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Thread: HR won't hire unemployed

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    Veteran Member TinkerBall's Avatar
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    Angry HR won't hire unemployed

    Some HR departments are now refusing to look at resumes of unemployed. They say they have to many resumes to review so they filter those out. They do not want to invest the time to determine whether they were terminated due to cause. They could be passing over some really great achievers who were eliminated solely for cost reasons. I also hear about if they don''t get all excited about your resume in 5 seconds they will pitch it and not read it. What do you think? Are these HR people overworked or just lazy prima donas?

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    Default Re: HR won't hire unemployed

    lazy and ignorant. use linkedin.com to get to know the real hiring person and directly approach them in some way. use the resume as icing on the cake after they show interest.

    a lot of hr don't even read resumes - a program does searching for the right acronyms etc.

    i have no sympathy for these companies who "can't find the right person." fuck them.

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    Default Re: HR won't hire unemployed

    Lazy but overwhelmed too.

    I recruit and hire people for the sales team I manage...it's infrequent...I've only hired 4 people in the last 2 years...but I get overwhelmed with resumes and I pitch resumes that don't meet my requirements. I don't have time to respond to everyone that sends a resume to me via Monster or the like. I wish that weren't the case.

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    Default Re: HR won't hire unemployed

    This is why I don't like to use Monster or apply online. I can honestly say all the jobs I've had were the result of actually going in or using the telephone. No matter what that piece of paper says, there's nothing like an actual face to face meeting. I can understand if you are applying for a job for relocation, but not for something in town.

    I always hate when I go in somewhere and ask for their manager or ask to apply and they tell me to apply online! Like thanks for wasting my time there bub!
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    Default Re: HR won't hire unemployed

    Don't give up on employment websites like Monster. 2 of the last 4 people that I hired came from there. Just target jobs more carefully. I can't tell you how many people I get that just throw their resume at me even though they meet almost NONE of the requirements....I mean, as in the job requires a college degree, and I get people with a high school diploma.

    So this goes two ways...people don't hear back from employers, but candidates waste recruiter's time. It's simply not possible to respond to hundreds of resumes, especially when 1/3 to 1/2 are bullshit.

    Again, I feel badly about this because I know people expect to hear back...on the other hand, don't apply to a job for which you're not qualified.

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    Default Re: HR won't hire unemployed

    I am an unemployed professional who did everything "right" and still lost my fulltime job 2 1/2 years ago and can't find ANYTHING. I've done freelance work and temp jobs but finding a fulltime job is impossible now. I've gotten the excuse from HR that because I haven't had a fulltime job in that time I am unemployable. It's awful because I am degreed, skilled, and experienced and nothing. In an irony I am going back to school to get my HR certificate because that might help me (and then I can tell employers I've been in school).

    Don't get me started on people that apply for jobs of which they aren't qualified. I only apply for job of which I am qualified, overqualified, or slightly underqualified (meaning I have most of the skills or years experience required). I rarely hear back from the jobs I am overqualified for, but sometimes hear back from the others. I never get why some jobs never call me, but I've long suspected some employers get disgusted and just start deleting resumes because they are tired of reading.

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    Veteran Member TinkerBall's Avatar
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    Tired Re: HR won't hire unemployed

    It's been in the news lately that some HR departments have a policy of only hiring people who are already employed. When you post a resume or talk to someone they usually ask you right away if you are employed. I only post for jobs I am qualified for but it just seems like with H1B visa's, offshoring, credit checks, etc. people are trying very hard not to hire us. I also read about HR people getting hissy if you misspell a wword and pitching your resume. Well like was suggested I'll try linked in for this. It's not fair how unemployed people are being treated though. There are companies that won't give them a chance and then Congress says they are lazy and need drug tests. But life is not fair and never has been.

