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Organizations that are hiring are apathetic towards job applicants, and I hate it. I think it is worsened because of the current job situation. When a job applicant is one of hundred (or sometimes more) applying for the job, the hiring organization doesn't care about them. There are plenty of other applicants. I find it frustrating because it means that I am treated with apathy and little respect. My time is not considered valuable.
I'll give you an example of this. I've been applying for jobs for years (the earliest job application I have is from 2008). At first, I was trying to move to LA, and now that I'm in LA, I'm trying to find a job here. I had to keep track of how many jobs I applied for while on unemployment (I'm currently temping, so not on unemployment) and it was depressing. Anyway, lately most of the jobs I've been applying for are at the city where I'm currently temping.
First, I apply for the job at the city. In nearly every instance, I can only apply for the job on one day during work hours. Fortunately, I have internet access and so can apply during the work day. It is a mild inconvenience, though, because I can only apply on one day during work hours (at my previous job this meant applying during my lunch break). At least I can write my answers to the supplemental questions ahead of time, even if I can't apply.
Then, if I'm qualified enough, the next step is testing (there was one job where they wouldn't even screen applicants until after the test; you had to take the test to find out if they would even accept your application). Nearly every job involves a scantron test. The test is only available at one time on one day. I have to be early, because if I am late by even five minutes, they won't let me in. The first time I took a test, there were no signs, and the rooms in the building weren't labeled, so I had to guess where the test was going to be, and if I'd guessed wrong, they wouldn't have let me in to the test. It's about the convenience of those administering the test, with no concern for my schedule. Then there's all the problems with the test itself, but that's a separate rant.
If I pass the written test, there is usually a computer test. While this is administered at multiple times over at least one day, I am given a specific time, which I don't choose. Once again, if the time doesn't work for me, or if there is an existing conflict, it doesn't matter because there are plenty of other people who will take the test.
After this, there is a panel interview with people who are unfamiliar with my job, don't know my test scores, and haven't seen my resume. But that's another rant. Once again, this is scheduled for a specific time on a specific day, and I have nothing to do with it. No one cares if I show up or if it works for my schedule. I have one today. It is the only day that they are doing panel interviews, so if the day doesn't work for me, I have no recourse. At one of the panel interviews, the people doing the interviewing were over an hour late getting back from lunch, so my interview was over an hour later than scheduled (but if I'm five minutes late for any step of the process, I'm probably disqualified).
Did I mention that all these tests are scheduled around two weeks in advance? That is, if I'm lucky. Sometimes it's closer to a week.
Finally, if I manage to place high enough for everything, I might have an interview for the job in question. Every interview that I've had, the department has given me less than a week's notice that they wanted to interview. Generally, they call at the beginning of the week and want to interview by the end of the week (one that happened recently, I was contacted on Tuesday and they were interviewing on Thursday). The last interview I had was worse. I was contacted on Monday, and they were only interviewing on Friday, my scheduled day off (I currently work a 9/80 schedule, which is nine hour days Monday through Thursday, and eight hours every other Friday). I asked about interviewing on Thursday or the next Monday, but they were only interviewing on Friday. I had to come in on my day off. Joel has had interviews at the same city where the department didn't even have the courtesy to inquire what time would work for him, but gave him a specific time that his interview was scheduled (he also had two interviews that were scheduled this way on the same day, with barely enough time between them to make it to both).
Right now, I'm temping. Previously, I had a permanent job. I have to arrange for time off and someone to cover for me whenever there is something job related. I prefer to arrange this more than two days ahead of time. Occasionally I take time off. Occasionally Joel takes time off. Sometimes this is even on a Friday. I haven't yet had to cancel vacation or spend scheduled vacation going to a job test or interview (with the exception of my honeymoon, where I skipped going to job tests because I was on my honeymoon). I'm dreading the day that I have a road trip planned months ahead of time, and then the Monday before receive a call that someone is interviewing on Friday only, and I was planning to see a friend that I haven't seen in two years.
