Recruiter shares warning about answering calls from unknown numbers

Recruiter says job applicant’s response was ‘triggering her anger issues’

A recruiter has shared a reminder about answering phone calls from unknown numbers after she encountered a “rude”response while trying to schedule a job applicant for an interview.

Reilly Duke, who goes by the username @reillyduke on TikTok, took to the platform to share the warning while recalling how one man answered the phone when she called him to schedule a job interview.

In the video, she began by providing context about her job, explaining that she is a recruiter so it’s her responsibility to call applicants and schedule them for interviews and other parts of the hiring process.

During interaction in question, she called a man named Ignacio. “I said: ‘Hi, is this Ignacio?’ He said: ‘Yes it is and I’m very busy. What do you want?’” Duke said.

She said she was so taken aback that she said: “Excuse me?” to get the applicant to repeat himself, only for him to repeat a second time, “I’m very busy. What do you want?”

At this point she said Ignacio was “triggering her anger issues” but that she was going to attempt to remain professional. Duke responded with her name and workplace, explaining that she was calling to schedule an interview for a job he applied for before asking him if he was still interested in the job.

The phone then went silent for “at least 15 seconds” before the man responded. “Oh…yeah…yes I do, please yes,” Ignacio said, according to Duke. After getting the interview confirmed, the TikToker said he profusely apologised for his earlier response. “I’m so sorry about that. I didn’t know who you were. I was just kidding,” he said.

“I said: ‘Not a problem, we’ll see you on this date’,” Duke said. She used the end of the TikTok to issue a warning to anyone who decides to answer an unrecognisable phone number. “Please be kinder to the people that you don’t know who are on the other side of the phone,” she began. “Because if I were a worse person, I would not have scheduled this person.”

The video from 21 July has since gone viral on TikTok, where it has been viewed nearly 50,000 times. Dozens of viewers have commented explaining what they would do in the applicant’s position as well as in Duke’s.

Some said they would never answer the phone like that. “When I know I’m applying for jobs I answer every phone call with ‘Hello?’” one person commented. “If I know I’m applying for multiple positions I am expecting multiple phone calls. So I am answering nicely,” a second person agreed.

But others were on Ignacio’s side, saying that they only answer this way to get spam calls to stop.

“I think it’s the sheer amount of scam calls that everyone is getting lately. My husband gets a minimum of five a day,” a commenter wrote. “I would [be nicer] but the amount of scam calls I get tends to slowly wear down my soul,” another commenter agreed.

Some commenters identified themselves as fellow recruiters and hiring managers, and who claimed that Ignacio was lucky Duke gave him the appointment because they would’ve turned him down.

“Yeah no that anger issue can easily spill over into the job and coworkers,” one person pointed out. “Manager here. I’ve had this happen plenty of times with applicants. I’ve actually NOT scheduled ppl who reacted rudely like this,” another commenter chimed in.