Seven Survival Strategies for Job Seekers

The current job market is unlike anything in the past. AI has corrupted the application process. Fake companies, fake jobs, fake recruiters are everywhere. Applicants are being hunted by data brokers’ AI bots who seek only to steal their intellectual property, their voice, image, and likeness. ATS systems are discriminating en masse. And, companies are doubling down on 1990’s hiring practices and RTO mandates making the pool of talent increasingly smaller.

Capital and Labor are at a stand-off, and I do think that companies are going to blink. Here’s seven ways you can help move the blink along and maintain your privacy and sanity:

Don’t Apply to Companies that Use Workday

If you’re Black, Asian, Disabled, Female, have a weird name, have more than 10 years experience, are over 45 or have a gap of any kind in your employment history, you are kicked out immediately from Workday’s ATS. No one will ever see your application. Worse, not only are you kicked out from that company, it’s becoming clear that any company using Workday (See: Class action suit Mobley v. Workday) will reject your application — they’re all using the same Saas.

Do company’s know this is happening? Yes, yes they do. It allows them to discriminate en masse rather than 1:1. (wink-wink) That’s exactly who they are, that’s their culture, that’s their values….don’t work for them….

NEVER Talk to an AI Bot

I’ve written on this extensively. NEVER allow your interview to be recorded by these LLMs….If you’ve received an “invitation” to interview with a Bot, or to take an AI assessment hit delete. If your interviewer is recording you, end the interview.

The potential for damage to you, your career and your reputation via these LLMs is HUGE. You turn over your words, image, voice, experience, education to an AI data broker. It’s parsed, scraped “evaluated” and that AI slop follows you around FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!

You have NO access to the recording or data or findings. No ability to delete it, no ability to challenge the findings, no insight into the algorithm being used to “evaluate” you. You have NO RIGHTS. You don’t know with whom or for what purposes your voice, words, and likeness is shared.

If there even is a job there (and most of the time there is NOT as many of these AI Interview jobs are fake) the AI bot is designed to lure unsuspecting applicants into their data trap by making them believe they’ve actually been shortlisted for a real job, when in fact, there’s no job at all. They’re scraping people for IP to use for LLM training.

Given recent developments in the Workday case, and the Stanford study, as well as legislation that has been passed in Colorado, Illinois, New York, I fully expect that AI interviews and assessments will be illegal, and if not illegal, their use will be killed by company’s legal department and data governance team.

Don’t Do Projects, Don’t Write Essays, NEVER Provide Videos

People asking for unpaid shit are looking for ideas (very common in marketing/social media/creative positions), or they’re just too lazy to evaluate talent themselves, so they tell the applicants to make notes and do all the work for them. In either case, you’re getting a lazy, shitty employer…

Have your own on-line portfolio – blog, GitHub, YouTube, even your FB.

Be aware that all your good ideas, all your great answers are fed into an LLM, and then provided to another candidate who is cheaper or off-shore, or a nepo hire. Corruption is rampant in TA. Don’t think people are above stealing interview answers from you for their deep fakes. They’re not.

Don’t Apply to Jobs without Salary Posted

I used to feel like, WTF, I’ll throw my resume in the ring even if it’s not posted. I’ve changed my mind.

Not only is the application process exhausting, but 100% of the time you’ll get a call offering you the position at a pay rate that is so ridiculously under market that you could not afford to pay your rent and commute to their (100% on-site) location five days a week.

Oh, BTW, it’s a contract job with no benefits…they “forgot” to post that, too…

Don’t Apply to Reposts, Repeated Posts, or Jobs More than 2 Weeks Old

Ghost jobs are everywhere. It’s estimated that approximately 30% of all job posts are fake.

If you see a job “reposted” don’t bother to apply. It just means the lazy recruiter didn’t pull down the ad. If you see jobs you’ve applied to re-posted, don’t bother, either. It’s likely a ghost job or the company is window shopping (to keep current employees “on their toes” or the hiring manager gets off on unicorn hunting).

Finally, anything that’s more than two weeks old is just too old, and they already have people in the pipeline.

Don’t Do Business on What’sApp

This should seem obvious, but anyone who contacts you via text or wants to pull you into What’s App is a scammer. Never, ever download anything to your phone or computer either…

Don’t Be Afraid to End the Interview

I’ve talked to sooooooo many people who found themselves in horrible interviews behind closed doors with some rude, disrespectful ass who is clearly using you for his narcissistic supply or using you to “check the box” for HR’s requirement to interview outside talent or a “minority.”

When I ask “Why didn’t you cut it short and leave?” there’s inevitably a silence, and then a reluctant admission that it never really occurred to them that they COULD leave!! Worse, they were afraid to leave because the interviewer (!) might think they’re rude! This is how f-d up our culture is when it comes to work….

Ending an interview is a little like cutting short a bad date. It’s a last resort, but you should not hesitate to end an interview if you’re being ignored, disrespected, or if someone is asking you personal and inappropriate questions.

You end the interview like this…

(Inappropriate question | Interviewer rude/dismissive | Interviewer distracted)

Pause – 5 sec…long enough for them to notice the pause.

“I’m troubled that …

~ this line of questioning feels personal and invasive.”

~ you seem distracted and unprepared.”

~ your tone is aggressive and argumentative.”

Note: Do NOT engage in an argument, do not elaborate, do not plead your case, do NOT complain about how much time/effort you put into prepping for this, and they’re not even listening. Don’t argue. Any argument will get you nowhere.

