When Job Interviewees Go Postal on the One Holding the Keys to the Cubicle

We’ve all heard about job interviews that go off the rails, usually caused by potential employers asking things they shouldn’t and forcing job candidates to jump through outrageous hoops just for the possibility of an interview.

What about when a job interview becomes hell on Earth, because of a snippy job seeker?

Last week, a potential employee exploded at me, within the first 15-seconds of the interview. I hadn’t even got off a single question.

I began as I always do, introducing myself, thanking him for his time, outlining the objectives of our meeting, and just as I took a breath he interrupted me saying: “Look, I’ve been around the block a few times, let’s cut to the chase. I currently earn a six figure income, have people begging me to work for them, and really just want to know if this is a contract, if it’s salary-based, if there’s a commission, and when do I start?”

I was completely unsettled by this abrupt interruption, by someone who’s last position on their resume was dated June of 2012.

I hadn’t expected to run into someone working at some mystery company that isn’t listed on their resume, earning a “six figure income” for a job where the industry average is about $60K. 

Nor did I expect to be pushed into a corner by a hostile job seeker that has “been around the block” and has “people begging him to work for them.” Though he did ask when we’d hire him.

I understand looking for work is a precarious and fragile situation. Some may be on their last nickel and dimes literally, as their prolonged job hunt bleeds their bank accounts dry. Others may have gone through the horrendous downsizing that unfortunately has become the new norm, replaced by temporary contractors. They themselves may have fallen into the unstable temporary contractor world, where the only jobs they seem to get are the ones with a start date and an end date.

I understand how horrible all of those pressures are.

But I never, NEVER – EVER – would have anticipated that pressure would explode, unleashing the worst in people – at a time when people are trying to show their best.

I’m not new to hiring people, and I always like to start off introducing myself, the company, the role, and then move into the job candidate’s background. I don’t conduct interviews, I like to think of them as conversations. 

It’s not my management style to lock people in a room and demand action, I’ve always had an open door policy, where I encourage an atmosphere of collaboration and openness.

However, I might reconsider that open door policy, as this hostile job candidate wasn’t the only job seeker to attempt to hijack the interview.

Several others over the course of the week jumped off my traditional job interview course, demanding I hire them at outrageously high salaries, with benefits, because as one job seeker declared: “I’m sick and tired of working on contracts that don’t materialize into anything ever good.”

When I was a kid, growing up, I was taught to always go into a job interview with a freshly pressed suit and tie. I still remember my high school guidance counselor telling our class: “to make sure your socks are pulled up, your shoes are shiny, your hair is perfectly combed and you don’t have any stains on your perfectly white dress shirt.”

I was taught to show up early, give a firm handshake while looking the interviewer directly in the eye and to be respectful and polite at all times.

Back then, the notion of interrupting your potential boss before you even had the job was not even a thought in the most devious of delinquent minds.

Our world certainly has changed for the worse over the past few decades.

I blame recruitment firms, staffing agencies, and the corporate managers gullible enough to think recruitment firms are the messiah of their staffing needs.

Recruitment firms and staffing agencies go in with these slick presentations – I’ve seen them myself – telling employers how it’s not cost effective to hire people anymore. It makes more sense to hire a third-party company (the recruitment firm) to source “resources” (that’s how they refer to people) on a per project-basis.

My biggest problem with recruitment firms is they don’t care about the people resources they deploy. Which is understandable – they are a business, and a business’ primary interest is to make money.

However, they are in the business of supplying people to companies, so it’s ultimately not in their best interests to show such disregard for their primary product – people.

I’ve seen the end result this week – the people that have been shuffled in and out of the meat grinder of the recruitment firm’s temporary contracts become bitter, angry and disenfranchised with the world of work. Because they’ve been spun from contract, to contract, they no longer have any respect for those conducting job interviews.

Again, I get it. I understand the horrors of being bounced from company to company, department to department. One month having a decent pay cheque, the next you are flipping sofa pillows desperately looking for change to buy a loaf of bread as your bank account is negative.

However, I’ll never hire a hostile job candidate.

They don’t give me the respect which I expect everyone in my company to give each other.

