Disposable People: The Unemployed Need Not Apply

[paft.livejournal.com]

From Clickorlando.com 6/1/10:
Job hunters are facing a new hurdle: businesses asking recruitment companies to keep unemployed people out of their job pools.

Video here.

Yes, you read that right. Some businesses are now placing job ads that exclude all those icky unemployed people. A trend I first mentioned back in July of last year is continuing and, according to this story, growing.

So, many of the unemployed face, not only the cutting off of their unemployment benefits, not only potential employers holding bad credit ratings, (often a byproduct of not having a job) against them, they now are increasingly being barred by potential employers from applying for job openings -- because they are unemployed.

Apparently in today’s society, more and more, once you’re out, you’re out.

Think of the weapon this hands employers. The saying, so beloved of free market types, “If you don’t like the job, quit and find another one,” is becoming not just a platitude, but a mocking sneer. Quitting is no longer an option, being fired, or laid off, no longer a relatively minor blip in someone’s working life.

If this trend continues, unemployment itself could become a catastrophe that knocks someone permanently out of full time work.

Comments

[badlydrawnjeff.livejournal.com]

It's not a situation that's wide. I wouldn't worry about it.

[readherring.livejournal.com]

For as long as I can remember, employers have preferred hiring people who were already employed. That's fairly common knowledge among career-seekers.

[light-over-me.livejournal.com]

And those with experience.

[badlydrawnjeff.livejournal.com]

Exactly. Although the media might just be catching onto this.

[paft.livejournal.com]

Not to the extent of announcing that they wouldn't even consider the unemployed. That's a relatively recent trend.

[badlydrawnjeff.livejournal.com]

There's no chance of that becoming a large trend because, at some point, you'll run out of people in a certain market. To want to avoid people who have been our of work for a long time is not new, and not actually news.

[light-over-me.livejournal.com]

I was always taught to apply anyway if you think you're qualified, even if the ad says you must have a certain number of years experience, etc. You never know. Companies put their ideal candidate on the want ad, but they don't always find someone who fits the bill 100%. If your resume looks good, sometimes they will interview you anyway. This has happened to me. Or sometimes you can apply under your skill level, and try to work back up from there.

That being said, the worse the economy/job market, and the more unemployed competing for the same limited jobs...the more employers can afford to be picky.

[paft.livejournal.com]

It is in a period of high unemployment, when they announce an unwillingness to even consider people who are unemployed.

[404.livejournal.com]

I personally think that businesses should not even be allowed to see a potential employee's credit rating. I don't see how that would affect credentials nor their performance on the job.

[badlydrawnjeff.livejournal.com]

It can largely be predictive of one's responsibility and ability to work within their means and abilities. Also, in jobs with financial transactions, a bad credit rating runs a higher risk of fraudulent activity.

The problem is more with the credit rating system overall than employers using them, IMO.

[brockulfsen.livejournal.com]

The problem is more and more companies move to hiring only through recruiters, to avoid wading through thousands of applications, many not quite right.

[paft.livejournal.com]

So given that unemployment benefits are cut off after a certain point, what are the unemployed supposed to do?

[telemann.livejournal.com]

I had a friend that worked as an IT expert for a background search company that marketed their services heavily to HR depts of large corporations. Business typically triples every year for them. They offered a whole suite of checks, going to extraordinary lengths to find out about potential candidates, none of it justified in my mind. The HR vice presidents will make the claim a person with a bad credit report* shows a lack of judgment and responsibility, someone they wouldn't want to hire for a position.


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* that can include such things as bankruptcies, foreclosures, car repossessions including voluntary ones, and bounced checks.

[paft.livejournal.com]

A poor credit rating can also indicate someone dealing with long term unemployment in a time when jobs are scarce, or someone who's had to grapple with a serious illness and the astronomical bills likely to come with it.

[paft.livejournal.com]

bs: The screen cap posting shows a salary range of $90K - $130K and mentions Sony Ericsson. These look to be at least moderate to highly skilled jobs where employment shouldn't be as large of an issue as with unskilled labor. In these instances, job gaps - yes, even in harsh economic times - are likely a fair indicator of ability.

Not if you're over a certain age.

bs: Why do you think they wouldn't find it beneficial to, say, hire someone at $75K instead of paying a different person $100K to bring them from another job? Could it possibly be that the return on investment is better?

That's not necessarily so if the person they hire from another job is younger than the person they pass over.

bs: People don't just engage in these manner arbitrarily (we hope),

snerk.

BS: and not cutting payroll when you have the chance is certainly something one has to explain to their boss.

Riiight. And piling more work on the employees who are left, who have to explain to irate consumers why service has suddenly gone in the can is NOT something one has to explain to the boss.

bs:: Secondly, what happens to that job that was previously filled but is now open? Perhaps it... creates another job?

Or perhaps it...goes overseas? Or perhaps it...no longer exists?

You do realize that the high unemployment rates are not an illusion, right?

bs: Besides, as someone else mentioned, there is definitely the potential to get better applicants. And I can guarantee you that there's scads of people who are unemployed and are sending their resume to everyone, even if they are vastly underqualified.

And there are scads of people who are very well qualified and still having a hard time finding a job.

Or is it your contention that, all of a sudden, massive numbers of American workers became incompetent and unqualified?

bs: Nor have you shown how this single data point is a trend, despite the highly investigative journalism of Click Orlando's Channel 6 News Team.

It's a trend first described by the Wall Street Journal last year:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203872404574257983795638374.html#mod=loomia?loomia_si=t0:a16:g2:r2:c0.0468835:b26142496

The WSJ article observes that "The bias extends from front-line workers to senior managers."

[paft.livejournal.com]

I555I: There are other fish in the sea.

Not in todays economy, and not if you're over a certain age.

Not to worry...

[sophia-sadek.livejournal.com]

I seriously doubt that the practice will ever apply to the local grocery store or to the department of sanitation as they seek a street sweeper.

I got some good career advice over twenty years back when I was counseled to find a new job before tendering my resignation.

[light-over-me.livejournal.com]

Shh. xD

[paft.livejournal.com]

So what do they expect the unemployed "deadwood" to do?

[headhouse.livejournal.com]

I don't understand why you're using bit.ly links in this post. Is there a reason for this that I'm not getting?

Recruitment experts say many companies are opting out of so-called passive job seekers for a number of reasons. First, it could take longer to get them up to speed in professions that require constant training. They also say people who have not been laid off are believed to be the best in the fields, therefore more valuable.

From the employer's point of view, this makes sense. At the same time, this reasoning would not apply to all or even most employment opportunities (service industry and retail, for instance, would largely be immune to this reasoning), so this issue is far, far, far from being the cause of a catastrophe.

False alarm.

[headhouse.livejournal.com]

Wait. Have you recently applied for a job?

[paft.livejournal.com]

No.

[gunslnger.livejournal.com]

The saying, so beloved of free market types, “If you don’t like the job, quit and find another one,” is becoming not just a platitude, but a mocking sneer.

Everyone knows you're supposed to find a new job before quitting. Ok, smart people know this.

[paft.livejournal.com]

Smart people also know that sometimes, quitting is the only option.