Earlier this week, a Facebook friend expressed frustration over the arduous employment application process her husband encountered at  Best Buy.  She suggested bloggers apply at bestbuy.com, document their experiences and write about it.

I had a few extra hours on my hands, so I got started.  I was quickly frustrated when I tried to apply on my little tablet; I was informed I need to re-try on a standard sized screen.

So I waited for my turn on the family PC and I tried again. I was instructed to create a log-in and password, which I wasn’t excited about doing.  And of course,  I provided my e-mail.

Next, I got a screen warning me not to give false info, followed by a screen of helpful summary of ADA, a screen  about  Best Buy’s commitment to EEO, and one about my privacy rights.

Then I was prompted to enter a “restart code” in the event that the application process proved to be so frustrating that I felt a need to stop, take a break, and put my head through the wall.   (Okay, that’s my wording, not theirs.)  I declined. They helpfully asked again if I wanted a restart code. I said no thanks. Then I was told that Bad Things would happen if I didn’t sign up for the restart and later needed to take a break and return to my application. I decided to live dangerously and forgo their kind offer.

Then I was asked to give my SSN twice. After that, I was asked for personal info, such as my first and last name. Apparently, I wasn’t forthcoming enough because they followed up by asking for my middle name.

Then they wanted my phone number and they asked for e-mail AGAIN. Then my address.

And just knowing my address wasn’t enough. The following screen asked how long I had lived there, longer or shorter than five years. That felt a little intrusive. And what the heck does it have to do with anything? If I upgraded from apartment to house three years ago, does that make me a risk?

A bunch more screens followed about criminal background check, three pages of disclosures, a screen about my age.

Then, after all that, then they informed me that I could proceed to the next page and actually–can you believe it–BEGIN the employment application process itself!  Yay, off to the races.

The next screen asked how old I am, 21+, 18+, 16+ or less than 16. Then they had a drop down list of positions I’m applying for, even though I thought I already communicated that when I put my cursor on the original position and hit “apply”. The next screen displayed the job description and the following one asked, can you do this?

Then they had a separate screen for each of the following: schedule, availability, other languages, referral source, EEO data, employment status, more on criminal background, drug testing.

And then they suddenly ask whether I was willing to work with the public. I’m thinking they might want to move  that up near the top somewhere, maybe…?

More screens:  Had I ever been fired over an attendance issue? They also wanted to know my disciplinary history and the three departments I would most like to work in.

And then suddenly out of left field, they asked if I am at least 16 years old, making it the third time they asked about my age.

More screens followed. They advised me that according to Maryland law, they can not require me to take a lie detector test. They asked if I had changed my name in the last five years.  Then, almost as an afterthought,  they asked (again) for my last name, first name, and middle name, in case I wasn’t sure the first or second time around. And by the way, did I have any felonies in the last 10 years? And hey,  they needed my DOB for the criminal history.

Three screens for: Do I currently attend high school? Do I currently attend university? Do I currently attend other school?

More questions. Do I have any employment experience, part-time, seasonal, full-time or volunteer?  Screens for references followed, then several for more disclosures. Then there were at least 10 screens asking about whether tax credits apply.

Finally, about 45 minutes into the process and almost 60 screens later, I hit “submit.” Had I really been applying for the position, had I been careful about my responses,  my investment would have been longer.

And suddenly I knew why I can never find anyone at Best Buy to answer my questions. All the wanna-be sales associates are sitting at their computers, trying to get hired.

photo by liber(the poet)

Job-seekers often complain (and rightly so) about the lack of communication from potential employers. They say they get little to no response to most applications and that communication doesn’t improve a lot even after an interview or two. It’s very discouraging.

It’s also disheartening to apply for a job, only to receive communication in the form of a ‘no thank you’ letter. You instinctively want to crumple up the paper, hit the delete button, or angrily write back,  “@^&# you!”

Don’t do any of the above. As disappointing as the news may be, I’d suggest sending a quick, gracious reply, maybe something as simple as, Read the rest of this entry »

Maybe Justin can get a job trimming trees?

My seventeen year old son Justin has been looking for a job for awhile. It’s challenging because he is involved in various sports that limit his availability. He’s out of town every other weekend for custody reasons. And he has little work experience, obviously.

