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6 Stories About Contractors That Will Make Your Hair Stand On End

Posted 10th Dec 2014

As a recruiter you see it all, the good, the bad and the ugly (metaphorically speaking). Over the years you witness and hear of some incredible stories and we thought it was about time we shared just a few with you!...

1. Outsourcing

A software contractor for Verizon in the US decided that outsourcing his work would allow him to do the things that work got in the way of. He employed a software development company in China to undertake the work that Verizon was paying him for. The code he submitted was clean, bug free and well-written. However, the company became suspicious when the IP address accessing his computer was based in China. The contractor had spent his days surfing the net, updating Facebook and little else, until he got caught.

2. Bro Bono

Do you really know what your partner does? 28% of IT contractors lie to their friends and family, keeping their work secret out of fear they may be asked to provide first-line support!

3. Infectious CVs

An interim manager was seeking a new assignment and found the perfect contract online. His background and experience was a great match, so he crafted a targeted covering letter, edited his CV and forwarded an email to the company. A week later he received an email from the IT director explaining that he had forwarded a virus in his CV and shut the company’s IT systems down. He was not considered for the position.

4. The Un-hygienist

A hiring manager was washing his hands in the gentlemen’s toilets when a chap walked out of a stall buttoning himself up. Rather than wash his hands, the chap walked straight out of the toilets and on to his next destination. A little disgusted, the hiring manager finished washing his hands and left for an interview. He instantly regretted holding his hand out to greet the interviewee when he realised it was the same person who had used the toilets without washing his hands.

5. The Special Socks

A contractor had forgotten to wear socks one morning and was feeling very self-conscious. Rather than suffer without, he decided the best course of action would be to colour his ankles black with a marker pen.

6. Budding Author

A contractor was being interviewed and was asked what their greatest achievement was. They replied “writing a novel”. The hiring manager asked what achievements they were most proud of during work time and the contractor repeated that his novel was his greatest achievement as he had written it in work time!

Photography courtesy and copyright of Adam Grabek

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