Have you ever noticed that schoolteachers are good at everything? They are task oriented, organized, trained to think linearly, good communicators, punctual, dress appropriately, work well in groups, and are often optimistic by nature. Anytime I see “schoolteacher” on a resume’s list of prior jobs, I want to hire them. Out of necessity, I have recently been looking at a lot of resumes and hoped, with the current school situation, there might be a few teachers wanting to change careers but, so far, no luck.
Though the current unemployment rate is 8%, the highest it has been in over a decade, we at FAB are finding it hard to fill open positions. This is not from a lack of trying. We post job listings on Indeed.com, sort through mountains of resumes, conduct telephone and on-site interviews, and on different days, offered jobs to fill three different positions to five lucky applicants, only to have all five of the new hires not show up for their first day at work. No phone call, text … nothing.
I am starting to question my Karma. Have I done something to upset the hiring gods?
Give Them a Break
Because I am forever a mother, I jump to the worst possible scenario and think, “Oh something must have happened to them on the way to work,” like a car wreck or worse. Thus, I naively reach out to the truant new employee with a phone call and text asking, “Everything okay? Are you on your way?” Still nothing.
This is not the first time in my career I have found it challenging to find new employees. The first time I experienced it was in the late 70’s and early 80’s. Then, like now, the unemployment rate was reported at 8%. From that experience, I now know that no one really wanted to work then, either.
Nuanced Numbers
It may be true that numbers do not lie, but they can be misleading. The challenge in reporting the unemployment rate is trying to identify the truly needy, those who have lost their job and need another, from those who do not.
Many of my friends have used the reprieve from work caused by Covid-19 as a nice segue into retirement. Others, who were forced into a new thrifty, stay-at-home lifestyle realize they can make-do with less and enjoy it. And then, as with everything, there are those taking advantage of the system.
Some of Us Want the American Dream
What I do not understand is why applicants waste everyone’s time, including their own, to apply and follow all the tedious steps I mentioned above and then not show up for the “Big Dance.” Why? Are they just testing their interviewing skills?
This is the land of opportunity, if your willing to work. As Sophia Said, economist and naturalized citizen from Pakistan mentioned on my radio show Up in Your Business, “Unlike other countries, the barriers to live the American Dream are minimal. That is why everyone wants to come here.”
This week, we started the hiring process, again. We had 160 resumes submitted from Indeed, and to my surprise and delight a few were past teachers! Thank you, Karma gods.