Any interviewer behaving like this tells you everything you need to know. You’re NOT getting this job – you were NEVER going to get the job. Even before you showed up, you were NOT getting the job! And, this is a TERRIBLE job!!!

If you get pushback like “Well, it seems like YOU’RE not prepared to discuss YOUR background”…. or an “I’m sorry YOU feel that way….” or a ” I’m not doing that, I’m just asking about YOUR………” Do NOT respond to the DARVO deflection.

Finish with:

“I’m going to pass on this opportunity, and respectfully end this call.”

Then hang up!

Circle back with (HR/Agency/Recruiter) to provide feedback if you feel appropriate. Otherwise, it’s a bad date. Red Pill Entitlement is rampant in corporate America these days…. Move on…

Here’s the Sad Reality

None of these things has anything to do with YOU – personally. The fact that this stuff effects you personally is annoying AF, but it’s important to remember that you are not the cause of any of these dysfunctional and illegal behaviors, nor do you deserve them.

We are in late-stage capitalism. MANY companies are putting on a brave face, but they ARE dying…

Inside these dying companies are the people who are interviewing you and those people are scared and in deep stages of denial. They’re scared of losing their jobs. They’re scared of hiring anyone who is better or cheaper. They’re scared they cannot compete in the current job market (which is why they’re petrified of losing their job). They’re scared of confronting a spouse with their job loss. They’re scared of losing their homes. They’re scared…..

Scared people act out.

The climate of fear in corporate America is being stoked by AI FOMO propaganda. Even in big tech companies, once thought to be the country’s most financially healthy sector, the undercurrent of fear is palpable. The top line is declining; CapEx cannot be obtained from outside sources; Cutting labor is the only strategy they know to keep the company “profitable” and the venture capitalist vultures from eating them alive.

Exercise hyper-vigilance before you jump into another job. It’s OK to say no….

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July 8, 2026 0

Recruiters: Clean Up After Yourselves!!!

The world is full of tips and tricks for the job seeker. No shortage of self-proclaimed coaches, HR Professionals, and any number of “leaders” who’ve got something to say about the way applicants need to change, mold, and brand themselves. But, when it comes to recruiters (outside of the ubiquitous complaints about ghosting), there’s not much out there. Let me change that…

If your goal is to attract top tier talent to your organization, note the following behaviors:

You Don’t Pull Your Posts

Pink Pill Alert: Not pulling your posts is akin to leaving your dishes in the sink because someone else will (eventually) put them into the dishwasher or wash them for you. How’s that helping your marriage?

The constant complaints by recruiters of how many applications they received, how difficult it is to review them all, how they must have AI/ATS systems to help them, how their world is full of woe. A lot of this could be avoided if your JD was posted and pulled quickly. “No Longer Accepting Applications” is an option USE IT!!

I advise everyone not to apply to “reposts,” and not to apply to anything more than three (3) days old. If you’re leaving your posts up longer than that, you are doing a disservice to job applicants AND yourself.

You Lie about Hybrid/Remote

Please stop lying!! Stop posting the role as remote “for visibility.” Stop posting the role as remote, but you need to live within 30 miles of Philly. Stop posting the role as remote, but “you might have to come in a few days a week as needed.” Stop posting the role as hybrid when you need to be on-site Monday-Thursday. Just stop!

Lying about on-site time has become commonplace. Why: Because people who are employed in either on-site, hybrid or remote roles are seeking remote-only work. Everyone knows that if you can support remote workers, you’re going to have more and better-quality talent from which to choose. If you want someone on-site, you’re going to have fewer options. And, if the role could be hybrid or remote, know the person you hire will be short term, even if they live fairly close.

The days of employees subsidizing their employers’ “culture” with commuting costs and travel time is ending. If someone is seeking a remote role, s/he will find one. On-site will ALWAYS be a temporary option for high-end talent.

You Post State Information at the Bottom of the JD

“This job is available to applicants located in the following states: NY, NJ and CT… ” is at the very bottom of the JD, but you posted the JD as remote USA, ya know, for “visibility” and didn’t bother to move that requirement to the top of the post.

Only thing worse is finding this at the end of a JD is finding it at the end of a Workday application!! Ugh!

Your Parsing Is Horrific

There’s no shortage of companies that offer parsing services, but you’ve chosen the cheap, shitty option, or better yet, your “leader” decided to save the cost, and he had Dinesh write a few parsing scripts (I mean, how hard could it be?). As a result, your resume parsing sucks, and your “leadership” thinks that filling out a form is the “first test” for your principal architect applicants. Second test: Ask them to breakfast and see if they pepper their eggs before tasting them.

SMH. Sadly, these dinosaurs still exist…

On the bright side, MANY companies have gotten better with their on-line application. I see customized Workday instances to remove form fields. Greenhouse is a breath of fresh air. And everyone loves of good Easy Apply.

Your application process tells me a LOT about you – bad parsing (bad UI), tells me that your living room and dining room is dirty. As an technologist, I know that the back of the house is even worse. I will exit out of these applications, and I encourage others to do so as well. Nothing good is coming from cheap and shitty companies like this.

You’re Too Lazy to Customize the Post with Salary

I mean, lazy is lazy. It’s all about you! So, you either leave salary out (even though you’re required by law in the majority of states to post it), or you put your 30% under market salary at the very bottom of the JD because you’re sure your JD will be sooooo compelling, we’ll forget about the shitty pay and apply anyway???

