On the Recruiting Hell subreddit, one of Reddit’s most active recruitment-related communities with over 32,000 subscribers, anonymous recruiters and candidates share some of their most confusing, upsetting and frustrating experiences throughout the course of their job search processes.

We’ve collected five of the most memorable and relatable stories Redditors have shared over the past month:

This drives me crazy from r/recruitinghell

#1. The broken resume upload

For candidates, there are few things more annoying than uploading a resume to a job posting and immediately being asked to manually enter all of the information from the resume. Make sure you’re running state-of-the-art job board software that takes the headache out of the job application process.

#2. The forced work culture

You can claim to offer the best benefits, advancement opportunities and work atmosphere, but don’t be surprised when applicants or former employees call you out if it’s not true. No matter how much a company tries to dress up the office with perks, these don’t define work culture. Identify positive aspects of your work culture that employees truly appreciate and show these off through your talent community. Offering honest insights into your company’s mission, culture and perks will help attract talent.  

The "millenial dream job" from r/recruitinghell
Be a Junior, just have 9 years of 30 technologies from r/recruitinghell

#3. The junior senior employee

“Hey, we’re looking for an entry-level employee with a decade of highly specific experience.” Recruiters and hiring managers need to make sure their job titles and skill sets are commensurate with the education and experience they’re asking for. Follow the right job description formula to ensure you’re selling your company, accurately, summarizing the position, asking for a couple of key responsibilities and requirements, and highlighting your perks.

#4. The name game

A recruiter might not able to place someone right away, but should, at the very least, know the candidate’s name. Offering a top-notch candidate experience isn’t just about quickly answering emails and being transparent — it’s understanding who the candidate is and what they’re looking for in a new position. And if they’re looking to be called Mike instead of Michael, come on — call them Mike.

The most braindead recruitment firm I've ever encountered. from r/recruitinghell
Nice customized rejection letter from the interviewer from r/recruitinghell

#5. The cold glass of water

Redditors astutely point out that this is a rare case of Recruiting Heaven: a recruiter reaching out to a candidate with clear, specific communication as to why the candidate didn’t get the offer. Offering your candidates honest, transparent feedback through every step of the career journey — including the end — goes a long way towards building a good long-term relationship.  Even though this role might not have worked out, your candidate will appreciate knowing the thoughtful and truthful reason why, and will be glad to continue working with a recruiter who is invested in finding their next success.