This is kinda long- but I wrote it all down just to document it and so I can laugh about it as time goes on.
Now the job that I thought I would like and do 3 days a week has had many twists and turns. My husband works in recruiting and with us starting the new business I know how the business works. The 3 day a week recruiter was quite possibly the worst recruiter I have been contacted by. I applied for the position 1 day and was contacted the very same day. I interviewed within a few days and right before Christmas. At the end of the interview the supervisor told me that I had everything they were looking for and I would make a great addition to the team she tells me the recruiter will call with an offer. A few weeks later-nothing.
I call the supervisor to inquire if the job is still available. She says she has been waiting to hear back from me. The recruiter says he left me a message and I had not got back to him. I check cell phone, home phone and emails-nothing. Recruiter is totally lying- probably covering up his dropping the ball. Recruiter calls me the next day and asks for references even though he had asked for references at the time of my interview says the offer is there just have to clear the references. Okay- I send out the info. I call coworkers and supervisors an check that they are up for being a reference. 2 weeks goes by- nothing.
I check in with references and 2 have filled out an online reference survey, one does not have a work email address so that is wrong and the other is my big boss and I don't really want to bother her and ask if she did indeed fill out my reference. Week 3 I call to inquire. Recruiter says 2 references are in just need one more. Did you call them I ask- no he doesn't do that, just an email that requests they fill out the online survey. Did any email address bounce back. He doesn't have that that information. Can he resend it.- no but I can do it myself. So helpful! I call references, check their email addresses and resend. Now I have had to ask my supervisor twice to be a reference when I am NOT leaving my job with them. Not my favorite thing to do. Everyone sends in their stuff for me. They let me know that they sent in there stuff. They hope I still have hours for them but understand that with our new business my working makes a big difference. The people at the hospital that I work with are the BEST and very supportive.
A couple of weeks go by again. Now I know that this is odd. There is a need for speech pathologist. Hospital jobs go quick because they are exciting and many people want to work in that setting. Assisted living and long term care facilities are ALWAYS hiring and ALWAYS in need of speech as well as OT and PT. SO for this offer to be dragged out like this is very strange. I only wanted this particular position because it was 3 days a week and would be flexible in the summer when the kids were home. The setting was not my first choice but the location was good. So the recruiter finally makes an offer and it is LOW. He knows how much I currently make an the difference is significant. I negotiate and ask that he match my current rate. He says he will see what he can do and get back to me ASAP. The next day I get an email with the benefits package. Basically there are no benefits that are useful to me because 24 hours a week does not qualify for medical benefits ( most other places 20+ hours can qualify you). I wait for the update- nothing.
A friend of mine is a nurse at the facility and the supervisor asks if she has heard if I am considering the position and is thinking that I am not interested and she will have to start the process of looking for another candidate. . Well now that really bothers me. The supervisor thinks that I am stringing her along and not getting back to her. I wait a week. Yes a week for the ASAP from the recruiter. I call the supervisor and let her know that I am still waiting for a counter offer. WHAT? she says. I inform her that I was ready to start over a month ago and just haven't heard back from the recruiter. Crappy recruiter calls the next day with an updated offer. Package stinks and being on staff pay stinks. He offers me the job at the per diem rate to get around it. Fine, I'll be per diem to get my rate up. He will send me the offer package.
The package comes, I fill out all the forms, do mandatory drug testing, tb testing, criminal background checks and get my picture taken for my id badge (standard health care stuff). Tick tock tick tock. Of they forgot to include the criminal background check for the state I live in vs the state I will work in. I do that and send it back. Follow up to be sure they got it as they did not respond to the email. Oh yes, it is in hand and I am cleared to work. FINALLY. Unfortunately both the school job and the assisted living job come together at the same time. A bit stressful.....but no.
Start the school job-nothing,
Complete orientation for a different rehab hospitals per diem staff ( the good stuff) - nothing.
At this point I really don't want the job anymore but with summer coming up and needing a paycheck to come in. I figure when they are good and ready to have me start I will be more settled in my other work and can add hours as need be- still nothing.
Almost 3 months after interviewing I get the call that I am cleared and to give the supervisor a call to set up orientation.
Now get this- The company had to close one of its in-state sites and find work for those therapist. They took the therapist from the closing site and offered her the job even after they had offered it to me, the job post had been taken down, I signed on and I was waiting to start. The supervisor says they had to repost the job (after I was hired) because it was in house. She asks "Did the recruiter tell me that this was a possibility?" Uh-NO!. But I am still invited to complete orientation for the zero hours that are available. Really?
Very long story. I totally would have taken this personal if I didn't have other recruiters calling OFTEN with offers to work. Offers were for full time ( can't quite commit to that with my four kiddos, 40 hours is really 50+ hours) or 45 minutes away ( 1 1/2 hours of commuting and not getting paid = more time away from my cuties and more money to child care). Also said worst recruiter ever works for a LARGE company that has sites closer to my house and I did not want to close the door on the company as they have so many facilities near me ( at the time I was awaiting my license for the state I now live in so I had to apply for out of state work=20 minutes north). Said awful recruiter does not service the state I live in so I hope to never have to deal with him again.
by the way- I am finding the humor in this already and I actually prefer my job in the school:)