On top of that, the economy sucks. All the entry level jobs seem to be occupied by older people trying to feed a family.

Be that as it may, Justin has applied for about twenty jobs, everything from Subway to Safeway to various Mom & Pop’s. He’s applied at twenty plus places, and he’s gotten zero responses. When I say zero responses, I don’t mean he hasn’t gotten any interviews, I mean he has encountered a complete lack of response. Nada. Nothing. Not even ONE automated e-mail response.

Nothing. Nada. Zip.

A brick wall.

That’s pretty crappy, and it’s pretty discouraging for a young person who is trying to get a start in the world of work.

As an HR person, I watch him and I think a lot about the candidate experience. Let me say this to corporate America, hiring managers and HR professionals: for a person to apply over and over and get nothing but a brick wall, to be completely ignored,  is unacceptable.

We have to do better than that.

Are you with me? Are you in?

Several weeks ago, I wrote about my pledge to improve the experience of job applicants to my organization.

And I’m committed, totally committed,  to doing what I can to making my application process more positive.  At the same time, I can’t help but notice that applicants probably have no idea of some of the challenges I encounter every day with applicant communication.

I want to tell my HR side.

Did you know that:

Approximately 20% of the resumes I call list phone numbers that are either out of service or have voice mail queues that won’t accept additional messages? When sending out your resume, pick your contact number carefully. If you’re contemplating switching cell carriers in the near future, use a land-line as your primary number. Check your messages frequently to keep your message queue low. Advertising your overload of unanswered messages does not bode well for any positions involving follow-up and customer service.

Almost half the time, applicants have the default, sing-song automated message on their voice mail (“You have reached 2-4-0….”), leaving me unsure I’ve reached the correct party. When you’re job hunting, record an outgoing message that includes your name. While you’re at it, take off the bedroom music and anything that is TMI or makes me roll my eyes and crack up in disbelief.

Other times, I leave messages or send emails that are not returned. If you’re no longer interested, give me a courtesy call or e-mail to let me me know. Believe me, it won’t hurt my feelings, but I’ll be glad to close the loop. And you come out looking really good, and who knows, maybe you’ll want to apply for a different position with the company later.

Also, many times, I call someone’s home phone to encounter one of the following. A family member answers and declines to take a message, instructing me to call on Thursday after 1 p.m. A  child–who is old enough to pick up the phone but not old enough to write a message–answers and offers to sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Or a family member answers but is so surly and rude that I cut the call short.  Solution: Don’t use a family number as your primary contact number if you can avoid it. If you have to, e.g. your cell phone is down, give strict and detailed instructions–upon pain of death!–to anyone who will be answering the phone.

I’m often recruiting for hourly positions, and a lot of the applications are riddled with typos and formatting errors, such as fonts changing mid-sentence, resumes sent in all caps, and typos that are particularly disastrous.  I am not a perfectionist or a purist by any means. I’ll tolerate a few typos and spelling errors because we’re all human and you know what, I make mistakes, too. But when your application crosses the invisible line and makes me laugh out loud for reasons that don’t advance your career, I have to be honest, I’m not calling you.

Here’s another thing: on a daily basis, several candidates leave messages I can’t return. Either they forgot to leave their name or they forget to leave their number, or I can’t decipher either one. Or I can’t figure out who the heck they are, because they just say, “This is John, returning your call.”   These are probably the same people who later leave a second, irritated message, “This is Mnmful. I left you a message last week, and you STILL haven’t called me back.” (In case you’re wondering, leaving messages like that doesn’t make me feel warm and fuzzy and it doesn’t light a fire under my butt to run to figure out who Mnmful is.)

Another sizable group are simply unqualified. Let’s be practical:  if you meet none of the qualifications, in this economy, someone else is landing that interview. You’re just one more person I have to catalog and respond to. Think of it this way: if you applied for a job that was a perfect fit for you in every way, would you appreciate less-than-personal attention because I have to spend untold hours responding to  hundreds of applicants who are not qualified?

So as a job seeker, when you’re commiserating with others about the horrible response rate you get from HR and hiring managers, remember that at least some of the time, someone may be trying to reach you. And there are steps you can take to make that just a little easier.

