Barry’s Choice
Tags: desperate, laid off, unemployed
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The story about hundreds of applications received for the janitorial job at an Ohio high school was covered coast to coast. It seemed to serve as a lightening rod to tell the desperate plight of the laid off. The final tally when today’s application deadline came was 835 hopefuls.
Now how does the high school possibly decide on who gets this job?
According to the high school’s business manager Barry Mason, applications came from people with wide experience in a variety of trades. Some have maintenance experience. Many have experience in plumbing, residential building, electrical, carpentry.
54-year-old John Pettigrew spent 26 years at Union Metal Corporation as an assistant traffic manager making about $60,000 a year. The janitorial job he just applied for makes about $15 an hour. But after losing his job almost a full year ago, Pettigrew hasn’t been able to find work and has lost his house.
So in a job climate like this what’s a hiring manager to do? Barry Mason has a difficult task ahead.
Could the usual factors in considering a candidate go out the window when so many are hurting? With a landslide of qualified, and over-qualified candidates, and a conscience that can’t look the other way, perhaps other things start gnawing at you.
Are you influenced by how long someone’s been out of work because you know how much they need it?
Do you feel someone with dependents may need the job more than a single person?
Do you look at the people who bring more skills to the job than you may normally attract and take advantage of this, and expand the job description?
Or do you stick with those whose experience most fits the current description so they’ll be less likely to leave when the economy improves?
Does someone’s age affect you? Whereas you might otherwise pass over older candidates, are you feeling more inclined to consider them, knowing their savings have been gutted and they’ll have fewer years to recover those needed retirement funds than someone younger.
Now, I’m not advocating for anything here at all. In any way. Trying to award a job based on need would be as difficult as trying to provide health care based on who’s most deserving or whose need is greater.
And I’m quite sure that any employer will still choose the candidate who best fits their long-term needs. And it may very well be that the successful candidate comes from among the applicants who is currently in a job rather than from the hundreds laid off.
I’m just speculating that Mr. Mason can’t help but be daunted by the task of making this choice after receiving such an overwhelming response. Especially after all the media attention has brought to light the personal stories of several applicants who are hurting badly.
If I were him right now, I’d wish I had 100 – no make that 835 — jobs to offer.
Tags: desperate, laid off, unemployed
PW said:
Mar 09, 09 at 11:05 pmHi FFN - my experience tells me that it’s more likely that the employer will hire the person “best suited” for the position. In other words, they’ll skip past the “overqualified” candidate because they’ll likely leave when something better or more appropriate comes along or there’s the fear that “they’ll get bored” and leave. I believe that people will hire the person who “best fits the picture” of whatever they’re looking for. And not necessarily factor in how long you’ve been unemployed, or how badly you need the job or what your shape your finances might be in, particularly if you’re over or under qualified.
ffn said:
Mar 10, 09 at 4:03 amPW - I agree completely. The questions I asked were rhetorical, meant really to illustrate how bad it is out there and the possible impact on employers faced with this situation. I don’t doubt for a second that in the end, any employer will make a calculated choice based on best long-term fit. But at the same time I imagine they’d have to be moved by these things after being been hit with this kind of landslide and after starting to learn the details of people’s situations. Who knows what’s in the cover letters he received? In any case, thanks for the feedback. Now I have to go edit the post to be clear. -)
how hiring choices are made at save the assistants said:
Mar 10, 09 at 8:49 am[...] excellent blog Fired For Now examines the mind of one hirer, Barry, as he has to choose from a whopping 835 candidates applying [...]
diana said:
Mar 10, 09 at 10:59 amWow 835 applicants for 1 position. Thanks for letting me see the employer’s side of it. I always assumed it would be great for them because they got to choose from the best applicants. I didn’t realize that it would also be a hard choice for them. I was so focused on seeing my side of it (all my competition that has 10x more experience than me since I’m a new grad)
BigDaddyCool said:
Mar 10, 09 at 1:48 pmUnfortunatly the “overqualified” stigma does exist, and I should know because I have been told that at interviews and as reasons why I didn’t even get an interview. I will never know why a college degree makes me overqualified to utter the phrase “Welcome to Wal-Mart”. I mean I have had “dirty jobs” before, and I am capable of doing them again. The unfortunate thing is now, other people are assuming that I’m assuming that I’m too good for that job.
Now actually there are some jobs out there that I’m really not qualified for - for instance I couldn’t be a CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Nor could I drive a forklift - I could learn but that would take time and money; I have the time just not the other part.
