A Question ......

[HR Solutions]

Recently we interviewed and forwarded 5 CV.s to a client. We duly followed the procedure and shortlisted these 5 people and recommended them to our client. 5 interviews was setup with the client on a specific date. Come the date and only 3 candidates pitched for the interview !! The two that did not pitch were unemployed at the moment !!
We have had this same problem in the past where people do not either come to our offices or don't pitch up at the clients office and found that more often than not they are the unemployed people !
My question to anyone out there that can shed light on this is WHY is it the unemployed seem to give more hassles ??

[Mike C]

Surely it's because they don't really WANT to be employed?

The only other reason that I can think of is that they don't have the wherewithall to be able to get to the interview.

[HR Solutions]

Surely it's because they don't really WANT to be employed?

This is exactly our thoughts as well in most of the cases Mike.

The only other reason that I can think of is that they don't have the wherewithall to be able to get to the interview

Don't think so, because they managed to get to our offices where they were asked if they would like to work at that specific company, if they could get to the company, if it was not too far etc etc etc.


It is quite a sad state of affairs because like other companies we are also in the business to make money, as well as to help people out, but we are actually losing money if we spend time on these candidates, doing checks etc etc. And we cannot give up on unemployed people because we all have to do our little bit to build our country.

[pietpetoors]

My late father in law used to say "there is a reason why a poor man is poor", guess now we know why they unemployed, there is a reason why they unemployed, is called attitude.

[adrianh]

I can think of many reasons and I don't think that any of the reasons are simply because they have a bad attitude or they don't want to work.

[tec0]

No it is not about bad attitude,

I was in several situations where I had not transport. And this happens. You don’t plan on it nor is your intention to disappoint. I also had situations where I couldn’t phone anyone because I ran out of money to phone people.

Secondly I also walked away from interviews. Why because of other interviews that went badly. Example you have 1 in 5 shot to get a job. Now that is actually a chance worth taking. But I personally stopped sending out CVs because there was always someone better. Or so the companies thought.

I can recall a few times where the people they employed had all the papers but lacked practical skill. Today I wouldn’t even bother because of the “screening processes” simple truth as stated on a few threads, people like me don’t get jobs because some test figured out that we need a computer to spell.

I then wonder why bother with a computer to begin with? Consider that today a lot of businesses needs computers to do all kind of task because people do make mistakes. But because some are PC dependant now we are more "bad" somehow. I honestly truthfully don't understand it, and I probably never will.

So yes there is a number of reasons that can range from too many disappointments to not being able to make it.

But some good came from it all. Regardless of my own standings I did manage to make some good money now and again so I am not complaining about my choice of becoming self employed. My next "future" business looks good. But time will tell.

But without any argument or any anger HR... Imagine you have to get to a interview and you are without transport, money and no airtime. What do you do? What can you do? And remember sometimes people really are shy to tell you the truth because it hurts. It really does. It is not lekker telling a person you don't know the utter truth about your problems. Its only human.

[HR Solutions]

Lol @ tec ...... Again ..... Explains a lot ....

Ps you are right You don't understand !

[tec0]

Lol @ tec ...... Again ..... Explains a lot ....

Ps you are right You don't understand !

Again with the insulting... At least I am trying to be nice. I am actually having a Déjà vu.

[adrianh]

When I was still in IT looking for a job the following hsppened quite often. The recruitment companies would send me for interviews at companies for jobs that I was clearly unsuitable. This happend a couple of times with a couple of agents until I reached a point where I also refusedmto go to interviews unless I though that I may have a real shot. The problem is that getting to interviews costs money and if you are unemployed it becomes difficult to justify going to lots of interviews with lots of agencies. I once said to a agency that as far as I am concerned they should pay for my travelling costs because they kept wasting my time and money.

[HR Solutions]

I hear u Adrian, but things have changed, well certainly with us tho.
But on the same note We have had a guy WALK 10 km for a job interview, I kid u not. That is a person that really wants to work and it cost him nothing.

[Mike C]

I hear u Adrian, but things have changed, well certainly with us tho.
But on the same note We have had a guy WALK 10 km for a job interview, I kid u not. That is a person that really wants to work and it cost him nothing.

...and did he get the job?

[adrianh]

It did cost him a lot of time and he got to the interview tired and smelling of sweat.

What I am saying is that the reason that people don't pitch for interviews is not necessarily because they don't want to work. They are probably dealing with multiple agencies who are sending them all over.

[HR Solutions]

...and did he get the job?

Yes he did Mike. The company were extremely impressed with his attitude
Every now and again we have one like this that comes around. But we have a lot more of the guys with the attitude that think the world owes them, and unfortunately I have to admit it, but it is normally the young white guys between the ages of 22 and 28 !

What I am saying is that the reason that people don't pitch for interviews is not necessarily because they don't want to work. They are probably dealing with multiple agencies who are sending them all over.

YES, but a phone call saying that they are not going would be great or just tell our consultant at the initial interview stage.
But Adrian it is like any business, you pick up a trend and sometimes know that things are going to happen.

[Justloadit]

Maybe before doing a physical interview at the company, the initial interview by the company should be telephonically.
An exchange of a few words, would immediately tell both the interviewer and the interviewee if they would be suitable for a face to face meeting.

When I first started my business, l found y first meetings with potential clients was a fact finding mission, and within the first 2 minutes I would know if you I was wasting my time. This is the reason I always insist to have a pre-discussion on the phone as to what we can do for each other, then , and only then do we set up a face to face meeting. Saves me a lot of time. I found that I have a far higher strike rate of doing business this way.

[adrianh]

@Justloadit - agree 1000%