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    Default Re: HR won't hire unemployed

    True, it's not fair. And it seems to be getting less fair.
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    Default Re: HR won't hire unemployed

    Quote Originally Posted by TinkerBall View Post
    It's been in the news lately that some HR departments have a policy of only hiring people who are already employed. When you post a resume or talk to someone they usually ask you right away if you are employed. I only post for jobs I am qualified for but it just seems like with H1B visa's, offshoring, credit checks, etc. people are trying very hard not to hire us. I also read about HR people getting hissy if you misspell a wword and pitching your resume. Well like was suggested I'll try linked in for this. It's not fair how unemployed people are being treated though. There are companies that won't give them a chance and then Congress says they are lazy and need drug tests. But life is not fair and never has been.
    They need to get rid of H1-B's, offshoring and credit checks. Unfortunately I doubt any of this is going away and will only get worse. For instance my grad school (where I graduated 6 years ago) generally hires foreign students first for the government funded work study program. Students complain but nothing is done.

    As bad as those are, they are getting into discrimination. I recently applied for a job where they requested my medical background. Yep, so they can check to see if I have any diseases. Luckily I don't have anything major but what if I did? Should someone be disqualified because they have diabetes or once had cancer? Then there are the interviews where I've been asked if I plan to have kids in the next few years. Hopefully I will have kids in the next few years, but it all depends on many things (including getting a fulltime job with insurance!). I am not going to quit a job if I get pregnant. Even if I was to have kids, but business is it of theirs now? It's not like I am doing this in the next 2 years or so.

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    Default Re: HR won't hire unemployed

    The medical background check is wayyyy too personal!
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    Default Re: HR won't hire unemployed

    I thought so too and it made me mad. I know people who got rejected for jobs because of their previous health and it's discrimination. Plus, I don't want employers to know I had a LEEP procedure when I was diagnosed with HPV. I certainly don't want them knowing I have very mild arthritis either.

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    Default Re: HR won't hire unemployed

    Oh I know right! I could see in the military or some extremely physical job field where you are required to commit to a set contract, but for civilian jobs? No way!

    Isn't this a HIPA violation?
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    Default Re: HR won't hire unemployed

    Quote Originally Posted by Kellydancer View Post
    I am an unemployed professional who did everything "right" and still lost my fulltime job 2 1/2 years ago and can't find ANYTHING. I've done freelance work and temp jobs but finding a fulltime job is impossible now. I've gotten the excuse from HR that because I haven't had a fulltime job in that time I am unemployable. It's awful because I am degreed, skilled, and experienced and nothing. In an irony I am going back to school to get my HR certificate because that might help me (and then I can tell employers I've been in school).

    Don't get me started on people that apply for jobs of which they aren't qualified. I only apply for job of which I am qualified, overqualified, or slightly underqualified (meaning I have most of the skills or years experience required). I rarely hear back from the jobs I am overqualified for, but sometimes hear back from the others. I never get why some jobs never call me, but I've long suspected some employers get disgusted and just start deleting resumes because they are tired of reading.
    Well, I doubt my method is common, but I don't let my HR department screen resumes for me. I read or at LEAST scan every resume that comes to me. I know some hiring managers that let HR do their initial scanning for them....I think that's both lazy and short-sighted. You're basically let someone else decide who your candidate pool is. It doesn't take much longer to go thru the resumes yourself, and you won't miss any good candidates that your HR rep might have killed off.

    These days, you get so many resumes when you post a job though, that it gets overwhelming.

    I might suggest volunteering somewhere that your skills can be used, and putting that down as a FT job on your resume. It's a little white lie but not a bad one.

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    Default Re: HR won't hire unemployed

    Quote Originally Posted by TinkerBall View Post
    It's been in the news lately that some HR departments have a policy of only hiring people who are already employed. When you post a resume or talk to someone they usually ask you right away if you are employed. I only post for jobs I am qualified for but it just seems like with H1B visa's, offshoring, credit checks, etc. people are trying very hard not to hire us. I also read about HR people getting hissy if you misspell a wword and pitching your resume. Well like was suggested I'll try linked in for this. It's not fair how unemployed people are being treated though. There are companies that won't give them a chance and then Congress says they are lazy and need drug tests. But life is not fair and never has been.
    If the person is anything other than the perfect candidate, I toss resumes that have poor spelling or the like.

