Job applications flooding employers
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Misty Allen checks what table a food order needs to be delivered to while other kitchen and wait staff process orders behind her. Waitstaff at the new Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant have their own tables, but are expected to deliver food to any table in the restaurant when an order is ready.
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Managers for the new Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant in Janesville lead employees in a pre-opening pep rally to get them fired up. Staff at the restaurant were hired for their personalities as much, if not more, than their experience.
JANESVILLE — When Buffalo Wild Wings advertised it was hiring for its restaurant that opened Monday, 1,600 hopeful job seekers showed up.
“We had all walks of life,” bar manager Lindsey Erickson said. “We did have a much broader age range than we usually do. We did have a lot of the General Motor retirees.”
The business doesn’t hire based on experience but rather on personality and the “wow” factor, she said.
Managers interviewed each of the 1,600 applicants when they applied in person, then candidates were called back for a second and often third interview, she said. About 120 people now work at the sports bar and restaurant at 2929 Milton Ave., she said.
It’s just one sign of the competition job seekers face during a recession in an area with the state’s highest unemployment rates. Employers and officials say applicants might find their resume in a stack of hundreds. Trained, skilled people are applying for jobs they typically wouldn’t during good economic times.
The Janesville-Beloit area posted an unemployment rate of 13.5 percent in March.
“There’s just no jobs out there right now,” said Bob Borremans, executive director of the Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board.
“Everybody seems to be waiting for the economy to turn around. The result is that people are very well qualified. In many cases, they would be people that would be qualified to get work without assistance of our type of organization because of work history and skills. The trouble is there’s nothing available.”
All sorts of people—ranging from those with experience in highly skilled trades to unskilled production workers—are seeking help from the employment agency Manpower, said Cindy Harrington, branch manager of the Janesville and Monroe offices.
“It’s been one end of the spectrum to the other,” she said.
Twenty-five to 30 percent more people are turning to Manpower than a year ago, she said.
Many employers aren’t even accepting applications, she said. Others hire for only a few weeks to fill new orders.
Job seekers in today’s market have to be willing to do more than in the past, she said. Applying at an employment agency doesn’t guarantee a job, and she tells applicants they should keep searching.
Harrington is seeing people come to her agency with a month or so left of unemployment benefits.
“A lot of laid-off workers will take advantage of the UC (unemployment compensation), then they’ll start looking,” she said. “In this type of economy, I wouldn’t recommend that. … Don’t take a vacation and stay home for several months.”
Employers say they can tell when an applicant is really interested in a job as opposed to being desperate.
When interviewers asked applicants why they applied at Buffalo Wild Wings, some replied, “I just need a job,” Erickson said.
The city of Janesville has seen a different demographic—more laid off workers—applying for 30 or so seasonal operational and park jobs, said Leslie Bentz, benefits and risk manager.
More than 300 applied for the seasonal positions.
“Before, people might not have voluntarily taken a job only for a couple months,” she said. “Now, they say they’ll take anything.”
The alternative is to look at training options to be prepared when the job market turns around, Borremans said.
“There’s so few jobs,” he said. “(There’s) time to make yourself a better skilled worker.”
STAND OUT
How do you keep your application from getting ruled out immediately when there are hundreds of others? Area experts offer the following advice:
-- Get help writing your resume. Attend a resume-writing workshop at the Rock County Job Center. More information, tips and examples are available at www.jobcenter.org.
If you can’t make it to a workshop, area libraries and higher education institutions have been helpful, said Bob Borremans, executive director of the Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board.
-- Follow up on your application. Let the employer know you’re still interested in the position, and call to update your application with changes in your contact information or education, said Leslie Bentz, benefits and risk manager for the city of Janesville.
Be aware, though, that many companies have cut staff in human resources.
-- Research the company and position you’re applying for.
Employers can tell when you’ve sent an application without knowing anything about the company. You’ll score extra points if you show passion and knowledge about the job you’re seeking.
-- Arrive with a list of questions, said Lindsey Erickson, bar manager at the new Buffalo Wild Wings. The sports bar and restaurant just hired about 120 employees after receiving 1,600 applications.
“It definitely shows interest. It shows you’re willingness to grow in the company,” she said.
-- Stay positive. Local Manpower branch manager Cindy Harrington knows that’s the hardest one.
“There will be a position out there. (Maybe) not today, tomorrow,” she said.
SUMMER COMPETITION
Teens and college students returning for the summer shouldn’t bank on getting jobs they’ve had in the past.
