Candidates not working !!

[HR Solutions]

We have over the years come across so many scary stories. And from scary I am referring to people. The attitude of people that want jobs, the attitude of people that want money but are not prepared to work for it, the attitude of people that dont want to go out of their way or think the world owes them.
An example - a lady is interviewed by our company recently. We refer her to a temp assingment where she is to start work. It is a short term job (6 months), no interview with the client was needed, therfore she just had to report to work and start working. Easy, how difficult could it be ? On the day she is to start work, she gets lost, she does not have a map book or a gps! We spend from 7.45am to 10am backwards and forwards on the phone trying to explain to her how to het to the company. Bearing in mind she was given full directions when being interviewed by us, she still cannot find the company in Modderfontein !! Clearly she did not listen and lost the paper with the directions and obviously took a wrong turn ! At 10am she gives up and goes home !!
My question is WHY did you not prepare beforehand ? Why did you at least not have a mapbook ? And why give up ?
We cannot get hold of her again as her cell phone is switched off ! Eventually we get hold of her at 5pm and tell her the company still wants her and can she go the next day. She says no its "too far" !! Eventhough she never found it in the first place !!

[Justloadit]

She obviously is not desperate to get employed but wants a job

[vieome]

True it is hard to find people(especially young ones) willing to work these days, and strangely enough they will be the same ones complaining that there are no jobs.

While I am sure you have many stories of what not to do as a job seeker, do you have any about people that showed a great desire and determination to get the job?

[adrianh]

Difficult question that may have many different answers. We do not know what goes on in other people's lives. One could say she is lazy and disorganized or one could say that her screaming baby kept her awake the entire night...I think that speculating about the reason has no value whatsoever.

[HR Solutions]

Vieome yes there are. And strangely enough the good stories from the younger generation come from young black people who are prepared to walk far and to go the extra mile. The are prepared to catch a taxi, walk miles to work. There are also some people that are prepared to work the first month for NO salary. They want to just prove themselves to their new employer.
And then there is a young lady last week whos parents had put money aside for her for an education, but had an accident and died. She had to take the money and pay for funeral costs etc etc and now could not afford to pay for further education. She was so keen to work so that she could study further ! Our hearts went out to her. We phoned a few people and found her a job and did not charge the company at all. They were very kind to her and have found her a position within their company.

[Blurock]

It all boils down to attitude. A person with the wrong attitude will always blame someone else, the system BEE, apartheid or whatever lame excuse they can come up with.

Fortunately there are young people out there who want to work and are prepared to go the extra mile. I just sometimes wish I had the means to assist those that want to help themselves.

[adrianh]

I think that it is sad to see so much talent wasted in dead end jobs. I've met numerous truly creative people stuck in absolutely horrible jobs purely for the sake of earning an income. So many people go through life hating what they do. There is something fundametally wrong with the world (could it be that there are simply too many people on the planet?)

[vieome]

There is this story of this young man that was desperate for a job and entered a company begging for a job, the Boss tells him there is no work, so the young man finds a broom, and starts sweeping, the Boss tells him they will not pay him, but every morning this young man arrives gets the broom and cleans, 2 months later they give him a job. While I am sure it is just an urban legend that proves if you really want work you will find it, the thing is that when one gets in the company they need to keep that job hunger. Hold down your job with one hand, and use the other to climb up the ladder, or master a skill.

@

....

Perhaps you could write a book using these stories, what not to do, and what to do, to find that job.

[Dave A]

And why give up ?

I reckon 9 times out of 10 that's the actual problem - they give up to easily.

Just not used to getting out of their comfort zone. So when they finally do, it's a really traumatic experience.
Fight or flight kicks in - and if it's flight and they reach shelter (home), wild horses can't drag 'em out until they've recovered some sort of equilibrium.

[Blurock]

I think that it is sad to see so much talent wasted in dead end jobs. I've met numerous truly creative people stuck in absolutely horrible jobs purely for the sake of earning an income. So many people go through life hating what they do. There is something fundametally wrong with the world (could it be that there are simply too many people on the planet?)

Too many people are stuck in jobs that they hate because they are too scared to look for something else. They are afraid of the unknown and are usually the ones resisting change. They have little imagination and even with help they will find it difficult to apply for a new job or even a transfer to another department.

Yes, there are too many people on the planet. If you are not standing on the edge, you are taking up too much room...

[HR Solutions]

Just another quick one. The same customer that I mentioned above in Modderfontein was last week looking for a driver. We had a very nice guy on our books gave him the same directions that we gave to the other "infamous" lady, booked him for a 1pm interview and sent him on his way. On the day of the interview I phoned him at 12 o clock to make sure he was on track and was finding the way.
He answered the phone with a very chirpy voice saying he had found the company (an hour early), was already sitting in their reception having a cup of coffee. He had woken up very early. He had caught a train and walked quite a distance to the company. !!
Says something doesnt it

He has been hired.

[Blurock]

I phoned him at 12 o clock to make sure he was on track and was finding the way.
He answered the phone with a very chirpy voice saying he had found the company (an hour early), was already sitting in their reception having a cup of coffee. He had woken up very early. He had caught a train and walked quite a distance to the company. !!
Says something doesnt it

He has been hired.

Again boils down to attitude. With that attitude he may eventually become the MD!

[tec0]

True it is hard to find people(especially young ones) willing to work these days, and strangely enough they will be the same ones complaining that there are no jobs.

This is where I draw the line. Don't generalize because you don't have a clue how hard young people have it. In 2007 A young women complaint to one of my friends that she doesn't want to go back to work. She went back this time we upgraded her mobile phone so that it can record while she is at the office. On the recording the employer demanded oral sex OR she loses her job. He walked back to his office and waited for her. She left...

Needless to say my friend cleaned house after that. This particular employer closed shop as more previous employees stepped up and spoke out. But that is just one example of what young people have to face... I myself have recordings of how violent bosses get and all that.

Now if you condone this type of behaviour... Then there is something seriously wrong with you...

You get good employees and bad employees. BUT you also get good employers and seriously bad employers

[Blurock]

This particular employer closed shop as more previous employees stepped up and spoke out. But that is just one example of what young people have to face... I myself have recordings of how violent bosses get and all that.

Now if you condone this type of behaviour... Then there is something seriously wrong with you...

I do not think anybody will condone this kind of behaviour. That is why we have laws in this country. In this instance justice prevailed. But we need people to make it happen. You can not sit on your arse and expect someone else to do it for you.

You get good employees and bad employees. BUT you also get good employers and seriously bad employers

So why does the good employees not protect the good employers and vice versa? Why do we allow the masses to strike and vandalise ngood busines

[adrianh]

So why does the good employees not protect the good employers and vice versa?

Because in South Africa the motto is F_U