Don’t tell me that you pay differently for different markets. That’s why you post a RANGE. I routinely see comments from applicants who say that absolutely will not waste their time applying to jobs that don’t post a range. I’m inclined to agree…

You Lie about Compensation

This is very, very common. Posted range 100-140K. When you pull up the corporate site to apply, the JD clearly states Salary Range 75-110K DOE. Stop, stop, STOP!!!!

You Bury the REAL Requirement

Must speak Mandarin. Top Secret Clearance. Only able to hire in seven states. Must be available for after-hours phone calls. Must have some specific, microscopic domain experience (very popular in public sector posts), ex: ” Five years experience supervising the reproductive cycles of green slider frogs….” All buried at the bottom, when it should be the first line or in the title…

The specific domain experience is usually listed as “preferred” but it’s a clear tell that they have an internal candidate identified, and are only interviewing because they’re required to do so. While recruiters can’t do much about this (except please spare anyone who is already employed), for applicants, I advise not to waste time applying to these custom JDs that were clearly tailored to an internal applicant.

You Expect Essays, Videos, and Love Letters

I’ve grown weary of lazy Mean Girl recruiters who expect applicants to provide them essays and love letters. Ya know, so they can “make the funnel stickier” or “separate signal from noise.” These are the same recruiters who are just too busy to read my resume, haven’t looked at my website, haven’t looked at my blog, my book, my white papers, my reels, or my publications. But, I’m going to write an essay for you about my last team’s Agile transformation, the roadblocks, challenges I encountered, and how I was able to overcome them and drive the team and project to a successful outcome.

F-off.

Even more entitled, are those who request you provide them a MP3 video explaining “Why Should You Hire Me?” Short format, of course, and try to be original and compelling.

Stop trying to make “Fetch” happen….You are NOT special! For applicants, there’s absolutely nothing to be gained by participating in these recruiter auditions. Be assured that your intellect is funneled into an LLM. Your words, thoughts, image are shared with “partners.” You have zero rights to the data, cannot delete it, and any good ideas you have WILL be given to another (cheaper, younger, better looking, or off-shore) candidate.

Recruiters Aren’t the Problem; They’re at the Door

Recruiters aren’t the problem in the Talent Acquisition (TA) process, but they are standing at the front door of the club deciding whether or not you are good looking enough to get in. Unfortunately, many don’t fully understand their actions negatively effect the supply chain, and are shocked to see that people are simply skipping the audition and hitting the sports bar down the street for the $5 buck wine and beer specials.

If you’re guilty of any of the above behaviors, reconsider if your actions are helping or hindering the flow of talent into your organization. It’s not about what’s easiest for you – it’s about finding the best and brightest for your organization.

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July 1, 2026 0

AI Leadership Assessments – They’re Finally Here!

As more and more corporations find success using AI assessment tools and virtual assistants for talent acquisition, it’s only natural to want to leverage this success throughout the organization. AI Assessments are innovating the way we evaluate job applicants as potential employees. But, what about the employees you already have?

If companies are going to meet the challenges of our new AI age, they need to right-size, and nowhere is that more important than in the executive and leadership ranks. Too many companies are still relying on legacy processes, like individual opinion, when it comes to determining which skills stay, and which need to go. Talent decisions are too important to leave to individuals; they are prone to self-interest, bias or favoritism. This is where our AI Leadership Assessment helps you to separate signal from noise…

As companies move away from large scale lay-offs, rolling layoffs become the norm, our AI Leadership assessment tool provide a consistent, impartial, low-stress way to evaluate your organization’s leaders. AI doesn’t replace humans, rather, it leverages the power of AI to allow you to make better decisions. Our tools produce an easy-to-use stack rank of your current leadership team, which helps to inform decisions about which underperforming executives should be cut.

How it Works

After taking our on-line game-a-fide assessment, each leader participates in an 30-minute interview with our virtual AI evaluator. Here they have the opportunity to create a video to highlight their skills and accomplishments. Those data are processed by our non-biased algorithms, combined with internal HR records, and a social media score to determine a Leadership Competency range. Once calculated, the range and stack ranking of all resources is available to CEOs and BODs via our proprietary dashboard.

These data are highly secure, and the results of these assessments are never shared with the employee. This makes it impossible for them to challenge the findings or claim bias or discrimination as too often happens when humans are involved in these evaluations.

AI assessment tools are being used in 90% of Fortune 500 companies to help identify skills and culture fit.

Too many organizations are struggling with the toxic culture created by their current leadership teams. Too often, a “few bad apples” are the root cause of these toxic environments. These individuals often result in EEOC claims, class action lawsuits, and costly turnover for many companies. Our AI leadership assessment identifies potential bad actors with clear, unbiased evaluations based on proven scientific methods and practices. You can feel confident about your decision to eliminate and consolidate your executive ranks without harming the corporate culture you worked so hard to create.

Its finally here!! AI screening and assessment that takes the risk out of corporate layoffs! Contact me for a demo.

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June 14, 2026 0

Job Applicants: Do NOT Permit Yourself to Be Recorded!

My recent LinkedIn post cautioned applicants to NOT permit themselves to be recorded during interviews. The post drew the expected responses (80%=Yes, I agree, it’s a gross invasion of privacy, I’m not feeding an LLM, and 20% = Dance little monkey! You WILL do whatever the “company” tells you. That’s what I did, and that’s what I expect everyone to do, you’re just spoiled :).

(I’ll let you guess at the demographic breakdown of these responses).

Consider the following:

You are a hiring manager, and you are meeting a job applicant IRL. Perhaps at your office, maybe at a coffee shop or other public place. You sit down, introduce yourself, and then the applicant pulls out a tri-pod, sets up the camera phone, and says, “I hope you don’t mind if I record this…..”

