‘I screwed up’: Founder apologizes for offering job interviews to party guests willing to get tattoos
One founder took LinkedIn He faced backlash for a previous social media post about offering interviews to guests who had tattoos at a celebration party. Jordan Zietz, co-founder of LemonLime in San Francisco, said “I screwed up” and apologized for “tying tattoos to recruiting.”
What happened?
Jordan Zietz revealed in a previous post that seven partygoers got tattoos on the spot after he promised them job interviews at his company. company.
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The news sparked a backlash online, with people calling it “illegal” and “unethical.” After the backlash, he issued an apology stating he regretted his actions.
Read Jordan Zietz’s full apology:
I messed up.
At our YC afterparty, we offered free tattoos and said we’d be happy to interview anyone with a tattoo. What I thought would be a fun, memorable way to get to know people turned out to be reckless and instead gave the impression of tying a permanent tattoo to a job opportunity, which shows poor judgment on my part.
Even though participants chose their own tattoos and no one was asked to get our logo, I should understand the pressure and motivation created by associating tattoos with recruitment.
Regardless of the intentions above, turning a celebration of personalized art into a corporate gimmick shows a lack of judgment. We have removed the posts and have spoken with everyone involved. We are also prepared to cover the associated relocation costs for anyone facing the regret of delay.
I’m sorry to the person we put in this position and to everyone who expected better from me. There is no clever explanation here. I got carried away and I was wrong.
The truth is: everyone can be interviewed, no matter what.
How was the social media reaction?
While some appreciated Zitz’s apology, others were unconvinced and criticized his social media posts.
One person wrote: “It’s crazy that you think this is a good idea until you get the backlash. It’s really disgusting that you think someone looking for a job should get one if you personally don’t have one. What is this sick power dynamic game you’re playing? Do you really think anyone would seriously appreciate having a random company logo permanently tattooed on their body, or is this just a way of manipulating others to make yourself stand out?”
Another posted, “Now you need a LemonLime tattoo on your neck as punishment.”