And that’s the ultimate tragedy here, because chances are, the hostile job candidate that claimed he was making a six figure income is the guy sifting through his sofa, looking for change, because he’s been without a real job for a very long time.

Struggling to Find Work? Don’t Flip-Flop Hop-Skip and Jump Your Title

I attend many social and business networking functions, and I’m always amazed and saddened by the number of people at these events out of work and looking for their next job.

A handful of years ago, I’d guess fewer than 10% of the attendees were unemployed. Now, it’s more like 80% are either unemployed, or severely underemployed.

What shocks and horrifies me more is the reason why so many people are struggling to find work.

As I go through the LinkedIn profiles and resumes sent to me, I see many have flip-flop hop-skipped and jumped from job to job, to job.

I’ve seen several LinkedIn profiles where each person has worked for no more than four months at any one employer.

Traditionally, a work history with such brief stints at any one company would be a big red flag. A warning beacon about a person unable to hold down a steady job.

Today, it is a sad sign of the new economy, as companies of all sizes hire on short-term project-based contracts, instead of thinking of the bigger long-term picture.

Want a career, with benefits, a decent salary, and job security? Don’t come to North America – we don’t have that here.

Gone are the days when companies of all sizes – of any size really – hire qualified people on staff.

Gone are the days when companies hire people period. Most companies these days don’t hire anyone, instead they just contract out their work to temporary staff

Temporary staff – AKA you -- are only paid for the hours you work, so any statutory holidays you must take (because the office is closed) or you voluntarily take (so you don’t burn out) are unpaid.

The temporary employment agency that recruited you tells you, there is occasional overtime. However, your “employer” (the agency’s client”) tells you that they don’t pay overtime, yet they expect you to put in those volunteer hours on your own dime.

There is no job security. Your contract can be terminated without any notice, rhyme or reason.

And you are constantly lead to the promised land, as both your temporary agency and their client tell you they love your work, and are considering hiring you on staff, with benefits.

That’ll never happen. They tell that to everyone. It keeps you motivated, and makes them appear to care about your well-being, which they don’t.

They didn’t put you on a temporary contract to try before they buy. Nope.

They put you and most of the other unfortunate hard working folks around you on temporary contracts, so that they can get rid of you.

And they will get rid of you.

You’ve probably already gone through this routine, which is why your resume flip-flops and hop-skip and jumps around so much.

Despite my own understanding of this new world of work, I’m still hesitant to hire someone that hasn’t held a job longer than a couple of years.

Perhaps I’m old fashioned in my aging years. However, a piece of me also knows that many of those titles are manufactured just because.

I know people who have created their own one-person consulting businesses. They tell me they are proud entrepreneurs. They’ll never work for anyone else, ever again.

Yet these very same people change their title on LinkedIn and probably on their resume, every time they land a new contract.

That’s not very entrepreneurial – in fact it reads just like everyone else looking for work, as they flip-flop hop skip and jump their titles.

What’s worse, is it shows how confused and desperate many have become. So much so, that they confuse creating their own job, with being hired on a temporary contract.

So long as you are on any form of employment contract with anyone, you are not an employee, nor are you an entrepreneur working for yourself.

Instead, you are a piece of paper, being filed, stamped, and stomped all over.

So long as you are on any temporary employment contract with anyone, you are no different than a stapler, or any other office resource.

And that’s the real problem with our new economy of temporary contracted out people. Because when you’re nothing more than a stapler, and another stapler comes along, willing to work for less than you, you’re suddenly out of work.

Yet you’ve shown your commitment and dedication by updating your social media profiles, your LinkedIn, your resume, maybe even your business cards.

Don’t Flip-Flop Hop-Skip and Jump Your Title unless you really are an entrepreneur and there isn’t anyone that can fire you but you.

Having a work history that changes every few months isn’t very professional, shows a lack of judgement on your part, and could end up costing you your dream job.

And this is coming from someone that understands the new world of temporary work, and goes through a lot of resumes and LinkedIn profiles as I build my business ventures.

Hey Prime Minister Stephen Harper -- Here's What's Wrong with Canada's Economy -- And I've Even Given You The Solution -- Thank Me Later!

Canada -- as is much of the world -- continues to spin out of control as the economy spirals towards new lows.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper smiles, standing in front of his "Economic Action Plan" backdrops, looking very encouraging, claims his government has the answer.

