# Dear dickhead recruiter: Do you actually land any leads with your bald-faced lies? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 5, 2008, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-dickhead-recruiter-do-you-actually-land-any-leads-with-your-bald-faced-lies/448161 "2008-05-05T18:15:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-dickhead-recruiter-do-you-actually-land-any-leads-with-your-bald-faced-lies/448161/1 "2008-05-05T18:15:17Z")
Had a voicemail this morning (names have been changed to protect both the innocent and the stupid): "Hello Cookies. This is Dumbass from Stupidnet. I need your help. I was told that you were the person to contact internally there, and I’m working on a roadmap item that I need to resolve in the next couple of days. Please call me back at 555-867-5309." I work with vendors, I work on “roadmap items” (both mine and others’) and even though I did not recognize the company name as being related to anything that I’m working on, the team I am on often has legitimate experiences with the wrong people being contacted about various projects within our group. I.e. the same corporate environment as many other people work in. So I call him back… Him: “Yes, I’m calling you as a professional recruiter…” Me: “Yeah, so thanks for wasting my time.” _click_ How it can be productive enough of a technique to still be used is a sad, sad statement indeed… ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-dickhead-recruiter-do-you-actually-land-any-leads-with-your-bald-faced-lies/448161/2 "2008-05-05T18:57:41Z")
Perhaps just a few more details for those of us who have no fucking clue what you’re on about? ---
**Author:** ![Pullet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Pullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pullet)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-dickhead-recruiter-do-you-actually-land-any-leads-with-your-bald-faced-lies/448161/3 "2008-05-05T19:01:14Z")
So a recruiter called and left a completely bogus message in order to trick you into calling back? Military or head hunter? ETA: if it’s a head hunter, then he probably lied so you would have deniability to your boss later ---
**Author:** ![Pullet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Pullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pullet)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-dickhead-recruiter-do-you-actually-land-any-leads-with-your-bald-faced-lies/448161/4 "2008-05-05T19:01:23Z")
– Double post – ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-dickhead-recruiter-do-you-actually-land-any-leads-with-your-bald-faced-lies/448161/5 "2008-05-05T19:01:37Z")
[QUOTE=Q.E.D.] Perhaps just a few more details for those of us who have no fucking clue what you’re on about? [/QUOTE] He got a misleading message from a headhunter who made it sound like he was a vendor, and so then wasted his time calling the asshole headhunter back. ---
**Author:** ![SomeUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e480ec/32.png) [@SomeUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SomeUserName)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-dickhead-recruiter-do-you-actually-land-any-leads-with-your-bald-faced-lies/448161/6 "2008-05-05T19:02:28Z")
I thought it was “bold faced lie” 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-dickhead-recruiter-do-you-actually-land-any-leads-with-your-bald-faced-lies/448161/7 "2008-05-05T19:08:13Z")
Could you change your username to something like ThisUserNameWillPushMarginsSoExtremeThatItWillOverwhelmTheBoardAndMakeThreadTitlesWrapLikeSnakesOnA FuckingPlane? ---
**Author:** ![Omegaman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e480ec/32.png) [@Omegaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omegaman)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-dickhead-recruiter-do-you-actually-land-any-leads-with-your-bald-faced-lies/448161/8 "2008-05-05T19:17:09Z")
[QUOTE=SomeUserName] I thought it was “bold faced lie” 😕 [/QUOTE] I was taught the correct term was “bald faced lie”. Could be just a matter of semantics when hurling insults about on an internet board though. You know, I shouldn’t tell lies. I searched it and bold face lie is incorrect, but again, no need to be so picky seeings how it’s the pit and all. Please continue with your ranting. Back to you, Johnny. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-dickhead-recruiter-do-you-actually-land-any-leads-with-your-bald-faced-lies/448161/9 "2008-05-05T19:24:43Z")
[QUOTE=Pullet] So a recruiter called and left a completely bogus message in order to trick you into calling back? Military or head hunter? ETA: if it’s a head hunter, then he probably lied so you would have deniability to your boss later [/QUOTE] Only if people tap calls at this company. I’ve never had a headhunter call who was that sleazy. If I was awake, the putz might have gotten a few choice words from me before the hangup. The most sleazy calls I’ve gotten are the “we’re looking for someone to fill this position calls - do you know anyone?” Just say they might be interested in me. Why would I ever recommend anyone from my company who I respect? I might refer them the biggest loser I know (I haven’t). If they ask when I turn them down, that is another story. But to quote Edith Keeler (roughly) “A lie is a terrible way to say hello.” ---
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-dickhead-recruiter-do-you-actually-land-any-leads-with-your-bald-faced-lies/448161/10 "2008-05-05T19:29:43Z")
I’m a she, and it was a head-hunter, not a military recruiter. Sorry my nic causes you problems, Liberal. I have not been made aware of it causing anyone else any UI issues. As far as plausible deniability goes, I might buy that if I had already corresponded with him previously and understood our correspondence as being head-hunting related, and then needed to cover my ass about calling him if we were playing phone tag. But as a first contact, it just smacks of dishonest social engineering that I would assume instills the same reaction I had more often than hooking a migratory fish. _shrug_ ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-dickhead-recruiter-do-you-actually-land-any-leads-with-your-bald-faced-lies/448161/11 "2008-05-05T19:34:54Z")