The casual lack of respect makes me mad. It is frustrating that no one cares about my schedule. I understand that the hiring departments have limited staff and want to make a decision quickly. However, they are also communicating that they don't care about me or my schedule, which makes me wonder why I would want to work here (or stay here long term).
I'll give you an example of this. I've been applying for jobs for years (the earliest job application I have is from 2008). At first, I was trying to move to LA, and now that I'm in LA, I'm trying to find a job here. I had to keep track of how many jobs I applied for while on unemployment (I'm currently temping, so not on unemployment) and it was depressing. Anyway, lately most of the jobs I've been applying for are at the city where I'm currently temping.
First, I apply for the job at the city. In nearly every instance, I can only apply for the job on one day during work hours. Fortunately, I have internet access and so can apply during the work day. It is a mild inconvenience, though, because I can only apply on one day during work hours (at my previous job this meant applying during my lunch break). At least I can write my answers to the supplemental questions ahead of time, even if I can't apply.
Then, if I'm qualified enough, the next step is testing (there was one job where they wouldn't even screen applicants until after the test; you had to take the test to find out if they would even accept your application). Nearly every job involves a scantron test. The test is only available at one time on one day. I have to be early, because if I am late by even five minutes, they won't let me in. The first time I took a test, there were no signs, and the rooms in the building weren't labeled, so I had to guess where the test was going to be, and if I'd guessed wrong, they wouldn't have let me in to the test. It's about the convenience of those administering the test, with no concern for my schedule. Then there's all the problems with the test itself, but that's a separate rant.
If I pass the written test, there is usually a computer test. While this is administered at multiple times over at least one day, I am given a specific time, which I don't choose. Once again, if the time doesn't work for me, or if there is an existing conflict, it doesn't matter because there are plenty of other people who will take the test.
After this, there is a panel interview with people who are unfamiliar with my job, don't know my test scores, and haven't seen my resume. But that's another rant. Once again, this is scheduled for a specific time on a specific day, and I have nothing to do with it. No one cares if I show up or if it works for my schedule. I have one today. It is the only day that they are doing panel interviews, so if the day doesn't work for me, I have no recourse. At one of the panel interviews, the people doing the interviewing were over an hour late getting back from lunch, so my interview was over an hour later than scheduled (but if I'm five minutes late for any step of the process, I'm probably disqualified).
Did I mention that all these tests are scheduled around two weeks in advance? That is, if I'm lucky. Sometimes it's closer to a week.
Finally, if I manage to place high enough for everything, I might have an interview for the job in question. Every interview that I've had, the department has given me less than a week's notice that they wanted to interview. Generally, they call at the beginning of the week and want to interview by the end of the week (one that happened recently, I was contacted on Tuesday and they were interviewing on Thursday). The last interview I had was worse. I was contacted on Monday, and they were only interviewing on Friday, my scheduled day off (I currently work a 9/80 schedule, which is nine hour days Monday through Thursday, and eight hours every other Friday). I asked about interviewing on Thursday or the next Monday, but they were only interviewing on Friday. I had to come in on my day off. Joel has had interviews at the same city where the department didn't even have the courtesy to inquire what time would work for him, but gave him a specific time that his interview was scheduled (he also had two interviews that were scheduled this way on the same day, with barely enough time between them to make it to both).
Right now, I'm temping. Previously, I had a permanent job. I have to arrange for time off and someone to cover for me whenever there is something job related. I prefer to arrange this more than two days ahead of time. Occasionally I take time off. Occasionally Joel takes time off. Sometimes this is even on a Friday. I haven't yet had to cancel vacation or spend scheduled vacation going to a job test or interview (with the exception of my honeymoon, where I skipped going to job tests because I was on my honeymoon). I'm dreading the day that I have a road trip planned months ahead of time, and then the Monday before receive a call that someone is interviewing on Friday only, and I was planning to see a friend that I haven't seen in two years.
The casual lack of respect makes me mad. It is frustrating that no one cares about my schedule. I understand that the hiring departments have limited staff and want to make a decision quickly. However, they are also communicating that they don't care about me or my schedule, which makes me wonder why I would want to work here (or stay here long term).