A Challenging Hiring Process

Not quite 30 years ago, I was working as an Assistant Store Manager for a well known discount retailer.  They took over the lease of a defunct company in a rather economically depressed town in Atlantic County NJ and pulled together a management team to hire and train a staff in a matter of one week which would be used to merchandise the store, unload truckloads daily, and ultimately become the opening team.  Advertisements were placed in local newspapers, and a hiring team was formed out of myself, another Assistant Manager and two HR representatives borrowed from other local outlets owned by this company.  Advertisements ran in the local newspaper announcing three dates and times to appear for interviews.

We had about 150 full and part-time jobs to offer and were greeted by close to 500 applicants the first day. Over the three days, I would guess we met close to 1200 people.  At the end of this stretch, we had filled maybe 75 slots as there just were not enough minimally qualified people who applied.  Eventually, the jobs were filled as we got referrals from many of those we initially hired and were able to transfer a few experienced folks from other locations.

The reasons we could not fill all the slots initially are not terribly different from the dilemma many hiring managers tell me they are dealing with today.  Many of the people who showed up did not follow the simple directions we advertised to bring two pieces of identification, a list of three references, and if a resume was not available simply bring a list of prior work history to assist in completing the application.  More than half of the candidates who showed up could not properly fill out the application form or provide the basic information we asked for so did not even get interviewed.  Many of the others complained our pay was not enough to get them to give up their welfare or unemployment checks.  Eventually, we got a decent team in place but I must tell you, my first real experience in the staffing field was quite a challenge!

You Are Being Followed!

Here is a link to a good piece on why you always must keep your professional image in the forefront.  You never know who might be taking a look at you in our very well connected electronic universe!    http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57469282-93/heads-up-linkedin-users-93-of-recruiters-are-looking-at-you/

Pastrami and Peanut Butter

Pastrami and peanut butter, hot dogs with strawberry jelly, lasagna with chopped dill pickles, etc. are not among the recipes I would recommend when trying to host a successful dinner party. The same could be said for mixing politics into a discussion when taking a job interview.

I decided to address this topic as we have roughly 8 weeks to go before we elect the President of the United States.   It would not be surprising to me if interviewers brought up the topic over the next few months, partly because they might be curious as to who people are voting for in general but it also could be a way of eliminating candidates.  For better or for worse, some employers have a close minded culture and prefer to hire people who align themselves with their political beliefs.

My suggestion to candidates is to steer clear of politics if asked.  Simply reply that you are not terribly motivated to discuss the upcoming elections and are very excited to hear more about the job opportunity.  If they espouse their beliefs anyway, just acknowledge politely and try to redirect to the position being discussed.

You should keep something in mind if you are in job search mode.  Many recruiters and hiring managers are checking out Social Media sites such as Linked In, Facebook, and Twitter.  If you subscribe to any such services, keep the political banter off those places for now.  Also, keep an eye on items being posted to your page which could potentially offend a hiring manager!  Politics and job searching definitely do not blend well so do your best to keep them apart!