What would you say?

I’m sure you would be shocked by the audacity.

You might respond with something like, “Ohh, err, I’m not comfortable with that….” or even “I don’t consent to being recorded,” to which the applicant responds…

“Ohhh, this is my policy to record all interviews. It’s used for training purposes. This is very common now. And, it’s really for YOUR benefit. In this way, I can focus on you, and our discussion, and not on taking notes! Plus, I’ll be able to review your questions and answers later, at my leisure, and I’ll be able to share the video with my advisors, so that we can all better understand the role, you, and your company.”

Would you shrug, agree, and continue? I don’t think so…..

Stop asking job applicants for one-way video interviews. Stop recording them. Stop bullying them into surrendering their words, image, and ideas for the privilege of applying for a job, stop shaming people for wanting to protect their privacy, and their IP from being consumed by an LLM, and stop pretending that your company isn’t complicit in this surreptitious LLM training when you’re insisting on recordings and “personality assessments.”

If you found yourself offended by the audacity of an applicant taping you and your interview, and the idea that the video would be circulated, distributed, and stored without your knowledge and consent, be assured the applicant feels EXACTLY the same way!

If you’re serious about bringing talent into your organization, this is NOT the way to do it!

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February 18, 2026 0

Things I Hope NOT to See on LinkedIn in 2026

My yearly update of things I hope LinkedIn users will resolve NOT to do in 2026:

Bitching about Ghosting

“Don’t call us, we’ll call you…” has been around since the 1900s. Ghosting isn’t going away no matter how many annoyed applicants end their posts with “do better.”

#livinginthepast #boomerbitching

“I don’t know who needs to hear this, but….” Intros

IDK who started this intro line, but I’d like to hunt him/her down and explain what a target demographic is. If you don’t know who needs to hear this, WTF are you doing a vid for???

#makemehurl #annoyedAF

What the Applicant is Doing Wrong (In your Interview)

No shortage of people offering BS advise on how to lie your way into a job you cannot do. Two things are problematic with these 20-something sages. 1) The wanna be “influencer” content is trite-GPT-drivel everyone’s heard 1000X. (The “twist” is the mid-screen boob shot.) And, 2) Few talk about the outrageous behavior of hiring managers, and how employers are killing their reputation and brand with bad hiring practices.

#noonewantstoworkanymore

“Fear” Adverts from “Career” Coaches and Outplacement Firms

Similar to the above, the only thing more obnoxious than a 28-year-old wanna-be influencer touting her three years of insight and experience on how to navigate today’s “incredibly challenging” job market is a 32-year old bro touting his superior networking skills. (Daddy and/or your frat bro hooking you up with a gig isn’t the flex you think it is.)

#nepobaby #cronycapitalism

Laid-Off Sycophants

Laid off? Been there. What I completely do NOT get is the need to post some sappy eulogy for a company that doesn’t GAF about you. All this BS about how proud you are, all your great loves and losses, and how you’re “ready for your new chapter”?? Gag…

These types of posts tell me that waaayyy too many people see their job as their #1 relationship, and #1 purpose in life. I’m sorry to inform you: Employment is transactional. Like buying bananas at CostCo, or a beer at the bar. Six months from now, they’re not going to remember your name….

To further illustrate the ridiculousness of these jerk-tear posts, consider the following: Would you post on social media how much you loved your ex-spouse, how you’ll treasure the great times together, and now that you’ve been kicked to the curb, you’re ready for “your next chapter”?!?! No, no you wouldn’t. Why: Coz it’s f-n WEIRD!!! That’s why!

#lookingforloveinallthewrongplaces

Employed Sycophants

Your off-site was productive? Great. You’ve got a new CEO? Congrat’s. Your BFF was promoted? Nice. LinkedIn doesn’t need another obsequious corporate sycophant tearfully proclaiming how they “couldn’t be more proud to be associated with such an outstanding group of individuals.”

Unless your ass-kissing is one of your KPIs, spare us.

#embarrassed4U

CEOs, Recruiters, Founders, et al “humble brags”

You’re fully remote? Good for you! You hired someone who had a 2-year gap in his/her resume? I’m sure they were eminently qualified. You hired a fresher/woman/minority/disabled individual who didn’t have the perfect resume, but you…with your tremendous leadership and magnanimous character … saw their potential?

Stop sniffing for public praise and accolades for the most basic levels of decency.

#needy

Open to Work Banner

Si o No? Stop talking about it!

#NoOneCares

Age Discrimination

You’re a white, Anglo-Saxon male, over 50, and now, for the first time in your ENTIRE life, you’re finding that you’re not the preferred demographic? WOW, what must that feel like!?! Tell me more about how unfair corporate life is! Twenty-five years in tech, I’m sure I don’t know what it feels like to be marginalized, dismissed, or passed over in favor of some crony C-Student bro or a cheap H1b…

PS: Maybe it isn’t your age? Maybe the field has leveled and you’re just “entitled”? Try working “twice as hard,” for half as much. You know, like the rest of us…

#whiner #equalityisoppression

WFH v. RTO

If you don’t want to work on site, don’t. If you want to go into an office, go. Stop trying to convert the heathens. You’re as likely to convince a MAGA supporter that tariffs are inflationary.

#snore

“Behold” my Achievement

Unless you just won the Nobel Prize, no one is interested in your Udemy, Coursera or company-training certs. Add them to your profile and move on with your life.

Your Wedding, Your Kids, Your Holidays

#facebook

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December 29, 2025 0

Four Reasons People Just Don’t Want to Work (for YOU!)

Employer’s are facing a long-overdue reckoning, and like all reckonings, rather than reflect inward, the focus for many has been external. They’re angry at their inability to control events, and blame others for their predicament.

The blame du jour: Lazy people, who don’t want to work…
……for you.
(Never has a prepositional phrase been more important!)

Here’s four reasons why …..

You’re Disinterested and Indifferent

Consider a job applicant who is bored, disinterested, and going-through-the-motions in the interview. Even worse, what if the applicant were rude, curt, or clearly not listening? Would you hire them? Of course not.

Employers are being interviewed by labor, and they’re blowing it because many of your hiring managers simply do not know how to behave in an interview. They’re rude, disinterested, and entitled. As a result, people just don’t want to work for you. Do you blame them?

You Took Too Long

You’re bored, disinterested, and then call me three weeks (three months!) later and say now you’ve decided to hire me, and I need to call you back right away….yeah, right.

The days of “keeping your resume on file…” went out with the Selectric typewriter. It doesn’t work that way. (It really never worked that way.)

A tight labor market is like a tight housing market. Be prepared to act quickly, compromise, and pay over asking. If you can’t do that, stay out of the market until you’re serious about buying.

You Came in Under my Minimum

Too many employers tell you they can pay your asking price but really have no intention of doing so. Similar to the housing market, the idea is that once the applicants’ commit to the hiring process, they will become so “invested” in closing the deal, that they will capitulate on their original ask for compensation.

This is not the market in which to call people’s salary “bluff.”

If I tell you that I’m seeking $45/hr, you drag me through weeks of interviews only to offer me $43/hr (wink), I’m not amused or impressed with your negotiation savvy, I’m pissed.

Result: I ghost you. I tell all my friends what an asshole you are, and (possibly) post a negative Glassdoor review – permanently damaging your brand. All for the bargain price of $2 an hour. Well done.

You’re Too Far Away

If you’re in a business where I can’t work virtually, the time and distance of my commute may make any job – regardless of compensation – difficult to fill. Restaurants in expensive urban areas, or hard-to-get-to resort communities have the additional challenge of the high cost of living making it unlikely any of the help would be housed in the immediate vicinity.

Consider a commute bonus, or other ways to mitigate that expense for your employees. Otherwise, you’re going to be short-staffed, and the staff you do have will be overworked making them much more likely to quit.

Finally…

This labor shortage didn’t just happen – it’s been coming for decades – the perfect storm of Covid, bad corporate behavior, retirement/death, and ubiquitous social media has weakened the stool upon which capitalism has balanced for decades.

Historically, businesses never worried about competing against one another for talent. Now that they must complete, many simply do not know how.

If you’re still clinging to the notion that the tight labor market is about lazy millennials or enhanced unemployment benefits, and any minute we’re going to “go back” to the way it was, you’re flat-out wrong. Our world, has fundamentally changed, and if there’s one thing we know about change is that it never changes back!

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If you enjoyed this article, check out some of my my posts and podcasts on employment, interviewing, and the contingent job market. Thanks for reading!

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July 28, 2021 0

Phishing for Employment Docs

Of course, you would never provide a telemarketer or Nigerian Prince your passport, credit card, or banking information. Those we know. But what if it were a Zoom call, and then you were offered a great job? How much diligence would you do before you turned over your ID, SSN, DOB, and a whole bunch of other personal financial info?

Phishers are using Video

Here’s how it works: You are a high-income individual. You are contacted by a head hunter and asked to interview for a position at a desirable, well-known corporation. The video interview goes well, and a day or two after the call, you receive a verbal offer (via the agent or “implementation partner”) and a request to start ASAP. Congratulations! So happy for you!! Now, please provide passport, social security, bank account, DOB so they can expedite your offer letter. You never hear from them again.

Signs of a Phisher

There’s a HUGE rush for you to start; they need your info ASAP
Everything is verbal. You email, they call. You ask for docs, they call.
They want a “deposit” for your equipment, a credit card is fine…what’s the security code?
Staffing or “implementation partner” has a thin website. No corporate officers, no street address, no phone numbers, no contact information.
You’re not 100% sure to whom you report.
Offer, contract, or SOW is coming soon. When it does, it looks like it was put together by a 3-year old.

Trust Your Gut

In all cons, the mark inevitably says, “I knew something was wrong..…” Closely followed by, “But, everyone was SO nice!”

The con is counting on your want of the job. Stay focused. Even if its a dream job (and they always are), if something seems off, don’t ignore your Spidee-sense! Cons are charming and charismatic; that’s how they gain your CONfidence !

Remember: Just because there’s a person on video asking you questions that doesn’t mean they are who they say they are. Anyone can ask a question, and far too many interviews are completely one-sided!

Cons choose common names, so they’re hard to Google. Others Catfish legitimate LinkedIn profiles, especially if they lack profile pictures. Did the “client” vid-in or not? Do you have legitimate contact information? Multiple email domains with multiple parties? Offshore? If so, you have reason to be concerned.

Do Your Diligence

Before you turn over your ID and financial information to a staffing agent or prospective employer, be sure that you’ve done your diligence! You have a real contract, employee handbook, and benefit package. Ensure you understand who owns the company, where they are physically located, and who, exactly, is responsible for paying you. If you have any concerns, be sure to contact your prospective manager or client contact. Get all your questions answered – in writing – before you turn over any of your personal information.