Yes, definitely _bald-faced_ originally, the _bold_ variant is a later corruption. Can’t get in to OED at the moment but I’ll post a cite as soon as I can. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-dickhead-recruiter-do-you-actually-land-any-leads-with-your-bald-faced-lies/448161/12 "2008-05-05T19:45:37Z")
I have run into very few recruiters who aren’t scum. The situation sort of lends itself to exploitation. You desperately need a job, the company needs a worker, the recruiter desperately needs a commission, and all 3 parties know that the recruiter is completely out of the picture after the deal is done. Plus, employers are often retards who assume the recruiters are diligently weeding out the unfit hires, and thus they who will hire anybody who jumps through enough hoops to get a face-to-face interview. I have this recurring problem where I consistently get wild-ass contacts like “We have a position that matches your qualifications perfectly!” for a job that turns out to be (concocted example) repairing garbage trucks, when my posted resume says I’m qualified and seeking a job in (again, concocted example) wastewater treatment system design. ---
**Author:** ![SomeUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e480ec/32.png) [@SomeUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SomeUserName)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-dickhead-recruiter-do-you-actually-land-any-leads-with-your-bald-faced-lies/448161/13 "2008-05-05T19:50:50Z")
[QUOTE=Omegaman] I was taught the correct term was “bald faced lie”. Could be just a matter of semantics when hurling insults about on an internet board though. You know, I shouldn’t tell lies. I searched it and bold face lie is incorrect, but again, no need to be so picky seeings how it’s the pit and all. Please continue with your ranting. Back to you, Johnny. [/QUOTE] Not picky. I really thought that was how I always heard it and have used it myself. [QUOTE=aldiboronti] Yes, definitely _bald-faced_ originally, the _bold_ variant is a later corruption. Can’t get in to OED at the moment but I’ll post a cite as soon as I can. [/QUOTE] That is really interesting. Bold faced always made sense to me. As “you are standing right in my face and being that bold to tell me a lie”. Bald faced to me would mean lack of a beard. Does not make much sense to me dealing with someone lying. I know some people that think that people with facial hair are hiding something. So bald face would assume you are more truthful. I am off to do research. Considered ignorance fought today. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Them](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/898d66/32.png) [@The\_Them](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Them)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-dickhead-recruiter-do-you-actually-land-any-leads-with-your-bald-faced-lies/448161/14 "2008-05-05T21:50:30Z")
Got a postcard the other day. Hard to say what it’s about: > [@](#): > > (my first name), > I’d like to talk to you concerning a full or part time managment opportunity with my company, Primerica. Please call me at _ **-** _-\*\*\*\* > Thank you, > (some person) This was done in barely legible handwriting, to make it look more “personal”, I guess. Too bad the laser printer it was made on was misaligned. 😕 What I’d like to know is how they got my name in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![Algher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Algher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algher)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-dickhead-recruiter-do-you-actually-land-any-leads-with-your-bald-faced-lies/448161/15 "2008-05-05T22:10:28Z")
[QUOTE=The Them] Got a postcard the other day. Hard to say what it’s about: This was done in barely legible handwriting, to make it look more “personal”, I guess. Too bad the laser printer it was made on was misaligned. 😕 What I’d like to know is how they got my name in the first place. [/QUOTE] Primerica is a 100% commission financial services firm that makes you pay for training. They are the MLM of the financial services arena. As for your name, they bought it from a list broker - could be a subscription you get, or anywhere else your name has been entered. ---
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-dickhead-recruiter-do-you-actually-land-any-leads-with-your-bald-faced-lies/448161/16 "2008-05-05T22:26:52Z")
What is a headhunter? ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-dickhead-recruiter-do-you-actually-land-any-leads-with-your-bald-faced-lies/448161/17 "2008-05-05T22:36:01Z")
[QUOTE=Mosier] What is a headhunter? [/QUOTE] Someone who is paid to recruit workers to a certain company. Typical of headhunting is calling people who are employed at other firms. ---
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-dickhead-recruiter-do-you-actually-land-any-leads-with-your-bald-faced-lies/448161/18 "2008-05-05T22:36:01Z")
[QUOTE=SomeUserName] Not picky. I really thought that was how I always heard it and have used it myself. That is really interesting. Bold faced always made sense to me. As “you are standing right in my face and being that bold to tell me a lie”. Bald faced to me would mean lack of a beard. Does not make much sense to me dealing with someone lying. I know some people that think that people with facial hair are hiding something. So bald face would assume you are more truthful. I am off to do research. Considered ignorance fought today. [/QUOTE] I’ve always heard bald-faced lie. As in, that lie is so obvious it doesn’t even need a beard to disguise it. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-dickhead-recruiter-do-you-actually-land-any-leads-with-your-bald-faced-lies/448161/19 "2008-05-05T22:36:07Z")
Someone who works as a recruiter for a professional search firm, matching job-seekers with corporations looking for employees. Usually in more specialized or executive areas. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-dickhead-recruiter-do-you-actually-land-any-leads-with-your-bald-faced-lies/448161/20 "2008-05-05T22:41:22Z")
[QUOTE=Q.E.D.] Perhaps just a few more details for those of us who have no fucking clue what you’re on about? [/QUOTE] It was pretty clear to me but then I’ve gotten lots of calls from employment recruiters. Those people are scum. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-dickhead-recruiter-do-you-actually-land-any-leads-with-your-bald-faced-lies/448161.md?page=2)