Out-of-work job applicants told unemployed need not apply

[zephyrprime]

Makes sense. really sucks if you have no job, though. But it's like how a girl suddenly seems more hot if a bunch of guys say how hot she is, then you look and you're like "Wow, maybe I missed something after all."

I have never had such a reaction when a bunch of guys said something like that around me.

 

[Babbles]

As others I mentioned I can see this practice being more reasonable in relatively benign economic times, but now it does seem a bit silly.

I was laid off a year or so ago along with ~25% of our company. We did contract research and a lot of our clients went out of business (e.g. biotech startups) so business just plummeted. Then powers that be decided to flatten the org chart so me and like 8 or so other low tier managers were all let go. It seems to be a somewhat common practice where an organization decides to just yank out an entire layer of people. In our situation another problem is that we did highly specialized stuff and even though we were experts in our field we couldn't just cross train into another department. So I think many normally well qualified people were let go simply because the work didn't exist.

I don't think the general essence of my story is completely unique at all in terms of current reductions in forces across the nation. Certainly there will be cases where companies can trim the fat and let go of the bottom performers, but there certain has to be cases where it is not a lack of merit, but just simply no work.

 

[BoberFett]

Nah, it's not uncommon at all. I was part of the last round of layoffs at my last company earlier this year. They have been cutting employees for years, and are at 1/4 the size they were four years ago. They're operating in minimum power mode right now, just trying to survive. They let me and one other director go, plus several other managers. My department (IT) was cut to the bone and now the people remaining report directly to the president. I would have made the same decision, honestly. As a director I was one of the highest paid employees in the company for one of the smallest departments, and because they're simply maintaining and not expanding they don't need a strategic position like mine. All I seemed to be doing lately was wrangling vendors we hadn't paid for months anyway, and somebody in finance can do that. I was good at my job, but it just didn't make sense to maintain my position in the company.

 

[Zebo]

Same deal with women. I get flirted with none stop due to ring guess they figure if one woman can handle this ugly mug they want a sample.

 

[Theb]

It sucks for unemployed people but HR has to start somewhere when filtering the avalanche of resumes. I wouldn't be surprised if there even more arbitrary metrics being used just to filter down to a manageable number.

 

[pcgeek11]

Not sure what you mean with "reputable", but smart companies use this opportunity to make sure they retain the most effective. Using any kind of systematic seniority based approach makes no sense whatsoever, that must be some sort of union logic (ie, dumb idea).

No no union here.

You are wrong IMO. A smart company will treat their employees with respect. Esp during hard times.

1.) The dead wood is trimmed on the basis of being dead wood. Period. Companies do not have to make up excuses for getting rid of slack employees.

2.) It is a smart move to lay off employees on an as needed basis. Most smart companies have a base of "temp" employees that go first. Regardless. This gives a cushion for temporary conditional market fluctuations.

3.) Seniority by division or department. Is a fair way to release or lay off. If done right the deadwood trimming is done already.

Keeping dead wood employees during good times just because things are fat is what makes no business sense. You logic is flawed. Why would a good company do this?

 

[ultimatebob]

So you would rather pick someone who has worked for a year in a dept with no money for any type of tech upgrades rather than someone who has a full vmware/linux/or whatever setup they have been playing with the last year because they are unemployed?

Makes sense.

Not trying to be mean... but I have coworkers who do NOTHING all day because they were hired 10 years ago for Novell... and we no longer have Novell. They do not accept free training or anything... just suck up taxpayer money.

Something to consider if you ever really need a contract employee.

I've done a fair share of interviews lately, and I usually find that the candidates who said that they "played" with a technology in their spare time usually have no idea what they're doing compared to someone who uses the tool for a living.

Hell... it's amazing how many so-called Linux "hobbyists" can't even tell me how to exit the vi editor properly during a phone screen interview. Why? Because they just did the default installation, and used whatever pretty GUI text editor that came with their distribution. Trust me... that pretty text editor isn't going to be there when you have to SSH into a remote system to fix a problem.

 

[WhipperSnapper]

It's basically a form of class warfare.

If you went to college and obtained training or if you already have experience and just want another job, the wealthy and upper middle class that own the businesses and make the hiring decisions are trying to keep you poor.

I won't feel any sympathy if these cretins end up with the guillotine. Perhaps legions of the unemployed should show the upper classes that they aren't lazy and worthless by demonstrating their skill in guillotine production.

Look out upper classes! Sao Paulo style kidnappings for ransom and the guillotine could be coming your way soon.

 

[WhipperSnapper]

The other thing this shows is that the people who criticize the unemployed as being lazy are completely ignorant. Being unemployed and unable to find work is almost like being a victim of racism. It really makes you want to encourage Congress to raise taxes on the upper classes and to increase and extend the unemployment benefits.