I don’t envy the person making the hiring decision having 835 applications to go through. I would say to them “don’t exclude someone based on their ‘overqualification’ because they may turn out to be the best fit and you may never know in the end.”
Here’s hoping that everyone gets a fair shot at that job, “overqualified” or not.
PW said:
Mar 10, 09 at 6:30 pmHi FFN - you’re a good cookie. I realize that you were only asking rhetorical questions. It’s incredibly difficult to convince a prospective employer that a person with a certain educational background and noteworthy employers and accomplishments on a resume that they are the “ideal” candidate for a position that might only pay 1/2 to 2/3 what it is that the prospective employer thinks that they were making. I’ve had an employer say to me, that they were very impressed with my background and that it’s not often that they come across someone like me (the translation is what is HE doing here? Why are we even talking to him? He does not “fit” our picture of the ideal candidate, the picture is all wrong, something’s not right…). Sometimes honesty just looks wrong. And as far as what impact, if any, there might be on an employer fielding resumes from people who’ve been looking for quite a while, down on their luck or whatever - you’re right of course. If you’re otherwise half-way compassionate you’d silently thank your lucky stars that for the grace of God, go I.
Karol said:
Mar 19, 09 at 5:01 amTheir decision will no doubt take time. For every opening, there will be many that apply, which means a waiting game for those that have little time when their finances are down to nothing. Unfortunately, the realities are that everyone, no matter what their status, their former occupations was, have to compete not only with a new generations but with older ones. New graduates are now finding it hard to work because jobs aren’t as readily available. The other side of the coin is that perspective employers have to sift through more piles of applicants and determine who can be reliable, responsible and more efficient in the job performance, reguardless of who has a family, financial situations, etc.. It isn’t a first come, first served business. Decisions are based on several factors, including who is best suited for a particular job. There could be several, if not hundreds. Unfortunately there is no win win situation. someone may get the job that is use to making more money and someone who really needs it, may not get it. It is a sad reality but true.
John Agathon said:
Apr 03, 09 at 6:35 pmI can’t believe that so many people would apply for a job that consists mostly of mopping floors! There has to be some exaggeration somewhere, unless we’re not being told this position pays $20 and hour?
Adrian said:
Apr 16, 09 at 9:23 pmI know from my own experience the over qualified will not have a chance. Having been on the other side of the hiring line in times past if just doesn’t make sense in a job like this unless you are going to take advantage of their other skills knowing that they may very well leave if they find other employment. There is no easy answer for Mr Mason.
Jack said:
Apr 29, 09 at 1:24 pmWhat a terrible story but alas it is becoming more common during this terrible economic crisis. I’ve heard similar stories of people having to down grade from mid level managerial positions to survival jobs, like the janatorial position mentioned in this article, out of sheer desperation.
I guess how Mr. Mason decides will depend on the type of person he is and who is applying for the job. Maybe he will hire an over qualified person, knowing that person will probably quit later, out of compassion.
No offense, but this is a janitor position. Anyone can do it, so even if a an over qualified person were to get the job and quit later on to get something better, I don’t think Barry Mason would have a hard time finding someone else to fill the spot.
cosplay said:
Jun 24, 10 at 1:04 amdfbhvb
cosplay said:
Jun 24, 10 at 1:44 am10.
I guess how Mr. Mason decides will depend on the type of person he is and who is applying for the job. Maybe he will hire an over qualified person, knowing that person will probably quit later, out of compassion.
No offense, but this is a janitor position. Anyone can do it, so even if a an over qualified person were to get the job and quit later on to get something better, I don’t think Barry Mason would have a hard time finding someone else to fill the spot.
Forklift said:
Jul 03, 10 at 7:46 amI agree Diana…
Ahşap sandık said:
Jul 17, 10 at 9:11 amGood article and informative. Thanks
Erkek gömlek said:
Jul 17, 10 at 9:22 amNice article ok. But i don’t underst. wyh are good articles with no good pics? add more pls.
thx.
Kablo makarasi said:
Jul 17, 10 at 9:23 ami agree diana me too.
Branda said:
Jul 17, 10 at 9:32 amyeah.. i agree erkek more pics always better..
Bogaz turu kiralik tekne said:
Jul 18, 10 at 3:27 amThank you for sharing informative article.
Mantolama said:
Jul 20, 10 at 2:29 pmGood article and good sharing thanx.