Vincent
I feel badly treated and wasted
I know Writing Creek is an affiliate of Edusson; the two platforms share everything, from managers to support, the same orders, and similar recruitment processes. Given that background information, I registered for a writer position on Writing Creek's sister platform (Edusson) early this year. Everything went smoothly, and I managed to pass all the tests because I am a high-quality writer and good at English grammar. Having passed all the tests, the company requested that I provide photos of my documents (ID and bachelor's degree certificate) for verification. Since I had left my academic documents in my rural home, I had to travel 900 KM from Mombasa (Coast Region) to Western Kenya to take fresh photos in the right format as requested. By the time I reached Bungoma, the company sent me this message: "Dear writer-6243953 We appreciate your interest in Edusson and the time you've invested in applying for the Freelance Writer account opening. Unfortunately, we have declined your application because we did not receive the required documents to verify your account. We wish you the best of luck in your professional journey!" That was so absurd and shocking; first, because the company did not provide the timeline within which I was to provide the documents; and secondly, because the HR manager did not send me a message notifying me of the delay or approaching deadline. I wrote them a message, along with the required documents, explaining my case. Luckily, one manager (Camilla) understood my situation and approved my documents. Nevertheless, trouble did not stop at this point. The company claimed to have made calls to verify my phone number, which I never received nor saw their missed calls. I even provided an alternative number with better network coverage in case the first one had connectivity issues with international calls, but the manager insisted that they would only call the initial number. Camilla asked me to give her a specific time to call, which I did, only for her to say that she had declined my application. I have written to the company expressing my dissatisfaction but the management has remained non-responsive. Based on this experience, I feel that's a very unprofessional and insensitive way of treating qualified and competent professionals who have taken their time to pass through the company's rigorous and cumbersome recruitment process. To exacerbate my pain, I spent my little savings on a long journey to comply with the company's hiring requirements. I believe that Writing Creek/ Edusson can be a better company by treating its writers with dignity and listening to such genuine concerns as mine with the view of reviewing some of the decisions to improve customer experience. EDITED: My Reply to the company's response: Thank you for your feedback albeit responding tangentially. What you are doing is victim blaming where you are unfairly assigning me the responsibility of informing you of the "impending delay" yet you did not specify the timeframe within which I was to submit the documents. On the phone call verification, I categorically informed the manager (Camilla) that I did NOT receive any missed calls, and even went ahead to give an alternative number but she remained adamant. I kept waiting for the call on the initial phone number to no avail. I was traumatized by the extremely unpleasant experience on your platform. Shockingly, you are sarcastically inviting me to repeat the process and endure the same loss, pain, and trauma. Are you going to take care of my antidepressants and other psychotropic medications?
Response from WritingCreekNov 16, 2023
Dear Vincent, We extend our gratitude for sharing your insights with us and providing additional details for a thorough investigation into your case. We deeply regret any negative experiences or inconveniences caused during your interactions with us. However, we wish to highlight the following points: 1. Providing personal credentials when applying for a job is a standard practice, and it is an expected part of the application process. 2. Understanding the need for additional time to gather your documents, proactive communication beforehand would have been greatly appreciated. 3. Given the nature of our online freelance positions, maintaining accessibility via phone aligns with our operational requirements. Adherence to our policy regarding missed calls and availability is of utmost importance. All in all, effective and timely communication could have prevented the issue. In our commitment to enhancing our platform and mitigating similar occurrences, we have implemented an "Upload Credentials" step within the registration process. Furthermore, we are planning to introduce a countdown feature that will prompt applicants to submit their documents within a specified timeframe. While we are not actively hiring at present, we warmly encourage you to reapply in the upcoming spring season. We are optimistic about the possibility of a mutually beneficial collaboration. Your understanding and cooperation are greatly valued. Warm regards, WritingCreek.com team Here is a reply to Vincent's EDITED reply: Please be assured that our invitation to reapply was not meant to dismiss your concerns but rather to offer an opportunity for a smoother process based on the improvements we are implementing. Your mental well-being is of utmost importance, and while we cannot directly assist with personal medications, we are committed to enhancing our procedures to prevent any recurrence of distressing situations. We appreciate your feedback and will continue striving to create a more supportive and efficient application process.