 

[WhipperSnapper]

Same deal with women. I get flirted with none stop due to ring guess they figure if one woman can handle this ugly mug they want a sample.

Ironic, isn't it? It's hard to get pussy when you're single and then easier once you're married and no longer really allowed to indulge.

 

[bfdd]

Yeah not really that surprising. It's always easier to get a job when you have a job.

 

[Theb]

I've done a fair share of interviews lately, and I usually find that the candidates who said that they "played" with a technology in their spare time usually have no idea what they're doing compared to someone who uses the tool for a living.

Hell... it's amazing how many so-called Linux "hobbyists" can't even tell me how to exit the vi editor properly during a phone screen interview. Why? Because they just did the default installation, and used whatever pretty GUI text editor that came with their distribution. Trust me... that pretty text editor isn't going to be there when you have to SSH into a remote system to fix a problem.

When I took Unix Administration in school the professor said vi was the only text editor we could use for the class. He learned on emacs and his first consulting job he sat down to get to work and emacs wasn't installed. The job didn't go well.

 

[werepossum]

Nah, it's not uncommon at all. I was part of the last round of layoffs at my last company earlier this year. They have been cutting employees for years, and are at 1/4 the size they were four years ago. They're operating in minimum power mode right now, just trying to survive. They let me and one other director go, plus several other managers. My department (IT) was cut to the bone and now the people remaining report directly to the president. I would have made the same decision, honestly. As a director I was one of the highest paid employees in the company for one of the smallest departments, and because they're simply maintaining and not expanding they don't need a strategic position like mine. All I seemed to be doing lately was wrangling vendors we hadn't paid for months anyway, and somebody in finance can do that. I was good at my job, but it just didn't make sense to maintain my position in the company.

Same thing happened to my neighbor. The hospital cut the whole IT department, which left him a highly paid director without a department. Pretty soon they cut him too. They've contracted with a small IT company for maintenance. If you know you won't have money for IT capitol projects for at least a couple years, then that IT department is a pretty attractive place to cut no matter how good they are, especially since IT is not most companies' core business but merely a necessary expense.

 

[Lanyap]

Same deal with women. I get flirted with none stop due to ring guess they figure if one woman can handle this ugly mug they want a sample.

OT - Shens - Pics

 

[BoberFett]

The other thing this shows is that the people who criticize the unemployed as being lazy are completely ignorant. Being unemployed and unable to find work is almost like being a victim of racism. It really makes you want to encourage Congress to raise taxes on the upper classes and to increase and extend the unemployment benefits.

Actually, I am being pretty lazy right now. I had plenty of savings so I'm just enjoying my layoff right now. The fact that the government is giving me a check every week is just icing on the cake. Hell, I make more on unemployment than a lot of people make working their asses off.

 

[Lanyap]

Actually, I am being pretty lazy right now. I had plenty of savings so I'm just enjoying my layoff right now. The fact that the government is giving me a check every week is just icing on the cake. Hell, I make more on unemployment than a lot of people make working their asses off.

Me too. Worked for 33 years with no more than two weeks off at any given time. I'm going on a cougar cruise. I still look young so I think I can fool them. I'm trying to find out if there is a cruise with young women for older men. What would that be called - Tiger, Panther, Lion, Jaguar, Leopard, Cheetah (if you are married)? :awe:

 

[duragezic]

I'm currently unemployed and it's pretty ridiculous if I couldn't apply for some jobs because of that. All they would need to do is call my references and they would learn it wasn't performance related at all.

Plus, hiring me gives them some kind of tax break.

I can't see this being very widespread practice. With unemployment this high, it's not just slackers laid off, it's very qualified people as well, so it would be foolish to simply put a no exception requirement like this.

 

[jackace]

Hell, I make more on unemployment than a lot of people make working their asses off.

IMO this is the current problem with our current system.

I remember my grandparents telling stories of them paying the bills, feeding a family, owning a home, etc all while working at a retail store, gas station, delivery driver, etc. They weren't rich by any means, but they weren't poor and didn't need handouts from the government just to feed themselves and their children.

Simple example from my area. The average income in this area in 2007 was $13-$14 an hour. The cost of living for 1 person with 1 child and no government help for medical, dental, food, housing, etc was calculated at $18. The only way most people in this area are getting by is with two incomes and/or two jobs, and even then many are receiving some form of government assistance.

Another example is my buddy's brother is a school teacher in a rural area, and his salary is so low his family still qualifies for government assistance. He is college educated and works a full-time job, but doesn't make enough money to cover the cost of living for his family in this same rural area.

If the government assistance in this country was ever stopped a lot of people would be in some real trouble.