Happy job hunting!

Last week while web surfing, I stumbled upon a local professional sports  team’s website and clicked their Employment page. I quickly noticed all listed jobs were in fact internships with this disclaimer, “All MoCoSo* internships are unpaid and do not provide any living accommodations.”  Interesting, I thought. I wondered if the unpaid internships were legal arrangements, but I couldn’t find enough information on the website to help me determine.

The summer is upon us. Jobs are tight and a growing number of young people may be seeking internships as a way to “do something constructive” Read the rest of this entry »

Recent events make it clear that a certain number of people didn’t get the memo about what to wear to their job interview, not to mention a few other basics. Starting with the small, silly stuff, and moving up to the more startling, my office has seen all this in the last months.

• Reason for leaving last job: “Quit.” (Could you elaborate?) Another person answered: “At-will employment.” (I’m left wondering which Read the rest of this entry »

In morning carpool the other day, I put on the  Hot 99.5 radio show for the benefit of the teenagers. Morning show host Kane reported on hiring a recent intern (and he said her name, but I forgot it). Anyway, the story was that later, after she was hired,  she mentioned that during her original Skype interview, she was trashed. Nervous, she’d consumed a large quantity of  Caribbean rum before her 10:30 a.m. interview.

Kane was [or pretended to be?] really offended by this, and told her he wouldn’t have hired her if he’d known. The other morning show Read the rest of this entry »

Thumbing through the most recent Readers Digest magazine, an Ask Laskas column caught my eye. I’m sorry that I can’t link to the actual column because it’s not included on their online version of the magazine, but here is the scenario described on page 59 of the May, 2010 print edition:

“Wondering” explains that hubby was laid off after 20 years at the same job. For the last decade, he has been very involved in Alcoholics Anonymous, mentoring, speaking, and holding volunteer offices.  She wants to know: should he include this A.A. leadership experience on Read the rest of this entry »

Want an easy way to stand out from other job applicants? It may sound ‘old school,’ but send a thank you note  after your interview.

As a human resources person I’d say this is a very easy way to stand out.’ I get very few thank you’s and believe me, I notice each one.

In addition to satisfying any questions of etiquette, you can use a thank you note to reinforce key points from your interview–or to introduce brilliant answers that escaped you in the pressure of the moment.

With a thank you note, you check in and you also communicate continued interest. And it’s one more opportunity to market your gifts and potential contributions.

It doesn’t have to be long; doesn’t have to be fancy. Three or five sentences by e-mail should suffice. It’s quick, much easier than your cover letter, and a lot of bang for the buck.

photo credit: J Star

Last week, I wrote about ten funny resume mistakes. This week, I wanted to do the same with interviews, but as I look back, I have to admit that hilarious moments in interviews are not as frequent as smiles over resumes. Here are my top five:

1. This candidate was so nervous at her first professional interview that she accidentally barged into the men’s room instead of the ladies’. Okay, I admit it: that person was me!

(Lol!)

2. An immigrant interviewee showed up with her infant. Rather than send her on her way, I  decided to do some quick Information &  Referral around immigration, child care and careers. In my office, you guessed it: she pulled up her shirt and started feeding her baby, with no attempt at any kind of cover.

(Despite being Africa-born and raised, I have to say,  this was a bit much for me in a business setting.)

3. A yound woman arrived wearing a tiny, short skirt that couldn’t have encompassed more than two ounces of fabric. Seeing her, I tried to compose my features into a suitably neutral expression and probably failed miserably. Oblivious to my discomfort,  the girl shimmied as she tugged her skirt a fraction of a centimeter lower, giggling, “I’m so glad I dressed up today!”

(Okay…! Moving on.)

4. When we asked a candidate why he hadn’t secured a certain professional certification, the interviewee candidly replied,  “Laziness.” He went on to qualify: “Well, that and women!”

(Blatant honesty is the best policy?? I’m not so sure…)

5. As we passed the water cooler and I made my standard offer, “Would you like something to drink?”,  this candidate said, “No thanks, I just had a six pack.”

(I like humor as much as the next guy. But this reply is really going out on a limb!)

Since I could only come up with five, I am relying on you to supply a few more! Look forward to reading your responses.

photo by esteban