Last week we published a couple heart-warming stories that some of our readers sent in. They highlighted special reasons why they decided to make a career out of staffing.
But there are plenty of people who aren’t cut out for it. This morning an ex-staffing pro sent me a story I thought you all would be interested in reading: a staffing FAIL story. You all know that for every great story that worked out perfectly, there’s a story of a frustrating candidate who talked the talk, but didn’t walk the walk.
She asked to remain anonymous. Check out her story below.
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I worked in a medium sized staffing branch located in the skyway in downtown St. Paul, Minneapolis. We staffed mostly clerical positions, but had one light industrial client that had an opening we had a tough time keeping filled.
This was an international industrial adhesive company and the job was wearing a rain suit, and washing out giant plastic containers that contained essentially glue with a pressure washer all day.
I had a candidate stop into the office looking for an industrial position. This was the only opening I had for his limited skill set. During the interview, he shared his hard luck life story with me and said that he was currently living in the Dorothy Day Center for the Homeless.
He just needed a break, for someone to give him a job so that he could get back on his feet. I explained the position to him and informed him that even though this wasn’t the most glamorous job, that it would allow him to get his foot in the door, and open up the possibilities to a full time position with benefits, paid holidays/vacation, etc. He was very excited.
The only requirement for the position was that he had steel toed boots to wear. His face dropped as he said he didn’t have them. I told him that once he worked 100 hours, we would reimburse him up to $50.00 for the boots.
He then thought of another plan. He said that if I gave him documentation of the position, he could take it to the Catholic Charity, and maybe they would help him with securing the boots.
“No problem, sit right down,” I said as I typed up a letter to the charity. I detailed out how this was going to change his life. This new opportunity came with a $9.00 (in 1999) pay rate, with the ability to work overtime. I listed the potential for this to become a full time position, etc.
He took the letter and left the office. I then called my client, telling them about what a great fit I think this person would be. They were excited for him to start work the next morning.
Later that day, I ran into my candidate and told him that the client was excited for him to start work the next day.
He responded: “Oh, I don’t want that job. It sounds like it will really suck! I am not going there tomorrow.”
It was difficult for me to keep my jaw off of the floor. I was trying to hide my disappointment and anger toward him as I felt as if I put myself on the line for him. I then asked him for my letter back.
He asked, “What letter?”
I responded, “You know, the letter I wrote for you to get steel toed boots?”
Then he said “I am wearing the boots!”
Naively astonished, I replied, “Don’t you think that if you are not taking the job, you should return the boots?”
His next statement shocked me: “What do you care, you didn’t pay for them!”
He then walked away. It was this point when I decided that I wasn’t cut out for staffing!
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Not what you’d call a success story, right? But this is what we have to deal with in staffing. Just because someone says they’ll take the position doesn’t mean they’ll show up the next day. But that’s the great thing about committed staffers — they don’t give up! They get right back on the phone and keep trying!
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
It can be a disheartening situation and really wear you down. We all have days where we question human decency and integrity. I had a similar situation occur about 9 years ago. A man came in and told me his down and out story. He was given a chance and then NCNS. We had heard in the office that a woman from a church organization got him a haircut, some clothes and money for the bus fare. The guy ended up coming in later, looking disheveled and smelling of whiskey, stating that he overslept. I was livid. As much as I wanted him to pull his shit together and change, he didn’t. Same goes with the many that come into our office to have their job and family stuff signed. I wish I could lay it out for them. I don’t sign their paperwork and that has gotten me in disagreements with my boss but why should I? When I am forced to, I put as much honest detail as possible. “Applicant applied but indicated he has no form of transportation and limited availability. Stating can only work during 11am – 3pm M – Th.”
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You need to have tough skin, know it has nothing to do with you. You have to know you are there to help connect employers with employees but there are times either/or won’t cooperate. If you are in industrial staffing, I think you need to be a bit more rough around the edges, be able to take more. You can’t win them all but the ones you win and help get their life back to being employed, those help put faith back into people. It balances out, its just sometimes you get a flood of bad before you see any good.
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I have often thought of putting together a book of the horror stories of staffing, but am convinced that those not in our industry wouldn’t read it as we do: a comedic tragedy.
I was fortunate that the person who trained me years ago gave me some sage advice: Your job is to find qualified people to fill job openings; helping people is a bonus.
I have seen and been subjected to antics that infuriated me in the moment, but now I can laugh at them, both from employees and clients! Ultimately it comes down to whether the juice is worth the squeeze, and for me, it still is.
Those moments when the frustrated, end of their rope candidate is able to be placed in the perfect position; or when that hard working, takes any assignment laborer who can’t seem to catch a break is hired perm make up for the times when, to put it politely, people let me down.
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Can an employer ask candidates to come in for interview with steel toed boots?
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