don't really need the work. A job seems more like a gig before they disappear. So I live and I learn.”