17

Feb

Twitter Broadcasts 186 Rejected Job Applicants’ Email Addresses

Posted by: Jeremy Reither

The popular micro-blogging website known as Twitter proved to me (and 185 other job applicants) today that it is, in fact, still a start-up. Each of those applicants’ email addresses was broadcast this morning in a dear John style rejection email…all due to a simple carbon copy slip-up.

We’ve all done it before – used “carbon copy” (cc:) instead of “blind carbon copy” (bcc:) – but I can’t say I’ve ever regretted it like Twitter’s head of HR probably does today.

Though it was a mistake, and evidence that Twitter’s external communication methods aren’t all that advanced, Twitter management handled the oversight as well as could be expected. After the incident there was a brief back and forth with some unhappy recipients – and then a quick apology from Twitter. Followed by a barrage of carbon copy replies – almost all light-hearted – from the fellow applicants (exposed applicant updates).

Here is the original email…followed by my reply…followed by an attempt at an apology from Twitter HR…then an actual apology from Twitter CEO Evan Williams. I’ve left all the cc:’d email addresses in there (just the parts after the @ signs) for dramatic effect.

The Original Rejection Email

—–Original Message—–
From: Krissy Bush [mailto: xxx@twitter.com ]
Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2009 11:05 AM
To: Krissy Bush
Cc: xxx@umich.edu; xxx@hotmail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@hotmail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@yahoo.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@hotmail.com; xxx@hotmail.com; xxx@carlitto.com; xxx@hotmail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@xxxxxrup.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@aol.com; xxx@yahoo.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@xxxparr.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@karmikdesigns.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@yahoo.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@cornell.edu; xxx@yahoo.com; xxx@sloan.mit.edu; xxx@hotmail.com; xxx@mba2009.hbs.edu; xxx@yahoo.com; xxx@pacbell.net; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@aol.com; xxx@yahoo.com; xxx@yahoo.com; xxx@xxxxxmedxxxidi.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@wharton.upenn.edu; xxx@thumbble.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@themarkelfamily.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@hortas.net; xxx@iastate.edu; xxx@xxxxman.com; xxx@hotmail.com; xxx@colecorps.com; xxx@timlang.com; xxx@echovar.com; xxx@yahoo.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@yahoo.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@mindspring.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@craigberlingo.com; xxx@halocom.net; xxx@yahoo.com; xxx@monbouquet.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@yahoo.com; xxx@ntlworld.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@googlemail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@alibabaoglan.com; xxx@ianbell.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@yahoo.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@aol.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@yahoo.com; xxx@yahoo.com; xxx@xxx.otherinbox.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@stanfordalumni.org; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@yahoo.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@hotmail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@yahoo.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@pistachioconsulting.com; xxx@danzarrella.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@reknow.ca; xxx5000@aol.com; xxx@hotmail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@gesuale.com; xxx@mac.com; xxx@bilbrauer.com; xxx@craigberlingo.com; xxx@stanford.edu; xxx@yahoo.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@fuqua.duke.edu; xxx@yahoo.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@soldo.org; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@kellogg.northwestern.edu; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@rediffmail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@sloan.mit.edu; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@rocketmail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@adooga.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@synchronopedia.com; xxx@yahoo.com; xxx@hotmail.com; xxx@yahoo.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@jungerhans.com; xxx@coitstaffing.com; xxx@yahoo.com; xxx@amitquilet.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@gsb.stanford.edu; xxx@comcast.net; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@yahoo.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@cox.net; xxx@mattyblaw.com; xxx@hotmail.com; xxx@jakriffer.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@sbcglobal.net; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@wharton.upenn.edu; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@gmail.com; xxx@r3r.com
Subject: Business Product Manager Position at Twitter, Inc.

Hi,

Thank you so much for taking the time to apply for the Business Product Manager position at Twitter, Inc. During the course of our recruiting efforts, we come across many fine candidates such as you, and we carefully evaluate each candidate’s background and interests against our projected workloads and staffing needs. Although we are impressed with your background, the hiring committee has decided to move forward with a different candidate.

We will keep your information on file for six months in case future opportunities arise.

Thanks,

–
Krissy Bush | HR Manager | Twitter, Inc.

539 Bryant St. Suite 402, San Francisco, CA 94107
Fax: 415.896.2062
http://twitter.com/krissy

Don’t get me wrong – this isn’t an attack on Twitter for rejecting my application. Believe me, this isn’t the first rejection letter I’ve gotten; and it certainly won’t be the last. I actually empathise with Krissy, because I’m sure some applicants (especially those who are currently employed elsewhere) are letting her know right now how they would rather their job applications be kept private.

This was my reply…

—–Original Message—–
From: Reither, Jeremy
Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2009 11:09 AM
To: ‘Krissy Bush’
Subject: RE: Business Product Manager Position at Twitter, Inc.

Thanks for the reply, Krissy. Best of luck with your new Product Manager.

I’m surprised that you cc:’d everyone on your note. I’m self-employed, so it’s not a big deal to me, but it’s generally better practice to bcc: recipients of emails like this one, for privacy reasons.

Again, all the best. I’m rooting for Twitter!

Thanks,

Jeremy S. Reither
R3R web business consultants

A blind carbon copied (bcc:’d) reply from Krissy…

—–Original Message—–
From: Krissy Bush [mailto:xxx@twitter.com]
Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2009 12:04 PM
To: Krissy Bush
Subject: Re: Business Product Manager Position at Twitter, Inc.

Hi,

It was not our intention to carbon copy (cc) the email “Business
Product Manager Position at Twitter, Inc.”. We sincerely apologize
for any trouble or inconvenience this may have caused.

Kind Regards,
Twitter HR

Ok, it was good of Krissy to acknowledge the issue – but it was a bit brief. I guess that’s why…

Twitter CEO Evan Williams stepped in and sprinkled on some sincerity…

From: xxx@gmail.com [mailto: xxx@gmail.com ] On Behalf Of Evan Williams
Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2009 12:23 PM
To: Evan Williams; Biz Stone
Subject: Re: Business Product Manager Position at Twitter, Inc.

It has just been brought to my attention that we just sent this note about this job with everyone’s address exposed in the cc line.

This is obviously a big mistake, and I sincerely apologize on behalf of Krissy, myself, and Twitter, Inc. We really appreciate you expressing interest in Twitter, and I can only imagine that this type of move adds insult to injury.

To be clear: Not everyone on this list even applied for this job. Some were recommended to us and entered into our applicant tracking system by employees here.

Whatever the case, I regret this mistake. Please help us reduce the impact of this error by respecting each other’s privacy.

If there’s anything I can do for you, please let me know.

Evan

All in all, a simple slip-up that may have rubbed some people the wrong way was handled well by the “start-up that could.” This entire dialog – from email broadcast to apology – transpired in less than 90 minutes. What’s more entertaining is the fact that “The 186″ opted to continue to email, twitter, and even start online groups and even a Ning social network together.

UPDATES:

• ValleyWag beat me to the presses on this one – probably while I was ‘xxx’ing out all those email addresses
• Twitter hash tag for all the exposed applicants (#exposedapplicant) is generating a lively discussion
• TechCrunch found the event noteworthy as well, and referenced a fellow rejectee’s blog
• At the end of his post on the “event”, Ben Koo (one of the applicants), talks about how the group of 186 has continued to communicate with each other