November 30 2007: Maternity Wear Is A Cutthroat Business
Filed under Uni/Work
Here’s a general tip for all those looking for work, or who have just had their work terminated: don’t send your parents in to fight your battles.
My workplace has recently been looking for new staff. We have two locations in Melbourne: one is constantly short-staffed, and the other will be once I’m back to university next year. For this reason, we’ve been trialing new people every few days. They come in for a day as a trial of how well they work, how well they approach the customer, etc. If they suck…then we don’t call them back after that day. If they don’t suck, then they come back for an extra day and we move them on to more advanced work.
None of the five trialled so far have made it past the second stage. One had serious kleptomania issues, another had problems overcoming shyness and approaching a customer, yet another couldn’t figure out how to operate a computer. The others were simply incompetent and slow. My manager is a member of Mensa. She doesn’t work well with incompetents.
On the whole, the people we’ve trialled have accepted that they hadn’t made the cut. Then today, one of the girls trialled burst into tears, and ran out of the store when told that we wouldn’t be requiring her services anymore. Her mother came in an hour later, and demanded to know why her daughter had been let go. Never mind the fact that she was never technically hired in the first place (thus, trial), that she spent half the time that she was in the store on her phone making personal calls, that she told a pregnant customer that she had a “fat gut” (seriously, WTF?). Her mother was adamant: her daughter was a good worker goddarnit, and we better hire her back!
Keep in mind that the ‘girl’ was thirty-years-old. What kind of a thirty-year-old sends their mother in to fight their battles for them?
I can’t believe that. What a bunch of pitiful idiots. Burst in tears when “fired” when you’ve been talking on the phone half the time. She had it coming. Doesn’t people have any sense of insight nowadays? And didn’t the mother realise how stupid she was?
A little off topic. Mensa in Norwegian means menstruation. I just thought it was funny she was a member of “mensa”…yes, yes…I’m silly too.
Constance on November 30 2007 #
I became more and more…how to say…”découragée” as I read the paragraph.
First, you’re trying to get a job. For yourself. Your parents should be kept out of this.
Then, do you know how many people who are deeply awesome get rejected for a job application? You’re not fit for the job, get over it.
Finally…THIRTY FUCKING YEARS OLD? Someone, slap me.
Julie on November 30 2007 #
^ *slap* :P
Thirty years old.
Thirty. Years. Old.
LULZ.
Can’t believe how surprisingly crappy the standards of potential employees can be. Especially considering the fast-paced society and lifestyle around us.
Xuan on November 30 2007 #
This is the problem with low unemployment in this country. All the half decent people already have jobs.
kat on December 1 2007 #
Hey, when I come back, if your workplace is still trialling, can I trial? haha…
but O_o to the girl… I think she’s been unemployed for a long time?
Mish on December 1 2007 #
Wow. Just, wow. I can’t believe the immaturity and stupidity of people these days.
Kaylee on December 1 2007 #
Hilarious. Almost made for TV.
Nano on December 1 2007 #
@ Julie: ”découragée” = “discouraged.”
Oh my. I cannot even imagine the humility I would feel bringing my mother into that sort of situation when I was… 14! I would just DIE of embarrassment! To be thirty is just beyond the realms of patheti-sad. She might as well just give up on everything while she is only slightly behind the game.
Aisling on December 1 2007 #
Heh sounds like all the girls you find working in the grocery store I used to suffer in.
Jenny on December 1 2007 #
Wow, just wow. But in the girl’s defense, I bet the mother did it without her knowing. She may have asked but mom’s can be like that sometime and want to protect their children no matter how old they are.
Jamie on December 3 2007 #