Say Nothing

Once you’ve discovered the con, cut-off all contact, and resist the urge to call them out on it! They will only assure you that you are mistaken, and details you impart about how you caught on, what they did wrong, where they were sloppy, will only help them to improve their process. Check your ego. Click delete. Select Block. And, keep your brilliance to yourself!

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If you enjoyed this article, check out some my posts and podcasts on employment, interviewing, and the contingent job market. Thanks for reading!

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July 26, 2021 0

Four Reasons No One is Responding to Your Job Posts

The job market is on fire. Not only are we experiencing the Great Resignation, we’re in the middle of The Great Reshuffling, which will result in The Great Consolidation. If you’re serious about keeping your doors open, a “post and pray” recruitment strategy isn’t going to cut it. Want to get people in the door? Here’s four reasons no one is responding to your job posts:

Your Application Process

Every job site allows employers to choose a “quick apply” or “one-click-apply” option. Use it. Being user friendly and mobile-friendly is a must. A huge number of people ONLY have internet access through their phone. Any company that is insisting applicants go to their site, set-up an account, (some with multi-factor authentication! Really?!), and then populate several forms (with mandatory fields like month and date of my degrees and jobs), is likely to have very, very few applicants.

Also, if you’re going to use Quick Apply, use Quick Apply! Employers who embed additional questions into their quick apply aren’t clever, they’re disingenuous, and it makes me not want to work for you.

Finally, there isn’t a single recruiter out there who thinks AI screenings are helping your efforts. There’s a reason people went to college! Read the resumes! Most importantly, focus on what the applicant has to offer, not poking holes into their background and creating a checklist of what they don’t have.

Essay Questions

I know it’s super-easy and awesome to have each applicant write an essay on how they would deal with difficult stakeholders, or describing their last project, or even telling you why they want to work for you (why not all of them?) That way, you can review, discuss and critique each response and each candidate at your leisure — you don’t want waste your precious time calling or emailing anyone. Essays are perfect for you…but here’s the problem: It’s all about you, and it smacks of entitlement. Worse, it tells me that you don’t see writing as work, which it is. To do it thoughtfully and well takes (my) time, which is the same as (my) money.

Essays are perfect for you…but here’s the problem: It’s all about you, and it smacks of entitlement.

Essay questions embedded in ‘quick apply’ options are infuriating because you can’t opt out of the question or skip ahead. So, since I can’t opt-out of the question, I close the browser and opt-out of the application. It’s usually too late, though, because they’ve got my email, and I’ll be hit with a ton of notifications reminding me to complete my application (which I don’t).

Interestingly, you’d think it would be the big enterprises, and the highly-coveted employers who insist on the “tell me why I’m so beautiful” essays. Nope. It’s the small shops and public employers who have the most hoops when it comes to applying, and that’s why no one does.

Your JD Lacks Focus

A lot of JDs are a laundry list of nice-to-have experiences intermingled with tasks and requirements. Many applicants – especially women and “freshers” – disqualify themselves because they don’t meet all the requirements. More experienced applicants, note the confusion and disconnect with reality, and pass on applying.

If your JD is a laundry-list of tasks, requirements, and nice-to-haves thrown together in no particular priority, your lack of focus and thoughtfulness is a BIG red flag to any quality applicant.

A good JD should be no longer than a page. It should clearly describe the core responsibilities, and to whom the position reports. Education, credentials are clearly stated, and requirements are listed in order of priority. The Must have Security Clearance line should be at the top of the list of requirements, not the bottom! Don’t use the “Preferred” section to obfuscate real requirements (Mandarin speaking “preferred” when your entire team is in Hong Kong? Stop already!)

Most importantly, stop looking for unicorns and purple squirrels; you are not the prettiest girl at the dance, and your hubris is counterproductive to building a real team. Whenever you hire anyone, you need to be prepared to compromise and change both yourself and your organization based on the talent available in the market. If you don’t want to change…..

Bad Habits

Why are so many employer’s struggling to hire? The answer: Bad habits. Zero training on how and what to hire. Zero training on how to interview. Toxic managers with high-turnover permitted to hire and fire “at will.” With human resources the most important asset a company can have – in 2021 – how could this be?

First, let’s recognize that for the past 100+ years, employers have never had to compete for labor. Sure, they said they wanted to be “attractive,” but that’s not the same as being competitive. We know lack of competition stifles the invisible hand of the market, and the over-supply of labor verses limited jobs has resulted in a ruling class of corporate executives — America’s Royalty — whose every want and need must be accommodated because they are “job creators.”

Historically, businesses never worried about competing against one another for talent. Now that they must complete, many simply do not know how.

Labor, unlike employers, has been forced to be nimble and adaptable. We’re used to fierce competition, no safety net, and changing direction quickly. Workers have had decades of practice and advice on how to compete for work, how to write good resumes, how to answer questions in interviews, and most importantly, how to be a subordinate and compliant worker. What training do employers have in how to hire people and how to be a good employer? None.

Employers need to act quickly and level-up their hiring game. How? Create hiring committees, dump toxic managers, bottom-up your culture, hire professional recruiters and coaches, finance real retention strategies. Most importantly, understand that your interviewers are brand ambassadors, just like your salespeople. They represent The Company, The Culture, and The Brand. A bad interview experience can damage your brand – permanently – and that is not something you can afford in this highly-competitive labor market.

Final Thoughts

This labor shortage didn’t just happen – it’s been coming for decades – the perfect storm of Covid, bad corporate behavior, retirement/death, and this ubiquitous social media has weakened the stool upon which capitalism has balanced for centuries. Covid’s timing could not be more remarkable. It has jolted our attention to the global economy, our reliance upon technology, the importance of essential workers, and a Kafka-esque understanding that we are more than our labor.

