An Employer's Story

Natisha worked for a small but successful record store at the edge of a university campus. She thought it'd be easy to replace an employee who'd recently graduated and quit. She was wrong.

Instead of placing an ad in the campus newspaper, Natisha asked all of her current employees if they knew of anyone who might be interested in a job. They agreed to pass the word onto friends. Within a week, she received several applications and soon scheduled interviews.

The first candidate, Mark, arrived for his afternoon interview looking like he'd just stumbled out of bed. He was unshaven, his clothes were sloppy and his hair matted. "Casual dress was one thing, but this is going too far," Natisha thought. "If he can't pull himself together for a job interview, when he's trying to make a good impression, he's never going to work out." His answers to a few questions caused her to wonder if he were on drugs or just a really sappy guy. Either way, she didn't want him working for her!

Natisha's next applicant was Andrés, who'd been recommended by Natisha's best employee. Even before he arrived, Natisha liked him. His application form was neat and he already had retail experience. Natisha had basically decided that if his interview went OK, he'd have the job.

Unfortunately for Andrés, he blew it. Although he dressed properly and could speak well, he had the wrong attitude. When Natisha asked him what he could do for the company, he just looked at her blankly. "I thought you were going to tell me what YOU could offer so I could see if this is the job for me," he replied. Inwardly, Natisha groaned. Another kid who thought that the world owed him a living. No way was she going to hire him!

A few days later, Natisha arranged another interview. Again, the application was good and this time the candidate had included a résumé, which impressed her. Natisha didn't want to get her hopes up but she couldn't help it. She was sick of wasting time reading applications and interviewing people when the store was short-staffed. She needed to hire someone soon!

She led Teresa to her office, noticing with approval that Teresa was clean, well-dressed and made good eye contact. When she asked Teresa how she could help the store, Natisha braced herself. As Teresa described her skills and experience, however, Natisha relaxed.

Natisha knew that working retail wasn't rocket science; she could teach most people the skills needed. What she couldn't teach was a positive attitude and eagerness to work. Teresa had both and she got the job on the spot. Natisha believed she'd made the right decision and now time would tell!