“Don’t count on that job you had last summer unless you know it’s a sure thing,” said Cindy Harrington, branch manager of employment agency Manpower.
Some of the thousands of displaced workers might end up in jobs typically filled by students, she said.
More laid-off workers have applied for seasonal city jobs, city benefits and risk manager Leslie Bentz said. Typically the city sees college student applications, but given the economy, officials are seeing people who would take any kind of work, she said.
May 1, 2009 at 5:48 p.m.
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dude: you may NOT want to look at the health care field. Did you miss the article a few weeks ago where a RN was laid off? With more people unemployed, that means more people without insurance. More uninsured patients means more unpaid medical bills for providers. Unpaid medical bills means less revenue for health care centers/systems/hospitals. Less revenue means less jobs. If you want a guaranteed field of work: look at morturary school.
Apr 29, 2009 at 10:12 p.m.
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Jayvee...leave the pigs outta this. They are a little sensitive these days, and it hurts their feelings when you put them in the same rant as politicians.
Apr 29, 2009 at 9:36 p.m.
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Fishingal and localmaters...Time Out is owned by Brian Cherry formerly Cherry's Steak & Prime Rib there was an article on this in January. Awesome food yes...great fish fry and shrimp...but Buffalo Wild Wings has some of the best wings out there!! YUM YUM YUM...cant wait till the newness wears off and I can enjoy it and stop going to Madison for them.
Apr 29, 2009 at 9:27 p.m.
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jayvee, if you're talking about retirees grabbing those minimum wage jobs out of your hands (are you sure they were in your hands in the first place?), chances are, it would not be the type of job where you would be looking "back on 30 or 40 years of hard work" without having to do the same thing yourself; grabbing "them little jobs" out of the hands of the generations that follow you. I think most retirees who've made it to a financially secure retirement and take a part-time job as a "hobby" will take something that interests him/her, not a job carrying groceries or cleaning up chicken wing refuse (respectable jobs-just not "hobby" jobs). Besides, I guess it's just up to the employer who gets a job-just like this place hiring on "wow" factor. This hiring policy certainly isn't considering a "need" basis. Then there are retirees who are where they are for more reasons than we know-but they also need to eat.
I DO understand what you're saying though-there are simply not enough jobs to go around. I just mean-who gets to deicde who needs a job more?
Anyway-best of luck to all who are having a tough time-young or old.
Apr 29, 2009 at 8:17 p.m.
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noteworthy: Alot of retirees are looking for jobs now, not only GM. Maybe it's because we have spendthrifts in our local government, that don't know when it's time to say no to finding more ways to raise taxes on foolishness. People can't afford luxuries that others think Janesville needs right now, so they have to go back to work, so that a few priveleged can get what they want.
Apr 29, 2009 at 3:47 p.m.
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The truth is that alot of people just dont interview well. I ran an ad a couple months ago and people showed up in jeans, t-shirts etc. Now we are not the fanciest place around but come on, it was a white collar jobs that are being offered. You would think someone would get a clue. And i am sorry, remove the pierceings and cover the tats. Yes I have tats too but i am certainly not going to have my customers stare at them. Cover them up for the interview, its a distraction, and if you have holes punched all over your face etc., get them out or you will be out. People around here just dont think. So if you can hire an older maybe retiree who looks good speaks well and has a chance to be trained then that is why you are looking and they are working.
Apr 29, 2009 at 2:40 p.m.
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btw i'm talking about people in general.
Apr 29, 2009 at 2:35 p.m.
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12345678- Very good question! With all the opportunities in the area for students to get their high school diplomas (charter schools, Blackhawk tech etc.) there is no excuse to not have one. And to an employer what about someone that couldn't go to school and do what they're suppose to says that they are going to do what they are suppose to in a job? Isn’t school supposed to be hard work? And those who finish hard working?
Apr 29, 2009 at 1:16 p.m.
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spikesmom--I'm not saying your husband or other GM RETIREES can not work, but it is hard for those of us that are unemployed, have no benefits of any kind any longer to lose a job to someone who has retirement benefits. Again, I understand your husband has a right to work, I'm just trying to explain how some people may feel about it.
Apr 29, 2009 at 1:06 p.m.
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Thanks Fishingal!
Apr 29, 2009 at 12:13 p.m.
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1234567- Maybe the person has a better personality than some of the other applicants.
Just because someone doesn't have a diploma doesn't mean they will not be a good worker.
Apr 29, 2009 at 11:14 a.m.