No workers = No customers = No business

When it comes to sales, businesses understand competition. That same focus and concern must carry over into resource management. If they can’t compete, just like in sales, they will be out maneuvered by those who can.

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If you enjoyed this article, check out some my posts and podcasts on employment, interviewing, and the contingent job market. Thanks for reading!

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July 20, 2021 0

Tight Labor Market is Here to Stay

If you’re clinging to the notion that enhanced unemployment is the reason you can’t hire help, let me be the first to say you will find yourself short-staffed – if not closed – come this time next year. Here’s why….

A LOT of People Died; They’re Not Being Replaced

Covid has cost us more than 600,000 lives, and it’s not over yet. The ripple that those deaths have caused throughout our country and culture hasn’t even been examined never mind calculated. The loss of a parent has enormous repercussions on a family – not just for a few months, but for years. Worse, we’re all getting old. Our crap diets, epidemic of obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and a variety of other “behavioral” and “non-compliant” health issues will contribute to the rapid exit of many from the labor market.

Declining birth rates, along with a declining sperm count, has been a back-burner socio-economic issue for decades. China’s lifted the one child rule. There’s a huge shortage of women in both China and India, and some countries are now encouraging motherhood via subsidies and other programs.

I’m not sure this will make much of a difference in the birthrate, though. Seems that regardless of incentive, wealth or opportunity, women choose to have fewer or no children, and that trend will likely continue. Maybe motherhood isn’t the greatest job a woman can have.

Wealth Transfer

You think millennials are spoiled and entitled now? Wait until they inherit a ton of money….

We are on the cusp of the greatest generational transfer of wealth in our nation’s history. As Baby Boomers die, they are transferring their wealth — not necessarily to their children — but often to their grandchildren. According to the WSJ, the average inheritance is a little over $200K. That is a life-changing amount.

Money gives you freedom. Money gives you options. Money gives you the ability to take risks. Money makes it whole lot easier to tell people to fuck-off.

Business owners take heed: If you’re difficult to work for and/or your business depends on a never-ending supply of people who are poor, desperate, or have few economic options, you may need to reconsider your business model.

Retirement

The tail end of the Baby-Boom generation (those born in the late 1950s early 1960s depending on who’s talkin’), is nearing retirement age, which can range from 62-72, or earlier, depending on how much money you want to pull from Social Security and your other accounts.

It’s estimated that Covid “forced” about 2 million people into retirement. Some could be enticed back into the job market, but most of these are permanent life changes – they will never return to the labor market.

Money managers are quick to point out that people can’t “afford” to retire, and you are likely to outlive your money, but that’s mostly their commissions’ talkin’. You’d be surprised how little you need to live on when you only have two old people to feed, and all your stuff is paid for.

Nevertheless, depending on the nature of the work and people’s health, some of boomers, of course, will continue to work. However, those are more likely to be at the very top-end or very bottom-end of the income spectrum. The rest of us will sell our homes, move to someplace cheaper, and be done with working for “the man” every night and day.

Small City Employers are at a Disadvantage

Gone are the days that a company in Des Moines or Charlotte or Salt Lake could pay less than a company in San Francisco or New York. If your profession is in demand, and you can work virtually, no longer does your compensation and career path need to be stifled because you want to live in a smaller city.

This is the start of a golden age for labor. Companies that pay more and support virtual workers will suck talent out of smaller markets – to the detriment of those companies headquarter or office-ed there.

Regional pay scales are on the shelf next to the fax machine. No one cares where your office is. If you want IT talent, other highly skilled, gold-collar workers, you’re going to need to level-up your compensation, or you are not going to be able to compete. And, if you can’t compete? You’re not going to be in business.

The Commute? That’s Comin’ Outta YOUR End!

Jamie Dimon, a champion of capitalism (until he’s short on cash, then he’s first in line at The Fed), has “demanded’ JPMorgan/Chase workers return to on-site work and Jamie’s “culture,” adding that if people didn’t like the commute, that’s “too bad.”

Maybe Jamie isn’t good at math? Let’s say you have a 45-minute drive to work, and are on-site five days a week (eight hours working, one hour unpaid lunch), that’s 52.5 hours a week “dedicated” to work – minimum. Men, add in an additional hour of “prep” time; women 1.5 hours of prep each day and now you’re up to 78.75. In other words, almost double the amount of time compared to the hours you are paid for….!!

So, if you’re making $35/hr your real hourly is closer to $17/hr – before taxes and before other expenses and lost opportunity costs, like your side hustle or education. That’s why the poor stay poor. And, that’s also why I’m not going to drive to your office, or commute to a restaurant, or hire a sitter (if I could find one). I think I’ll just stay home, cook from scratch, take on-line classes, and look for job where I contribute 40 hours and get paid for 40 hours. That’s just a smart business decision. It doesn’t make me an entitled ass-hole who doesn’t want to work.

It’s not about the commute — it’s about being paid for all my time. I’m contributing time (which, I believe, is the same as money), to enhance Jamie’s “culture” – whatever metric that is. However, all that good culture money is coming out of my end, not Jamie’s. He’s all up for the “free” culture, but I’ve yet to hear him say that his culture is important enough that he’s going to part-with-some-cash for it.

I believe in karma (and capitalism), so I feel confident Jamie and his other banking buddies will receive a big message about onsite work (probably when one of their cloud APIs goes down in a smoldering heap of technical debt). At that moment, they will see that labor isn’t as forgiving as The Fed. I think Jamie will also learn that he’s not a home-town hero, a lot of employers are more than willing to hire talent from Ohio.

