Halloween or Recruitment - You Decide

Hello, fellow CV warriors and LinkedIn lurkers!

As Halloween creeps around the corner, we thought we'd take a moment to ask the important question: what’s truly scarier - watching a horror movie or navigating the world of recruitment? Spoiler alert: it’s recruitment. So, in the spirit of the season, let’s compare our daily grind to some of the spookiest films out there. Strap in, it’s going to be a frightfully good ride!

The Shining (Or That One Candidate Who Just Won’t Go Away)

Remember Jack Nicholson’s descent into madness in The Shining? That’s basically you after the fifth “just following up” email from a candidate who clearly wasn’t a fit but can’t seem to take a hint. “Here’s Johnny!” you think, every time their name pops up in your inbox. The only thing scarier than the Overlook Hotel is a candidate who believes in infinite follow-ups.

And just like in the movie, it always ends with you wondering if you’re losing your mind, trapped in an endless loop of polite but firm rejections.

The Blair Witch Project (Or the Disappearing Client)

You know the drill. The job brief is solid, the client is keen, and you’re deep in the woods (or LinkedIn). But suddenly - poof! - they vanish without a trace. No feedback, no replies, just the eerie silence of an empty email thread. It’s like The Blair Witch Project, where you start with all the confidence in the world, only to end up disoriented and questioning your life choices.

You thought you had a plan, but all you’ve got are shaky emails and a rising sense of dread. If only you had a map - or at least a reliable client.

A Nightmare on Elm Street (Or Trying to Fill a Niche Role)

You think Freddy Krueger is terrifying? Try finding a data scientist who speaks fluent Japanese, has experience with blockchain and is willing to relocate to a tiny village in Scotland. Every time you close your eyes, you see the same nightmare: a job spec so specific it haunts your dreams. Just when you think you've found the perfect match, reality slices through your optimism like Freddy’s claws.

The struggle is real, and much like the kids on Elm Street, there’s no waking up from this one until you’ve filled that role—or burned out trying.

The Exorcist (Or Dealing with a Possessed Hiring Manager)

We’ve all had that one hiring manager who seems possessed by something… unholy. One minute, they’re praising your efforts; the next, their head’s spinning around, demanding why you haven’t found a unicorn who can code in five languages. It’s like The Exorcist, except instead of holy water, you’re armed with LinkedIn Recruiter and a stress ball.

Sometimes, you wonder if you should call an actual exorcist (or at least HR) to deal with the mood swings and ever-changing job requirements.

Halloween (Or the Candidate Who Keeps Coming Back)

Just like Michael Myers, some candidates just won’t stay down. No matter how many times you reject them, they keep showing up - like they’ve got their own theme music and everything. Halloween may be a classic slasher film, but nothing compares to the horror of a candidate who applies for every single role you post, even if they’re less qualified than a pumpkin.

You’d think after the tenth rejection, they’d get the message, but no - just like Michael, they keep coming back, knife (or CV) in hand.

The Ring (Or the Feedback Call You’ve Been Dreading)

Ever had that chilling moment when you know you have to call a candidate with bad news? It’s like The Ring - you pick up the phone, and you can almost hear the ominous whisper: “Seven days…” Except in this case, it’s seven minutes of you stammering through excuses about why they didn’t get the job. You’re trying to be compassionate, but let’s face it, it’s terrifying for both of you.

Much like the cursed videotape, there’s no escaping it - someone’s going to be left haunted by the experience, and it’s probably you.

Scream (Or the “Perfect” Candidate Who Turns Out to Be a Nightmare)

You’ve found the perfect candidate, and everything’s going smoothly. But then, just like in Scream, the twists start coming. They suddenly reveal they’re only available three days a week, or that they’ve got an ongoing feud with your client’s biggest customer. You realise you’ve been lured into a false sense of security, and the horror sets in as you scramble to find a solution before the killer (aka, the deadline) strikes.

Just remember, in recruitment—as in horror movies—things are rarely as perfect as they seem.

So there you have it. While horror movies might keep you up at night, nothing compares to the bone-chilling, spine-tingling experience of recruitment. But hey, at least our job comes with fewer masked killers… most of the time.

Have a frightfully good Halloween, and may your placements be plentiful and your candidates less terrifying!

Stay spooky, The Recruiter Life Team