Recruiter Email Fail

Pro Tip: If you're a recruiter and sending out mass emails about positions you're trying to fill, do yourself a favor and make sure you're not accidentally including other things, like a letter of reprimand from your boss. The names have been changed to protect the not-so-innocent, but here's the email I received yesterday:

My name is Frank Schlawmeyer and I am a Sr. Executive Recruiter for B.O. Associates, a premier search firm representing major clients in the Chicago area. I discovered your information while sourcing for an opportunity we have as a SQL Server DBA for a major e-commerce company in the Chicagoland area. This is a full-time permanent DBA role and requires experience as both an operational / production DBA and must have experience with T-SQL.

Your background is impressive and I would appreciate an opportunity to speak with you regarding your work history in relation to this role. If you are interested, please send me an updated copy of your resume. I can be reached via telephone at <redacted> or via email at <redacted>. If you are not interested, please feel free to forward this information on to anyone that you feel may be a fit.

For your reference here is a link to the job description: <redacted>

Thank you in advance for your time and I am looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Frank Schlawmeyer
Sr. Executive Recruiter
B.O. Associates

Looks like a pretty standard recruiter email. But wait, there's more! I'm so glad I scrolled down because I found this gem:

From: Otto Oberkuchen
To: Frank Schlawmeyer
Subject: calls?

Frank,

You have 2 submittals that were done yesterday yet only 5 calls so far today. It is extremely hard for me to manage the others and push them on calls when they see a senior person like yourself getting away with that. It would be different if you were making tons of placements but without that it makes it tough. Any thought on how I should reply when they ask that? Don’t make it a topic of discussion out there either. This is going to be a year of “No Excuses And All Successes”!! Thanks

Otto Oberkuchen Partner B.O. Associates

Ouch. "No Excuses and All Successes" sounds like an incredibly understanding and flexible management methodology to me. I'm sure it's working out great for them, especially since this isn't the first time I've had an interesting encounter with this particular agency. I'll be sure to add this company to my list of places I hope to work someday, right after an apiary. (And if you know me, you know I will run away if I even think there's a stinging insect nearby.)

Sadly, this also isn't the first time I've received emails I shouldn't have seen. A little proofreading could have gone a long way here – it takes only a few seconds to give an email a once-over before sending it. I've worked that step into my routine to help avoid situations just like this one.

Help Frank Out

I really do feel for Frank, and he did say "If you are not interested, please feel free to forward this information on to anyone that you feel may be a fit." So, if you're interested in this position, drop me a line and I'll be happy to get you in touch with Frank.

Maybe he can fill this position and have one more success (and one less excuse) to take back to Otto!