Unfortunate e-mail address disables hiring

This is true story as I remember very well. Still, after more than ten years, I use it as an example of winding, complicated and sometimes surprising recruitment’s pathways within big companies.

On-line bank needs more internet-savvy employees

Ca. 2002 our start-up within big corporation (pure on-line retail bank built for existing big investment and corporate bank) kept growing, reaching some kind of success. The concept of no-branch, web-only bank was not new, but we were first movers in Poland, gaining media attention, hundred thousands of customers and even facing capacity challenges. mBank started Nov. 2000, as a super-fast project, after less than 100 days of preparation. Business part of the team was recruited on the original formula: at least 50% of employees should not have former banking/financial experience or even education. That is how people like me could find their place in the group. But after 20 months of operations, while building team of electronic channels, I realized we had serious troubles to find people who were really familiar to the internet, used frequently web based services and so on.

Corporate assets helped

It was kind of paradox. We were at that time (probably) most interesting and inspiring place to work for anybody who was internet-savvy, but was not IT professional. The chance to build digital bank from greenfield seemed, at least for me, like dream-job. Let’s add low risk – project had already shown its value and big mother-bank guaranteed stable growth and continuous financing of the daughter-project. But it was the fact – we had got inadequate small number of applications.

The corporate HR department came to help. Professional recruiters (although experienced in searching for slightly different competences) handled applications, sort candidates and, at the end of the process, accompanied managers (including myself) during interviews. Again, it did not work perfectly, at least for my needs. I saw several persons who could hardly use web mailboxes and did not know how to enter the auction websites. My first successful recruitment began with small-talk on the web-based messenger (remember early 2000’s chatrooms?) with one of our engaded customers. Later on this man has become one of the best banking experts for transactional interfaces in Poland.

Good resume, lost in application

Some months later I was shown, by coincidence, some job applications which came to our recruiters. I was again in the middle of searching process for continuously growing internet team I led. So we went back through archives in hope to find promising applicants. Maybe they would be still interested in working for us? Indeed, some of those applications related to the former recruitments to my team. But generally HR team did good job selecting them (in negative sense of selection). One resume, however, paid my attention. The twenty-something man with good university background and some job experience abroad (not so common in those day here) and really interesting list of activities including gaming on-line (again – completely novelty in Poland those days). He got his e-mail address in specific domain – the web mail of pioneering horizontal portal, which already changed its mail domain. Simply: he had to open his mailbox at least four years ago. It meant he was one of those first Polish digital citizens. Why such resume hadn’t had him made pass recruitment process? Why he hadn’t had shown on the interview?

Unlucky to have “not serious enough … e-mail”

I asked those questions to my HR business partner and I got weird answer. Well, she was able to remind that application as she worked as a recruiter for some time at the bank. So I got answer directly from the source, and I was so surprised that even today I remember it exactly. She said that although application seemed reasonable and fair, she looked for some other clues which showed the person is not suitable to work in banking environment in important business project. Guess what the clue was? His (private) e-mail address was, in her opinion, too childish. It was appropriate for teenager, youngster making jokes on everything. Such person could not suit to serious tasks in bank.

Well, I convinced her to contact that guy (unfortunately he was employed already and not interested in changing company). My arguments were that he was four years younger when he open that mailbox (and it’s advantage, because a very few people got e-mail at that time). I said it’s OK he did not change his account since then (it showed he was actively using the e-mail). And I reminded her that our brand was claiming to be first virtual bank in Poland and he got right to think we appreciate virtually fashionable e-mails.

Are you curious what the address actually was? This unfortunate, not serious enough, too childish adress begins with:

wladcawszechswiata@ … ; which could be translated as:

lordoftheuniverse@ …

The address was striking enough to make me remember it after more then ten years. It’s not bad, right?

And looking back I see this incident as the very first example of Generation X vs. Millenials differences I personally experienced. But although I like this e-mail very much I’d rather use standard ones for myself. Just in case …

Is your personal e-mail address outstanding enough?

Linguistic disclaimer

I have written this text in English. It is possible you find it illogical, offending, unclear or too simplistic. It does not mean to be that way, so please blame it to my imperfect English skills. I am neither native nor perfect English speaking person . If you want to be helpful, do share your grammar, spelling, style and any other remarks with me. I would appreciate any contributing comment, especially if it came from native speakers.