Recruitment, can't believe how hard it is!

[Sunnydawn]

I read and hear so much about people wanting flexible working, and how so many people are stuck in dead end jobs, or on zero hours contracts.

But, I am involved in recruitment for two jobs right now, one a professional job in a lovely environment, as a part time job share. The other, a part time, flexible, admin job, again in a lovely office, with training and a good career if you want it.

And no decent applicants! No applicants for the first. Loads who have applied for the latter, but ecan't even attempt the basics forvan interview or trial (ie. turning up in time, dressing half smart, answer a phone).

Frankly, I despair. What are people doing? Where are they working/wanting to work?

These are different places, by the way, so it's not the particular environment.

I had an interview today for a 30 hour position which I was overqualified for, salary was lower than my current I had everything they were looking for and more, with experience in a specialist area which they are currently neglecting despite this having huge potential to drive business growth. They pretty much said straight off the bat as the last year I was working on a contract role which was working from home I didn't have a chance as they didn't like the idea of that and the transition back into an office where I was being managed, rather than me managing my remote team was going to be too difficult. As they were so adamant about that I'm failing to see why they bothered to interview me and waste everyone's time in the first place.

Seriously how rude. What a waste of your time.

Recruiters, have you tried Timewise jobs?

I work part-time freelance in a professional role, and have been vaguely looking out for PT jobs recently. Things that put me off: fixed-term contracts (eg 2 years), over-specifying of technical or other skills (eg particular software which I know is a a short course or whatever) when the field is fast-changing and anyone experienced will be used to learning new skills and ways of working, very fixed working patterns when it is obvious the role will require flexibility, lengthy online application forms which you cannot see all of before you start, and requests for referees up front (which can be an issue for a freelance with a happy current client applying for a long-shot job). I have had a number of clients that I have worked for for years in similar freelance roles to those I see advertised as jobs so am surprised it feels so hard.

I lost my administration job in September and am struggling to find something else suitable. I have years of varied experience in the field, including working for a national charity, am very computer literate (used to work for an Internet company) and am very flexible with working hours. I also have excellent references.

I am registered with several agencies, have spent countless hours applying online and also have approached suitable companies with my CV.

The jobs that I have been offered so far barely pay a living wage. I live in an area that has very few administration jobs, and the employers prefer to take on school leavers so that they can pay as little as possible. The most that I've been offered is £15,000, and that involves an hour's drive as it is out of the way and there are no transport links. This honestly makes me feel like giving up.

I would gladly ride naked on an ostrich down my local high street if I could earn £50,000 to do the job that I am qualified for.

Agerbilatemycardigan that made me spit my tea out .... Have you looked a legal courses, I know legal secretaries are like gold dust

Ager - if you're very organised (as one of your skills) then could you review your CV and re-write it with a PA slant to it? Good PAs can earn a chunky salary - and it's well deserved because a good PA is really valuable. Emphasise any kind of organisational responsibilities that you've had and put a spin on it to show those kind of capabilities.

I will say as a former PA though that well paid full time PA roles are few and far between outside big cities.

Is commuting an option?

Sadly it's not just at interview you experience the 'they're after my job' attitude. My last job, I was hired by 'the big boss' but the line manager (not involved in the hiring process) was a nightmare!

I was overqualified for the role and more experienced than her. The company was looking to modernise and expand and I think as someone nearing retirement age she was anxious they'd try to get rid of her just before retirement to avoid any pension outlay? Of course I don't know what her contract was so I'm assuming. But assuming based on comments she herself and others made.

Weirdly she was ok-ish during my probation period though not the warmest person but towards the end of that and after I had my permanent contract the weirdest things started happening.

Emails deleted or moved to weird folders, phone messages not passed on, mail going missing. At first I just put it down to bad luck/odd mistakes by various staff members. Then files started to turn up in the weirdest places, documents I'd worked on had bizarre mistakes/words added. Paranoid maybe but I started getting other staff members to witness certain elements of the job for me, copied emails in to other admin etc so there was still a record if deleted. Once she realised that what she'd been doing on this score wasn't working it got really nasty, it was a locked office and she'd lock me out, mess with the door, 'lose' the key. Hang up on me mid conversation, became really aggressive in her tone. Snide comments about me being a lone parent, non-driver (completely irrelevant to the post). Culminating in her following me to the break room and blocking my exit on a few occasions and making comments about me not being really part of the company as I was new. Utterly bizarre!

Others did notice but as can be typical with this sort of situation she was quite careful not to do anything too obviously bullying/harassing when there were witnesses.

Pure coincidence but when I left (I almost ended up having another breakdown as a result), I ended up through a hobby being friends with a friend of the girl who'd had the job before me. This is where it gets really weird, I'd asked why the previous person left when I started and was told the previous incumbent had emigrated! Not true. Turns out the previous person was taking them to court for constructive dismissal (pretty much same treatment I'd had). I then discovered the company had had SEVEN people in that role in the previous 18 months - all left because of that line manager!

