July
2007
An Inexcusable Lack of a Work Ethic
So I’m hiring two outside salesmen and today I set up three interviews. It’s got a base pay of $500 a week plus bonuses which I project will earn whoever I end up hiring about $50,000 a year.
How many do you suppose actually showed up for the interview?
Zero.
This is not the first time this happened. Last year I set up 40 interviews. Five showed up for the interview. I hired two. One never showed up for his first day of work and the other called in on what was supposed to be his first day to say he decided to take a job in a store making $10 an hour.
Are these people idiots?
Are all of the people who would be worth hiring already working?
So I considered what the problem was last time. Last time I advertised it was for a commission salesman. Apparently people are afraid of commission sales. So I changed the pay structure so there is a base plus salary. That way the employee doesn’t have to take a risk and I surmised that I may have stumbled upon a way to get quality employees.
Wrong.
I don’t understand. I hear about these problems with unemployment and when it comes to actually showing up for an interview, people are deciding to sleep in. I can appreciate that it’s been a nice summer and everyone wants time off but how are these folks paying the rent?
Trying to grow a company is difficult and as a sales manager for nearly three years now, I can now appreciate what other small business owners and managers complain about.
Unbelievable. Unfrigginbelievable.
Is it that $50,000 isn’t a good salary anymore? I can’t believe that is the case. A couple of years ago I was told that if you’re making a thousand dollars for every year of age you are, you’re doing well. People used to expect to start out at the bottom and try to work their way up to that level. I’m offering a position that most people would look at the salary and say, yeah, that’s a good paying job, and I’m unable to get people to show up for an interview.
Last year I also had a guy, who seemed like he was going to be a go-getter type, work for two weeks and then quit. While he was here I had him involved in training but for that first two weeks there was always an excuse (and they all sounded like good excuses) why he needed to take off. He only worked 4 days of the 10 and then he had the gaul to complain that he didn’t have a check. Now mind you, if the pay date is about two weeks after your start date, and you don’t show up for work, do you think you’re going to have a pay check?
So I’m done. I’m done being a good listener for people who are complaining about not being able to find a job. I’m done believing that people who say there are no jobs out there are sincerely looking.
Geesh !
Jim McGuigan
Jim McGuigan
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I think your anecdote about folks not showing up for interviews, along with the story about the new employee full of excuses, just underscores the overall apathy that seems to have infected far too many folks nowadays. Now I’m not “old” by any stretch of the imagination, but I consider myself to be old-school when it comes to my work ethic. I’ve always been a firm believer that you have to work hard to be successful, but unfortunately there’s a lot of folks out there who feel as if they shouldn’t have to work hard in order to be a success.
Hmmm… this post leaves me wondering what are you trying to sell?
Home improvements. Windows, doors, siding… that sort of thing.
You’ll find this interesting. I had a guy call back and complain to the office manager that no one was at the office when he arrived at 9:15. I scheduled his interview for 11:15. So I called him back and allowed him to reschedule today for 11:30. He didn’t show. And to think, his resume said he was dependable.
Zach, I would agree with you that you need to work to be successful for the most part. There are some well connected people who don’t have to bust their cans to make a good living through.
Jim,
I hate to say it but your story is a shinning example of why other industries are taking huge hits on the playing field. The automotive market is a prime example… pay me more, give me more benefits and let me complain about how much MORE I should be making rather than being grateful to even have a job. I love the good ole US but somewhere we forgot this country was founded on HARD WORK not HIGH PAY.
I too, can complain, the county exec’s office ok’s a 3% pay increase for it’s board every year for the next 3 years but I can’t get a contract that includes shift differential? I physically work, they practically sit…. The hard work of out founding fathers gave us the right to complain and be less than grateful..kind of a double edged sword..
Deputy, you’re right on the money. I think it’s inexcusable that the County Supervisors can vote themselves a three percent pay increase, all while continuing to find new ways to cut county services and screw over hardworking folks who happen to work for the county. Now I’m not going to say our County Supervisors don’t work hard - I’m sure they do in their own way - but I think they need to work harder to find new ways to fix our county’s budget woes without cutting basic services.
Jessica, I mean “jane’,
Nope. My work week, and I’m assuming you’re talking about way back in 2002, was between 40 and 60 hours a week. The only people who believed that crap about all Sups working 10 hours a week were the mindless drones who listened to dimwits like the AM talk radio show hosts on WTMJ and WISN.
As for the joke being on me, yes I lost a job paying around $50K a year but now I’m hiring people at that salary. The people who are still in office are still maing the same salary and an 8 year salary freeze doesn’t sound like a good deal to me.
I hate to break it to you (actually I’m happy enough to rub your petty face in it), but I’m doing quite nicely in my position. I know that probably brings you great stress but I don’t care.
That sounds like a pretty decent job … you have a Web site or anything for the company?