journal features

hiring is tough work

the journal of Michael Werneburg

twenty-seven years and one million words

Toronto, 2015.04.09

I'm currently hiring for two disparate roles, and it's tough sledding. First, about 90 people have applied. And in strict opposition to current "practice", I'm treating these applicants like humans, responding to their applications and telling them to contact me with questions.

Strangely, the ones to send questions are the foreigners. We're not looking to hire from overseas but the Canadian applicants have been mostly mum.

So on I go, reading resumes and looking for signs of a fit for the roles. I'm doing the initial screening calls and trying to think tactically about the hires. It absorbs a lot of time.

Moreover, it's clear that we titled one of the job postings poorly, because I'm getting a lot of people looking for a position with a different interpretation of that title. And of that group, it's astonishing to see how many MBA's are applying for a role that's got "analyst" in the title. It's not the sort of gig that's going to pay down a $100,000 tuition in a hurry!

rand()m quote

The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to such a pass that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others. And having no respect he ceases to love, and in order to occupy and distract himself without love he gives way to passions and coarse pleasures, and sinks to bestiality in his vices, all from continual lying to other men and to himself.

—Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov