- Joined
- Oct 28, 2012
- Messages
- 635
- Points
- 28
... The first thing I would like to discuss is the experience of trying to hiring a Singaporean. On one particular day last year I invited seven people to an interview. These were people that had all previously applied for the job online through a monster.com type job site. I gave them all more than 48 hours advance notice. Of the seven: four did not respond at all, one wrote back and said they didn’t like the neighborhood (it’s centrally located serviced by 10 bus routes and one metro line), one didn’t like the time slot I offered and one confirmed by telephone. The one person who confirmed the interview did not show up and did not call or email to cancel. Please remember these are people that are supposedly looking for employment and applied for the job, not people I identified via a CV search and cold called. I can’t imagine not going to a job interview for a job that I applied for! And as I said this is not abnormal, these are very typical examples of what it’s like trying to hire a local in Singapore.
Let's be objective here and analyse the situation step by step. Big Boss, a potential employer, who may be ang mor or ah neh or Sinkie, has an opening in his firm and places ad in Monster.com. The following happens:
1) Maybe about 30 online applications were received with applicants providing contact details, etc (of course lah, if not how could Big Boss do step 3).
2) Big Boss, vets these and narrows it down to 7.
3) Big Boss contacts those 7 by email and gives them 48 hours advance notice. This means if it is Monday morning when the emails were sent, the first interview will be on Wednesday.
4) The ad was on Monster.com, so it is likely to be for a low level PMET, not for lawyer or anything. Means each interview should not last more than 30 minutes. Interviews for high level PMETs like lawyers, architects, etc can last much, much longer i.e. you are being interrogated, but without CPIB style torture or coercion. Times 7 equals about 3 and half hours. One morning or afternoon should suffice, if there are not too many large gaps between interviews. If whole day allocated, more than sufficient time and more flexible for both Big Boss and his future minions.
5) 4 did not respond! Hello, hello, you applied to an ad on Monster.com! Nobody put a gun to your head and make you do it. Say, between Future Minion's applying and Big Boss' inviting, situation changed - say Future Minion found another job or his current boss gave him a raise. It is BASIC courtesy and business etiquette to reply to Big Boss' invitation and say "No thank you, but in the meantime my situation has changed". Too lazy to do that? Then you deserved to be unemployable!
6) 1 wrote back and say he didn't like the neighbourhood. Assuming the address was only disclosed in Big Boss' invitation email, then it's acceptable. If the address was oredi in the ad itself, What the Fuck is in Future Minion's mind! Don't like neighbourhood then don't apply lah.
7) 1 didn't like the time slot and confirmed by telephone. Hello, hello, why didn't Future Minion negotiate another time slot with Big Boss? Why don't like time slot in the first place? Must escort girlfriend to bus stop during that time arh? Adjust your own affairs to fit in with Big Boss' offered time slot lah! Unless Big Boss was very inflexible in the time slots (unlikely since he "budgeted" for 7 and only 2 confirmed they will come) and didn't "like" means can't be away from current job during that time, then I have nothing to say.
8) 1 confirmed and didn't turn up. And worse, did not contact to cancel or reschedule. This clown ought to be shot. Future Minion had willingly agreed to meet Big Boss at appointed time and place, then gave a no show - totally irresponsible. Wartime how? Artillery supposed to bombard enemy position before infantry move in, but artillery commander "forgot" to do it on appointed time, infantry went after enemy position without prior artillery softening and got slaughtered. Whose fault?
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