Auto Rejection Systems in HR: The Frustrating Tale of BoredDevBO

Avery Emberly

Updated Saturday, September 7, 2024 at 12:00 AM CDT

Auto rejection systems from HR departments can often be a source of significant frustration, as highlighted by a recent post from a user named "BoredDevBO" on a social media platform. In the post, BoredDevBO, a tech lead, shares a personal experience that underscores the inefficiencies and errors that can plague HR processes.

According to BoredDevBO, for three months, HR was unable to find a single suitable candidate for a position their team was looking to fill. In an attempt to understand the underlying issue, BoredDevBO created a new email and submitted a modified version of their CV under a fake name. The result was an auto rejection, revealing that HR had not even looked at the CV.

The tech lead escalated this issue to management, leading to the firing of half of the HR department. The root cause was a simple but critical mistake: HR was searching for candidates with expertise in AngularJS, while the team needed developers proficient in Angular—two different frameworks with similar names. This error resulted in the auto rejection of all potential candidates who did not list AngularJS on their resumes.

The story doesn't end there. Despite consistent communication with HR, BoredDevBO was repeatedly told that candidates were failing the initial screening processes—a claim that was evidently false. This experience has led to a strong opinion from BoredDevBO that people who work in HR are often mediocre and lazy.

This post has resonated with many, as seen in the comments section. One user recalled receiving an automated rejection email after already working in the position for a month, while another shared a story about HR making an offer to lie to immigration. Several comments pointed out that the root of the problem often lies in bureaucracy and the drive to automate functions, which can lead to oversimplification and inefficiency.

One commenter mentioned the impact of requiring video applications and AI screening, which led to a noticeable dip in the quality of applicants. Another user expressed frustration with being automatically rejected for not using specific buzzwords, despite having extensive relevant experience.

The discussion also touched on the broader implications of HR practices, such as discrimination and harassment issues being swept under the rug rather than addressed. This has left many employees feeling unsupported and re-traumatized.

The tale of BoredDevBO serves as a cautionary story about the pitfalls of relying too heavily on automated systems and the importance of accurate job descriptions. It also highlights the need for HR departments to be more diligent and responsive to the needs of the teams they support.

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View source: Imgur

Top Comments from Imgur

fluens

I can not think of a positive HR moment for me. Great when I tore my knee meniscus and 7-11 sent me a form to fill out that would of released them of all liability. This is in Aus too, from a corporate store no less.

JimBuckThree

Screw the blanket statement at the end- I’ve worked with plenty of great, hard working, caring and supportive HR people. Worth mentioning though- they were all in smaller companies (50-100ppl).

aQuantumofAnarchy

This has more to do with how bureaucracy works than HR. The whole point is to automate functions, which necessarily means simplification and enforced legibility. The simplification combined with the asymmetrical power between the bureaucracy and the one interfacing with it forces the interfacer to adapt. Often, this means they literally have to become stupid. Dead Zones of the Imagination by David Graeber goes deeper into this, as well as Seeing Like a State by James C. Scott.

eppykaze

Issues like this is why I've reverted to physical copies of my resume and applications when possible. That way even if they are going to be lazy they still have to physically toss it out so maybe something will quickly catch an eye.

TrueNorthernLights

I don't know if my workplace has an auto reject system or not, but I know it takes them so long to hire someone that the applicants move on and get hired somewhere else before they finally decide, yeah, we'll hire them. We're continually understaffed.

stseregh

My experience as a hiring manager is that the recruiters are either very sharp and capable, or mediocre to almost incompetent. The latter is naturally more frequent, and if one of them gets to build a whole team you're s******.

SuperFlamingTominoHead

I once got a automated rejection email... after working in that position for a month. Thankfully the job is great, just the HR system was bad.

S***MovieGroup

I once had HR make an unprompted offer to lie to immigration about my termination date when making me redundant, I had recorded the "interview" (ADHD, I forget details, recording meetings helps me make good notes) and so had proof of their offer to break the law. To this day I wish I'd acted upon it.

TheSecondPiewackit

I got rejected for a tech support position because my CV didn't use the word "programming". I worked for Space Command, troubleshot satellite communications systems, created entirely new checklists for systems, and in my free time, taught myself python, C++, and Java, while double-majoring in Electrical Engineering and Mathematics.

Shaodyn

That's the infuriating part about job hunting these days. Being automatically rejected by the system for not including the right buzzwords without a single person actually seeing your resume/CV.