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This is for noteworthy - Maybe it's just me but isn't there a difference between the GM retirees and the GM employees on unemployment? My husband is a GM retiree and he is legally entitled to work another job as long as he does not make over a certain amount per year. If you read that sentence about the retirees, the manager was surprised at the broad AGE range of applicants. I'm assuming she was surprised there were a lot of older people, hence GM retirees, that can work and still receive whatever benefits they are still entitled to. My husband usually works during the summer months at a local business and there is nothing wrong with that. Where does it say that only people that have either never worked before or don't receive compensation from another job are the only ones allowed to apply for jobs?
Apr 29, 2009 at 11:03 a.m.
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please tell why out of 1,600 applicants, BWW hired an individual without a high school diploma when there was PLENTY of other qualified applicants?!
Apr 29, 2009 at 10:52 a.m.
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I’m sorry but I think 1600 applicants is a stretch here. BW3's only took applications 1, 5 day week 9am-5pm ish. That means they would have had to have 37.5 people applying every hour they were open. When I went to apply (and I wasn't too impressed btw)there were only 3 people ahead of me that were getting interviewed, no else filling out the applications and then only 1 other person came in after I did. I would say I was there about a half hour. Now I’m not saying that they didn't get a lot of applications I’m just saying it doesn't seem like the flood that they are claiming.
Apr 29, 2009 at 10:31 a.m.
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localmatters: The new place downtown, TimeOut Pub & Eatery, is locally owned and they have 9 different kinds of boneless wings including mango habanero, Caribbean jerk, buffalo, sweet chili and honey garlic. They give you a full pound of them! PLUS they are smoke free.
Apr 29, 2009 at 9:31 a.m.
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times are horribly rough if your not laid off then your hours are cut way back and trying to raise a family on either 1 1/2 income or just 1 income is horribly tough, i know my family is going through that as well, and the job hunt not an easy thing either, used to be you could get up go out and find a job by the end of the day but now with so many people competing for jobs it is not that easy.
Apr 29, 2009 at 9:21 a.m.
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Is there a local place for wings? http://spend-local.com/blog/janesville/a...
Apr 29, 2009 at 8:07 a.m.
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There are jobs out there, you just have to do alittle research, dont contain your search to one specifcic area, keep your mind open and you will notice there are actually jobs everywhere, and if your smart go back to school and get a education for a career in need, anyone look at the health care field, if not you may want to.
Apr 28, 2009 at 10:16 p.m.
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Come on Gazette! Seriously!!! Take a city already fighting a depression and print an article like this offering even less hope...We need to be encouraged-not discouraged!!!
Apr 28, 2009 at 10 p.m.
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Where does it say GM retirees are applying for the job, HMMM?
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danias -- in the last sentence of the second paragraph.
Apr 28, 2009 at 9:51 p.m.
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I've been layed off a month and had one interview. Everytime I try to apply for a job there's another thousand people applying. I might as well back up my family and move far far away. If i stay here i'll probly be flipping burgers if im lucky
Apr 28, 2009 at 8:56 p.m.
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I was at Hooters last year just after they anounced BW3's was coming and the waitress said "uh oh, thats not good". Once you eat BW3's you'll never eat the grease wings at Hooters again. And besides the scenery isn't all that great anyways.
Apr 28, 2009 at 7:57 p.m.
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I imagine that GM retirees are looking for these jobs becaues their GM stock is nearly worthless and their pensions and other promised retirement benefits might not be quite as generous as they had planned.
Even if this is a brand-new restaurant that needed to fill all of its positions, 1,600 applicants for (near-) minimum wage jobs is a tragedy.
Apr 28, 2009 at 7:55 p.m.
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Where does it say GM retirees are applying for the job, HMMM? There are a lot of people on unemployment not just GM and then we have the people who collect welfare and such cause they are to lazy to work and bash the system! Why don't you complain about them!
Apr 28, 2009 at 7:18 p.m.
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What she was saying is that a lot of people especially in the past will milk their unemployment dry and then go out a month before their benefits run out and expect to have a job land on their lap. In this economy people should not be doing that anymore. She didn't say everyone was doing it but many unskilled low wage workers do.
Apr 28, 2009 at 5:29 p.m.
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“A lot of laid-off workers will take advantage of the UC (unemployment compensation), then they’ll start looking,” she said. “In this type of economy, I wouldn’t recommend that. … Don’t take a vacation and stay home for several months.”
Huh? so the economy stinks here, there are no jobs, and after hunting for months on end they think we're on vacation? Nice.
Apr 28, 2009 at 5:14 p.m.
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I am confused - someone please explain why a lot of GM retirees are applying for these jobs???
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