Why Companies Hire Only People Who Already Have a Job
By Stephen Bucaro
One thing that's keeping the unemployment rate high today is that companies want to
hire only people who already have a job. Some companies are even bold enough to state
in their help wanted ads "unemployed need not apply". Why do many companies only want
to hire people who already have a job, and how do you overcome that bias?
1. Normally when a company fires someone, they need a good reason, otherwise they can
get sewed for wrongful termination. When the stock market crash and massive layoffs
occurred in late 2007, no one was asking questions about why people were fired. It
was obviously because of the recession. Companies took advantage of that opportunity
to dump their dead weight employees. So a company looking to hire assumes that if you
were one of those that was laid off, you're an undesirable.
2. If you're a salesperson, you have valuable customer contacts and market knowledge.
But when you're out of work for a while, those contacts go away, and that market knowledge
becomes outdated. When a company hires a salesperson, that salesperson's customer contacts
and market knowledge comes as part of the package. Companies don't get that valuable
asset when they hire someone who is unemployed.
Similarly, if you're in a technical or skilled field, you have valuable knowledge of
the latest products and techniques in your field. When a company hires a technical
or skilled person, that person's knowledge of the latest products and techniques comes
as part of the package. When you're out of work for a while, that knowledge becomes
outdated. Companies get a better value when they hire someone who is currently employed.
3. Companies believe that people who have been unemployed for a while are demoralized
and pessimistic. They believe that people who have been unemployed for a while have been
sitting around watching TV and getting soft, unable to survive the fast pace of
post-recession of business. Companies want to hire only people who are energetic with
a positive, optimistic attitude.
These are the reasons many companies only hire people who already have a job. It's
difficult to overcome this bias, or even just get an interview, if you're currently
unemployed. You need to convince companies that you're up-to-date with the latest
advances in your field. To do that join industry organizations and attend industry events.
And you need to highlight any further training or education that you've attained while
unemployed. You need to convince employers that, when they hire you, they're getting
valuable industry knowledge as part of the package. They're not just getting a warm body.
More Finding a Job Information: • Staffing Agencies - Just What Do They Do? • The Job Interview Pep Talk - How to Psych Yourself Up Before the Big Day • Job Hunting? The Internet May be Your Best Resource • Strategies For Dealing With Getting Terminated • The Crucial First Step in Resume Writing - Establishing Your Focus • How to Get a U.S. Government Job • Getting from College to Career - 90 Things to Do Before You Join the Real World • Expanding Your Resume - The Curriculum Vitae • How to Network • How to Address Gaps in Your Employment History
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