He's been standing in front of those backdrops, singing the same song for several years now, yet Canada's economy isn't any better -- in fact it is worse.

Hey Prime Minister Stephen Harper -- here's what's wrong with Canada's economy -- and I'll even give you the solution:

Temp Agencies

Kelly Girl jokes aside, though Kelly Temporary Services, along with AppleOne, Addecco, Robert Half Technology, Eagle, The Dean Group, The Bagg Group, Altis Human Resources, Quantum Management Services, Manpower and many others throughout the country are directly responsible for the lack of jobs in this country.

See, the problem isn't that there aren't any jobs in Canada anymore -- there are. Just they are all temporary, contract gigs, which offer no benefits, absolutely no upwards mobility, promotion nor security. And these temporary "gigs" force hard-working dedicated Canadians to act like secure stable staffers, minus of course all the secure stable benefits of real employment.

Companies which "hire" contractors expect them to do all the same things the staffers once did. From attending on-boarding presentations about the history of the company, to taking dull dreary online regulatory and compliance courses, even to sitting in on meetings about the company pension and benefits plan -- of which they aren't entitled to because they are just temps.

In fact, temporary contract jobs have been growing in Canada faster than permanent staff jobs.

Looking for Work in Canada

Temporary staffing agencies do place full-time people into permanent positions -- for outrageous finder's fees.

See, it's NOT in the staffing firm's best interest to fill permanent vacancies -- their whole business model is designed around earning residual income off of the backs of temporary contractors.

So why would they encourage real employment, when they make more money off of temporary "staffing" solutions?

I worked on contract for these vulturistic temp firms before. And I've been forced to go through all the crazy training, invoicing, and even "the talk."

Got to love "the talk."

Just before your contract ends, you get "the talk" from the recruiter that placed you -- because the company you work for has absolutely nothing to do with you -- about how wonderful you are, and they don't want to lose you, but they can't afford your current rates. So, you are "offered" a choice. Either accept a LOWER hourly rate for your next six-month contract, or leave.

Great way to retain "employees." Tell them they are so good, that they should be willing to take a pay cut to keep their temporary employment for another six-months, at which point they'll be asked to cut their wages yet again.

I've also been in a hiring position, ironically while I was on contract, and witnessed numerous presentations from staffing firms espousing the benefits of hiring contractors on a per project basis, as opposed to hiring someone as a Full-Time Employee.

When I worked on contract for American Express, the guy that hired me told me he too was on contract, he'd been on contract at AMEX at that point in time for over 11 years. 

More Layoffs Occur in Canada as Companies Contract Out Their Work

Eleven YEARS.

Eleven years without being offered any benefits, or even better, a sense of place in an uncertain world.

And that's what real job security is all about.

If you don't know from one contract to the next whether or not you'll be earning money, you don't have a sense of place. So you can't plan for the future.

This means you won't go out and buy a new home, get that new car you need, or even purchase that new washing machine and dryer.

Every penny goes into savings, because the second your contract ends, that's what you'll be living off of until you get another gig.

And "gig" is the best word for it -- thanks to these temporary staffing firms, most of the big companies that do hire people, don't.

They just bring in people on temporary contracts.

The New Face of Canadian Offices?

Because the staffing firms don't staff companies anymore. They don't want a one-time finder's fee, they want recurring revenues generated by temporary contractors.

That's the problem with our economy Mr. Prime Minister.

So put away that slick backdrop, and go after the staffing firms. 

Create laws that prohibit them from using the unemployed as chattel. 

Enforce the laws which prohibit companies from keeping people on contracts forever. 

Hey, here's an idea, instead of funding the Temporary Foreign Workers Program, which encourages companies to import cheap temporary contractors taking contracted temp gigs away from Canadians, why not fund programs which encourages big business to hire full-time, permanent Canadians?

So the next time Canada's biggest bank -- The Royal Bank Financial Group -- needs bodies to do work, instead of getting a government grant to import people from India or China to do those jobs, they get a government grant to HIRE A CANADIAN right here in CANADA?

Doesn't that sound like a better solution?

Do the right thing for your country Prime Minister Harper.

Please -- and thanks!