Need not apply
Apparently, many available jobs aren’t available to the unemployed:
Employment experts say they believe companies are increasingly interested only in applicants who already have a job.
"I think it is more prevalent than it used to be," said Rich Thompson, vice president of learning and performance for Adecco Group North America, the world’s largest staffing firm. "I don’t have hard numbers, but three out of the last four conversations I’ve had about openings, this requirement was brought up."
Instinctively you probably don’t like this. Instinctively, I do. Why? I suspect you’ve never hired anybody. Unemployed people, in my experience, are unemployed for good reasons and usually aren’t worth hiring. The unemployed population is certainly different now as the bad economy pushes people out of work, but think about who is out there.
- Chronically unemployed
- Laid off because they were too expensive relative to what they produce
- Laid off because while affordable they hadn’t yet built up skills needed
- Laid off in spite of talent/value due to raw economic necessity (wrong place, wrong time)
You might find something decent in the last category. And I give folks that find themselves in that situation due consideration. The second, laid off because they are not a good value, may pay off if they are willing to compromise on salary. But you then face the angst they have over reduced salary and their constant pressure to return to it (at your expense or elsewhere).
So limiting applicants to those working already is just easier, and more likely to produce good results. It’s good business – and isn’t that what this nation needs more of, not less?
What would I do if I were unemployed now? I’d work my toush off. I’ve got no right to be a software company President. I’d sell books at Barnes and Noble, or wait tables at Olive Garden – and be the best that store or restaurant had. And if there was absolutely nothing where I was, I’d move and support my family from afar renting a cheap room or staying with a relative. There is no substitute for effort and there are no guarantees.
June 18th, 2010 at 9:29 am
That strategy works against you when other potential employers of your stars use it also. And if you find an applicant willing to leave his job for yours, why isn’t he/she likely to have the same greener pasture attitude when working for you? How is your attitude sensor and how do you even calibrate your attitude sensor? Rule: be suspicious of what you think you know.
June 18th, 2010 at 9:47 am
You don’t “steal” folks – they want to work on your projects because they are interested. I don’t have any strategies to retain people because I want them to always pursue what is best for them. I do treat my employees very nice, but that is more because I think it right than for any economic benefit.
The points above are not recommending stealing other folks employees, but just pointing out that most talent is already in use. The challenge is to interest folks in what you do, why you do it, and how you do it.
June 18th, 2010 at 11:19 am
I had a job and I applied for a new one, not because I was being stolen but because I was unhappy at the old job. I have the feeling that I walked in employed gave me two advantages: I wasn’t as nervous since my next meal wasn’t dependent on that interview and they knew I could successfully hold down a job for at least a few years. They also got a clear view of exactly who I am by how I dealt with the painful transition for the other company: I gave them every chance (6 weeks) to find a replacement so I could train them.
And the simple fact is, people change jobs. They get bored or unhappy and want to move on. You can either understand that, treat them well and keep them interested, or have people who despise their jobs and can’t wait to find another.
Ken’s employees, of which I have known many, describe him as the “Best boss you could work for” and variations on that. He has the best reputation of any employer I have ever heard about.
November 11th, 2010 at 1:01 pm
In this context, does “unemployed” mean having no job at all, or just not a job related to the one being sought (i.e., “underemployed”)? For example, consider an individual with a Masters in engineering that was laid off during the recession and has since taken a job as a gas station attendant while seeking to get back into the engineering field. Is this individual considered “employed” for the purposes of companies wanting only employed candidates?
I am underemployed. I work about 20 hours a week doing a job not related to my education, while I am looking for a more appropriate job. Would I be considered or ruled out on this basis (I know it obviously depends on the employer)?
I know many high quality people that have been affected by this recession: PhDs, MBAs, military veterans, entrepreneurs, etc. I don’t think any of them “aren’t worth hiring”.
November 11th, 2010 at 1:48 pm
Adam – no job at all, certainly. In my case, not working in the field. For instance, I’ve had people pull a tractor trailer up to our building and give me a computer science resume. A bit odd and it makes you dig a bit into the “why”.
There are individual worthy cases, certainly, that would be overlooked. But from the viewpoint of a large HR department that is inundated with job seekers, the initial filter makes sense.
I wish you the best in your hunt. I don’t envy you the situation, especially in today’s troubled times.
May 7th, 2011 at 11:10 am
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