    The process isn't unfair as much as it is just bad times. More people looking for work than there are jobs available. When it's like this, employers become more picky.

    I know this doesn't make anyone who is unemployed right now feel better...I hope you guys hook on somewhere soon. Don't give up.

    Actually...if anyone wants me to look at their resume and give you tips, I'd be happy to do so. Over the last 5-6 years I've hired probably 2-3 people a year for professional sales positions and I think I have a good idea what a decent resume should look like. You can erase the name and contact info if privacy is an issue...but I'd be happy to do this for anyone that wants an opinion.

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    Default Re: HR won't hire unemployed

    Quote Originally Posted by Kellydancer View Post
    They need to get rid of H1-B's, offshoring and credit checks. Unfortunately I doubt any of this is going away and will only get worse. For instance my grad school (where I graduated 6 years ago) generally hires foreign students first for the government funded work study program. Students complain but nothing is done.

    As bad as those are, they are getting into discrimination. I recently applied for a job where they requested my medical background. Yep, so they can check to see if I have any diseases. Luckily I don't have anything major but what if I did? Should someone be disqualified because they have diabetes or once had cancer? Then there are the interviews where I've been asked if I plan to have kids in the next few years. Hopefully I will have kids in the next few years, but it all depends on many things (including getting a fulltime job with insurance!). I am not going to quit a job if I get pregnant. Even if I was to have kids, but business is it of theirs now? It's not like I am doing this in the next 2 years or so.
    Any employer that asks you about your child-bearing future is putting themselves in position to be sued.

    It's unethical to ask someone that question.

    Feel free to blatantly lie about that if asked. Just say "no, I have no plans to have kids in the foreseeable future." Then after you're hired, do whatever you want. An employer has no business asking about such things.

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    Default Re: HR won't hire unemployed

    most of my business contacts tell me that their current hiring practices are becoming increasingly 'defensive' i.e. ...

    - reluctant to hire anyone with a history of health problems because under new US laws the employer's potential employee health care liabilities are now unlimited.

    - reluctant to hire anyone with a bad credit rating because under recent US court precedents the employer can be held liable for the results of 'irresponsible acts' by individual employees. Also, this goes double for any job involving the 'public trust', from banks to schools.

    - reluctant to hire anyone who is currently unemployed on the premise that they have a higher probability of having been dismissed from their former job for some legitimate reason ( even if the official record doesn't directly state a negative reason / justification ) thus a higher probability of being an unsatisfactory employee if hired. This reluctance is driven by recent DOL / court cases involving sizeable settlement awards for 'wrongful dismissal' and / or the simple cost of the employer defending himself against such lawsuits.

    - and while questions about future plans for motherhood / family are arguably not to be used as a basis for hiring, in the real world the lost productivity / lost time resulting from maternity / family leave represent significant additional costs to an employer.

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    Default Re: HR won't hire unemployed

    Quote Originally Posted by Melonie View Post
    most of my business contacts tell me that their current hiring practices are becoming increasingly 'defensive' i.e. ...

    - reluctant to hire anyone with a history of health problems because under new US laws the employer's potential employee health care liabilities are now unlimited.

    - reluctant to hire anyone with a bad credit rating because under recent US court precedents the employer can be held liable for the results of 'irresponsible acts' by individual employees. Also, this goes double for any job involving the 'public trust', from banks to schools.

    - reluctant to hire anyone who is currently unemployed on the premise that they have a higher probability of having been dismissed from their former job for some legitimate reason ( even if the official record doesn't directly state a negative reason / justification ) thus a higher probability of being an unsatisfactory employee if hired. This reluctance is driven by recent DOL / court cases involving sizeable settlement awards for 'wrongful dismissal' and / or the simple cost of the employer defending himself against such lawsuits.