Finally….

Here’s a universal truth: When you’re rich, life doesn’t change very quickly or very radically. For the affluent, things roll-along, even in the worst of times. Because many wealthy capitalists haven’t personally “felt” the change Covid has brought to the labor market, they don’t think that it’s real. They don’t understand this “entitlement” of labor, or that the world is fundamentally different now, and why we just can’t order people to “go back” to our good-old pre-Covid cubical culture.

Even before Covid, the rise of gold-collar, knowledge workers was beginning to reverse the employer advantage in competitive labor markets like tech and healthcare. Crisis, as a cultural accelerant, has firmly flipped the advantage to labor – and economists predict it’s going to stay that way for a l-o-n-g time….

Labor has had decades of opportunity and advice on how to be a good employee. That cannot be said of employers. Most employers are spoiled, entitled, and have a long history of a “Doritos” style of talent management (“They’re just people, we’ll get more…”). And because so many employers historically have shown zero interest in being a good employer, now they can’t seem to hire anybody.

The tight labor market isn’t about lazy millennials or enhanced unemployment benefits. Things have changed, even if they haven’t changed for you personally. Employers need to accept reality, and level-up their hiring game or they’re going to be out maneuvered by those who will.

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If you enjoyed this article, check out some of my other posts and podcasts on employment, interviewing, and the contingent job market.

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July 12, 2021 0

Four Ways to Blow your Interview (*for employers)

Podcast Available on Spotify

I’ve gone on lots of interviews where – at first – I was very excited to be there, but as I watched, listened, asked questions (took and compared notes), that excitement quickly fizzled.

Twenty years ago, there wasn’t much to do about it. There were few jobs and many people who wanted them. It was incumbent upon job seekers to convince employers to hire them; the applicant’s opinion of the job – for the most part – was of little concern. That’s not the case anymore. Now, employers are dealing with both a cultural and economic shift in the global market for talent. For the first time (ever), labor actually has a bit of an advantage in the labor market. The shoe is finally on the other foot: Employers (who used to interview applicants), are now being interviewed by applicants, and a lot of them are blowing the interview!

Consider the following:

1. What Employers Say…

“This is a tough place to work; you have to have a thick-skin to work here…..”

~What the Applicant Hears…

We foster a culture of disrespect and verbal abuse. Expect to be run over because having an opinion or self-respect will get you fired.

I get the “thick-skin” comment in about 30% of my interviews. This tells me “Bro-House.” Women are subordinate, fart jokes abound, loud voices win, bullying is leadership.

At first I thought thick-skin comments were gender specific (or maybe I seem delicate), but I decided to asked around, and I’m happy to report that guys get the “thick-skin” comment about as often as I do! Whoo-whoo! Hooray for equality! It’s good to know that some companies treat everyone poorly, not just women!

Respect is like air. When there’s enough of it around, no one notices. If there’s a shortage, it’s all you’re gonna think about….

2. What Employers Say…

“I see you’ve changed jobs every couple years. We want someone who will stay….”

~What the Applicant Hears…

This is a dead-end job, and we churn through a lot of people. We’d prefer to hire someone with little ambition who’s happy just to have a paycheck.

Are you ambitious? Do you care about your career and remaining current? Are you interested in learning new skills and growing? Because if you are, this isn’t the place for you.

3. What Employers Say…

“I see you haven’t worked in this <domain>…”

“I noted you don’t have this <credential>…”

“I saw you don’t have this <skill>…”

~What the Applicant Hears…

I’ll need to deal with nit-picky criticism and being dismissed because I’m not good enough. If this employer does make an offer, it will be under market because, well, I’m hardly qualified to work here in the first place! If I’m desperate enough to take the job, I’ll be reminded that I’m less than, and that everyone generously looked passed my woeful credentials.

Note to Interviewers: You went through the trouble to bring someone in for a face-to-face (sometimes in front of a panel). Now, you’re going to call out – one by one – all their perceived shortcomings? Focus on what they can do. You had their resume, you saw their LinkedIn… if they’re not qualified, why did you bring them in?

4. What Employers Say…

“I see that you have some gaps in your employment. For example, in <randomyears>, you only worked for part of the year. What’s that all about….?!?”

~What the Applicant Hears…

I’m more interested in your personal life, and nosing around your health, family, and finances than I am in your work experience, skills, education, and how those qualifications are applicable to the opportunity I have available. Your professional background is less important than my moral approval of you and your life choices.

My father died, I wanted to take some time off. I had a baby, I wanted a more flexible job. I was laid off, I wanted to spend time with my kids and re-think my career. I spent a year designing and building my custom home. I was working on a patent. I had major surgery. My mother has Alzheimer’s, and I needed to care for her…

At best, my personal life is none of your business, at worst you’re seeking to circumvent employment laws that prohibit questions of this nature. An interview is to discuss work – stay on topic…

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For employers: Whenever you are in a position to hire (and pay) someone, it’s natural to feel a little entitled. And while we all seek qualified labor, remember that you’re not the only game in town. If you want the best people, your hubris is counter-productive to building a high-performing team. Your culture needs to be one of partnership, not entitlement.

For applicants: A job is a relationship, and the interview is like a first date. Spend less time thinking about how to impress people and pretending to be someone you’re not, and more time listening and asking thoughtful questions. That way if the position is offered, you and your client/employer can feel confident that you are both making the right decision.

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June 26, 2021 0