I realize I’m breaking one of the first rules of crisis communications: Don’t bring attention to a fairly confined crisis. But I have to respond to the hate e-mails and phone calls I’ve received as a result of being quoted in today’s Wall Street Journal article, “How a Black Mark Can Derail a Job Search.” If you hadn’t previously read the article, do so now and decide afterward to hate me, so be it.
I recently had the privilege of discussing blacklists with Joann Lublin of the Wall Street Journal. In case you weren’t aware, blacklists are very real. They happen for all sorts of reasons — some warranted and some definitely not. This opportunity came about because I responded to the WSJ‘s request for sources. It’s a topic very near and dear to me, as I strongly believe my mother has been unemployed since December 24, 2007 because of being on a blacklist. I saw this as an opportunity to educate candidates about how they could get off someone’s blacklist.
While I think my record of helping candidates — especially young professionals — speaks for itself, there are countless phone calls, e-mails and comments to the article itself that say otherwise. So, I’m here to defend myself and ask for your forgiveness.
Ms. Lublin did not misquote me. However, probably due to word count limitations and running through the hands of several editors who didn’t actually speak to me, my point was taken too literally and out of context. Because of that, I completely understand the anger being expressed toward me and take full responsibility for it. I should have chosen my words more carefully and/or done more throughout the interview and editing process to prevent it from happening. But, it’s out there now, so this is about all I can do and hope for the best.
I have blacklisted candidates before, as indicated in the article. Is it right to blacklist candidates? Perhaps not. Do I do it anyway? Yes, I do. I’ve had to on several occasions, in fact. And each time for good reason. While you and I may not agree on “good reason,” it’s my job as a hiring manager to look out for my company. Not everyone is the right fit for every job at every organization — showing up doesn’t mean they should hire you.
And the candidates I blacklisted were above and beyond your average “we’ve decided to pursue another candidate more closely aligned with the position qualifications.” They showed up to interviews drunk. They lied about their educational backgrounds. And yes, they forgot when the interview was taking place, exhibited some serious road rage throughout the interview and basically couldn’t remember why they applied for the job in the first place. To me, all of these are deemed “good reasons.”
However, the point attracting the most attention — that I would forgive any candidate who bought me lunch — is just not accurate. Did I give lunch as an example in the process to getting off a blacklist? Absolutely. Do I support “being bought” to get on someone’s good side? Absolutely not!!
I have long been an advocate for candidates. That’s why I write this blog, do all the other things I do and put myself into serious debt to launch Come Recommended last year. So, let me say what I should have said in the article:
Getting off someone’s blacklist is a multi-step process: (1) reaching out and requesting an in-person conversation, (2) asking for constructive feedback about what went wrong and what could be done to correct the mistake, (3) being willing to take the advice of the person who’s blacklisted you, if you’re still interested in getting of his/her blacklist, and (4) following through. If all of that doesn’t work, you’ve at least done your job as a candidate and should attempt to move beyond the situation.
I hope this clears things up a bit. Again, please accept my sincere apologies. I am happy to answer any of your questions, but please be civil!