    - and while questions about future plans for motherhood / family are arguably not to be used as a basis for hiring, in the real world the lost productivity / lost time resulting from maternity / family leave represent significant additional costs to an employer.
    It sounds like all the highly effective and productive unemployed applicants should just give up because a few unemployed people may not be worthy. We don't want to make anyone get a headache by actually doing proper screening at the individual level. With today's networking tools it is possible to find out about someone through your contacts. HR just has to get off their pompous lazy butts and make the effort. It's not fun but it can help you find the best candidate and help end the recession.

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    Default Re: HR won't hire unemployed

    HR departments are filters. If anything goes wrong with a new employee the HR people get the blame. So they aren't going to take chances on people that have been REJECTED.

    Wrong, short-sighted, stupid, lazy? Well, you got that right.
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    Default Re: HR won't hire unemployed

    Quote Originally Posted by Mr Hyde View Post
    Well, I doubt my method is common, but I don't let my HR department screen resumes for me. I read or at LEAST scan every resume that comes to me. I know some hiring managers that let HR do their initial scanning for them....I think that's both lazy and short-sighted. You're basically let someone else decide who your candidate pool is. It doesn't take much longer to go thru the resumes yourself, and you won't miss any good candidates that your HR rep might have killed off.

    These days, you get so many resumes when you post a job though, that it gets overwhelming.

    I might suggest volunteering somewhere that your skills can be used, and putting that down as a FT job on your resume. It's a little white lie but not a bad one.
    I do some volunteering and put it down, but still hasn't helped yet. Right now I am also looking at finding more freelance work but it's so dead now.


    Quote Originally Posted by Mr Hyde View Post
    Any employer that asks you about your child-bearing future is putting themselves in position to be sued.

    It's unethical to ask someone that question.

    Feel free to blatantly lie about that if asked. Just say "no, I have no plans to have kids in the foreseeable future." Then after you're hired, do whatever you want. An employer has no business asking about such things.
    I hate it because it is wrong. I always tell them I have no plans but I suspect they don't all believe me. I had one employer say they ask that because some of their women employees quit after the birth. I've told the person that I have no interest in quitting a job under any circumstances. This is true because even if I wanted to quit, there's no way I could afford to have a baby on just my guy's salary. However, I love working and outside of maternity leave, I have no interest in staying at home.

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    Default Re: HR won't hire unemployed

    HR departments are filters. If anything goes wrong with a new employee the HR people get the blame. So they aren't going to take chances on people that have been REJECTED.

    Wrong, short-sighted, stupid, lazy? Well, you got that right.
    Yup more 'defensive' posturing. And more acknowledgement that between potential DOL beefs, potential OSHA complaints, potential disability claims, potential 'wrongful dismissal' lawsuits etc. the 'employer's' potential cost consequences of hiring the 'wrong' new employee can be high enough to ( internally ) justify taking as few chances as possible where hiring new employees is concerned.

    And for better or worse, with 100+ resume's coming in for every available job opening these days, the HR people / 'employer' has nothing to lose and potentially much to gain by choosing to heave the 80 resume's from currently unemployed people in the wastebasket !

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    Default Re: HR won't hire unemployed

    Kelly, another tactic/little white lie is to call your freelancing a "business" and name yourself the owner on your resume.

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    Default Re: HR won't hire unemployed

    Permanent unemployed class results in high unemployment claims, less customers, a continued slide into deeper recession, and eventually floods of homeless people hopefully near where the HR gods live.

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    Default Re: HR won't hire unemployed

    Quote Originally Posted by Mr Hyde View Post
    Kelly, another tactic/little white lie is to call your freelancing a "business" and name yourself the owner on your resume.
    I actually do that, and not only that but I have a website promoting my business. I am pretty sure this is the main reason I still get interviews.

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    Default Re: HR won't hire unemployed

    Do you mind if I ask what you do and where you live?

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    Default Re: HR won't hire unemployed

    I live near Chicago and I do marketing and training. In the fall I am going to get my HR cert because it might help me get a training job (training often goes with HR in many companies).

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