Sorry not directly recruitment related except I did think it weird the line manager wasn't present for the interview. And that job was through an agency too and they knew what had been going on.

I have the opposite problem. A massive talent pool of multi skilled ,disciplined staff trying to find jobs.
Ex_forces personnel are desperate for work and up against the preconception that they are all "mad, sad or bad". They are anything but! Try advertising for free at your local CTP ( career transition partnership) to attract highly skilled, presentable, hard working personnel.

Demented absolutely! I'm an army brat and my ex also army. The way ex forces get treated (for everything!) is disgusting!

Preconceptions include (in my experience)

As you said 'they're all mad, sad or bad' not true. You can't join up if you've got serious criminal convictions for starters. Not all have seen combat anyway (therefore no reason to be sad or mad).

That all they know to do is combat - no they're engineers/medics/administrators etc

That they can't think for themselves/only know how to follow orders - again not true, they need to know how to lead as well as follow and that includes pretty full on risk assessment, problem solving etc

That the vocational training they've received is inferior to 'normal' training. They're among the highest qualified in their field in many cases.

It's definitely a prejudice that needs addressing.

Wow graphista! Did you ever try and take any action?

I was too ill at first then by the time I started getting my head together (and telling people and found out the history) the time had lapsed (there's a statute of limitations on constructive dismissal apparently).

Also the previous incumbent won her case but it was a crap outcome as she'd not been there long so no proof that she'd have become a long term employee etc. The line manager 'took early retirement' ie jumped before pushed in the end.

Small branch of a large well known company too.

Don't want to out myself graphics but am doing a lot of work with businesses in my area to overcome these prejudices. We put ex-forces into work placements with our businesses to show the skills they have and to learn how to adapt these to the civvy workplace. Our businesses have been unanimously impressed and all said, " but we didn't know they could all this. We though they just fired guns and stuff!!!". We had an RSM placed with us for 3 weeks and he was brilliant. Wish we could have afforded to keep him on.

Yes demented very few civvies know just how much is involved in being 'just a soldier'. My father now retired, but ex currently job hunting without much success. He was hoping to stay in till retirement but has been medically retired due to a condition which is not serious and doesn't stop him working but is not acceptable within army contract.

As an ex-husband/father he's an arse but as an employee he's highly qualified, disciplined, reliable, highly skilled and very adaptable. And of course military are always punctual and smartly presented and if they have to give presentations etc they overly prepare if anything.

Also both had reached higher nco level so were 'bosses' themselves so have leadership and management skills and experience. Yet ex can't even get an interview for nmw jobs.

"Would love to do tech or developer if training provided, but employers not willing to take a random chance, understandably I suppose."

'Fraid so. It's not something that can be learned on-the-job, you do need to know it beforehand. You wouldn't hire a doctor who'd not done any doctoring yet.

Maybe the system needs to change, somehow. People need to put themselves forward into some kind of CV gallery and then employers call them for interviews based on that. Something's not working with the current set up, if you've got people eager to work never getting called back and people who don't want to work shuffling along to the job interviews, pushed by the job centre.

I'm getting into IT. Recruitment can be a struggle, because as said above - if you're applying for a developer position, you need to know at least one programming language and can show evidence you have programmed something in it. That's all. No one's demanding a degree or even a GCSE, they just want evidence you can code. Instead, they get CVs from people who 'like using the internet' and 'enjoy playing on a smartphone'. There's a skills gap, but there's also a belief you can just pop on in and learn on the job. There are so many free resources out there for learning, it's actually something very exciting and easy to get into if you have the drive.

I would love a flexible part-time job, I am currently in a part-time one that is very inflexible

This thread is making me want to work in recruitment. I'm great at reading people, have marvellous communication skills and am great with contracts. How hard can it be to do a better job than the disaster stories listed here?

Hello, could you post a link to details of the jobs? I'd be interested in taking a look - I'm looking to return to work after having my two children.

I'm amazed! I've been looking for a part time job for ages but have been put off by ads that seem to want a really wide range of skills. I had a professional job for many years but have been out of the working world for three years. Now, I always assume I'm not going to make the grade because I'm too old (44) or have been out of work for too long.
Sunnydawn where are you advertising these jobs?

I am desperate for a part time school hours job. I don't really mind what I do but everywhere I have asked I have been told no as they are only interested in people who can be flexible with hours.

I'm surprised, I want a change of career and didn't think I'd be able to get anything at my age, but it seems I might have a chance if no one can be bothered x

happybee1 - say you can be and then when you've got the job say you can't. I didn't realise but that's what everyone else does

I'm in health care recruitment and I will be honest it's the worst thing. It's impossible and demoralising