This spring and summer, we’ve been treated to a worrisome spate of articles and commentaries proclaiming a new problem for the long-term unemployed: discrimination by employers, who would evidently prefer to hire the freshly fired.
I have serious doubts about the situation as it’s being described. For starters, I’m not convinced that all, most or even significant numbers of employers are saying to themselves, “I’d rather hire someone more recently laid-off than this applicant.”
Rather, my gut tells me that they’re saying the same things they’ve said since becoming managers / interviewers / employers: “I’d like to hire someone who can do the job.”
Now if the applicants who have been out of work the longest happen to be those who aren’t getting picked up by employers, one could decide that they’re being discriminated against on the basis of being unemployed so long.
But what if the correlation runs the other way? What if the reason they’ve been unemployed so long, and the reason they’re not currently getting hired are the same? What if both are true because these candidates are not very good at job search?
Well, that stinks. First the person gets laid off, after being a terrific employee for however many years. Then he or she struggles through a year or more of unemployment and all the humiliation and loss that entails. Now come to find out, the jobs aren’t going to the good workers, but to the good job seekers?
That’s about the size of it. Yell or cry if you want, but once you’ve got that out of your system, let’s walk through this, so we can get to work on some solutions.
First, remember that this story might be mostly that -- a story. No way are “all” employers ever included in any poll, survey or trend. But what if some really do feel this way?
Second, run the problem through your common-sense meter. Let’s say it’s true. Why would an employer judge a worker by the length of his or her unemployment? One argument is that people who haven’t been working aren’t up to date in their skills or contacts. Employers also could question a person’s work habits and overall motivation after a long period of unemployment.
Third -- and this is critical -- ask yourself: In their shoes, would I have the same concerns about this applicant (me)? It might be difficult to maintain objectivity, since being unemployed tends to change a person. If you are experiencing long-term unemployment, you probably see more shades of gray than you would have previously.
But that’s my point exactly. Job search isn’t about the candidate; it’s about the employer. What do they think, need, want?
I can’t speak for all employers, but here’s my hunch: They don’t hire out of pity. They don’t hire victims. And they don’t hire people who can’t solve their own problems.
Never mind how harsh that sounds; just ask yourself if you think it’s true.
By now, you also should be asking yourself: Do I have any of the marks against me that have appeared so far in this article? Do I look like someone whose skills are out of date, or who waited until the unemployment checks ran out before seeking work, who self-identifies as a victim of the economy? Do I look like someone who can’t find a job after an entire year or more of trying?
If you’ve been reading my column awhile, you’ll have already guessed where I’m headed. For new readers, I might as well get the shock over with: On the off-chance that some employers feel this way, I’m siding with them. Not entirely, but maybe more than might be considered decent for someone who works as a career counselor.
So again, I have to ask, From the employer’s perspective, do you look like the person described here? If your answer is yes, or even maybe, then there’s only one question left: What are you going to do about it?
I’ll be back next week with some strategies. To prepare, go back to the day you lost your job and make a quick timeline showing what you did each month, including any periods focused on family, health issues, part-time jobs, training, small-business attempts, emotional slumps, etc.
One of next week’s strategies relates to framing the story of what you’ve been doing, which is why this timeline will be helpful. See you then.
Amy Lindgren owns Prototype Career Service, a career consulting firm in St. Paul. She can be reached at alindgren@prototypecareerservice.com or at 626 Armstrong Ave., St. Paul, MN 55102.
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