Charleen Teh, Author at Goody Feed

When it comes to job hunting, interviews typically happen at the employer’s chosen location—e.g., the company, on Zoom, or a café—and the potential hire has little say in it. Having said that, some employers like Andy may be willing to meet their potential hires at a place in between where it is convenient for both parties. However, Andy did not expect that his accommodating attitude would result in a job seeker saying that he was “insincere” in his attempts to hire her because he refused to provide transport to the agreed location as well. Yeah, it is as strange as it sounds. The Insurmountable Distance Andy, who works as a property agent, shared on the Chinese social media platform XiaoHongShu that the female candidate had reached out to him first. After their self-introductions, Andy asked if she had any experience in property or sales. She replies that she does not, before asking if a degree in marketing had any use in the aforementioned fields Andy tells her that yes, marketing is a part of their job so it will be helpful. Then he informs her that his company is based in Cheras and asks if she was familiar with the area. “So-so, I live in Kepong,” the candidate said. Andy has no comment about that and proceeds to arrange for an interview, suggesting that they meet on a weekday because property agents are typically busy with sales during the weekends. Image: xiaohongshu.com The conversation spirals down from there. The candidate inquired, “Um, you’re coming to Kepong?” She immediately assumes that Andy will be travelling to her area to interview her, instead of the other way around. Maintaining his cordiality, Andy proposed that they meet somewhere between Cheras and Kepong since it would be more convenient for the both of them. He adds that if she has time to spare, they can even meet at the showroom so she can get a feel of the working environment. The candidate agrees with his proposal, then said she would give him her location so he can fetch her. “Hmmm, is it alright for you to arrange your own transport here?” Andy said. The candidate rebuffed him, “Nevermind, it turns out you don’t really want to hire .” Andy denies this. He stated that he is really tries to help everyone, but since this is an interview, it would be better if she could cooperate a little. “I’ve already agreed to go over to your place (the showroom), if it was someone else, they would be willing to provide transport for me.” Image: xiaohongshu.com Andy: How Do I Even Respond To This? Towards this, Andy is rendered speechless. Below the attached screenshots, he sighed, “Hai, attracting the right hires isn’t easy, but attracting problems isn’t hard.” The property agent goes on to point out the flaws in her logic, conveying that it is ridiculous to make an employer to fetch an interviewee for the interview. Additionally, he does not understand how she managed to equate his unwillingness to fetch her to being unwilling to hire her. “Seriously, do people feel so secure these days?” Andy does not elaborate if he is referring to their confidence in getting a job, or their sense of safety in general. Then he throws out a rhetorical question, asking if she would really dare to get in his car if he went to fetch her, because they were not acquainted in the slightest. He ends off by asking how he should continue the conversation (or if he even should), because he really has no clue. Join our Telegram channel for more entertaining and informative articles at https://t.me/goodyfeedsg or download the Goody Feed app here: https://goodyfeed.com/app/ Netizens’ Response As one might expect, the internet was amused by this conversation. The first comment reads, “Anyone who is willing is probably intending to transport you to Cambodia.” Andy laughed, responding, “I also wanted to ask her, the people who were willing to fetch you, did they ask you to bring your passport too?” Image: xiaohongshu.com This joke is kind of specific to Malaysia, as the country has seen an increase in victims of scam syndicates who will kidnap people and bring them to Cambodia. Another netizen mocks the candidate’s choice of words, remarking, “Nevermind, it turns out you don’t really want to find a job.” Image: xiaohongshu.com The general sentiment is that the candidate was really strange for having such demands. Alas, the female candidate won’t be the first or last odd potential hire that employers will meet. Better luck to Andy next time.