The balance of power has changed. Employers have the impression that now they are the ones interviewing the candidates…when they shine to show up. A foray into a job interview session.

 

Posted at 5:00 a.m

 

Nathael Morissette
Journalism

Salsa lessons that prevent a candidate from working on Monday evening, the impossibility of being on time on Sunday for another, an alarm clock that does not ring for a future employee called to a meeting … in the afternoon, and finally, the young man who appeared in his absence at the time of the interview without giving any news .

When Marion Fournier, the new owner of Le 267 Restaurant, located in Vieux-Longueuil, welcomed Journalism In her establishment under construction – to allow us to attend her interviews – she seemed beyond doubt that a sunny afternoon in early June would not be as fruitful as she had expected.

Of course, you have already tasted the new reality of employment, which requires a lot of time from the employer. He should contact a candidate as soon as he receives his CV to keep in touch with him. ” this profession full-time,” she says candidly.

and^I Fournier had heard so many “horror stories” told by his friends the owners of the restaurant that some of the events that had taken place since the beginning of his appointment seemed to him to have become commonplace. “I have hired three chefs…I only have one left,” she said before the start of the interview session, a few weeks before her scheduled opening date.

Nor did the restaurateur expect all the young men to ask her to work from Monday to Friday. “And yes, I had Does not appear ”, she admitted, trying to bury the aggressive sound of the exercises.

“We also have people who don’t answer calls and resume work from where there is no phone number. But it’s really not the majority, I’m pleasantly surprised. She is confident despite everything,” she adds.

Bad surprises

But that afternoon, there were other surprises waiting for him, bad ones this time. M^I Fournier, who decided to make a leap in the catering business by opening the first establishment of a completely new concept devised by Pacini, has so far managed to employ 12 people. To lead his restaurant—which includes the three brands Tok-Tok (Korean hot dogs), Smokissime (smoked meat sandwiches to dip in sauce) and Queues de Castor—, M^I Fournier needs more than 20 employees.

As in the previous days, the interview session started well. The first candidate, 23-year-old Melanie, arrived early. The interview would take place on a seat located outside the restaurant, only to escape the dust and noise of a place that seemed far from ready to welcome customers soon.

“I always smile,” she says spontaneously when someone comments on her cheerful appearance. She picks up the hair in a bun, and white sneakers on her feet, the candidate who took care of her appearance enthusiastically answers the questions of the person who could become her boss. The exchange takes place in a cheerful tone. M^I Fournier sells his power and insists on the importance of having fun while working. It is convincing.

Mélanie wants to work part-time because she has taken a beauty course. Is she ready to go back to work for the weekend? “Yes, no problem,” she said, and scored points with her interviewer.

She describes herself as flexible, but is quick to add that she is unavailable on Monday evenings. “It’s a Latin salsa dance class. This request, however, did not surprise Marion Fournier.

When you get up from the park bench, the restaurateur draws a smiling face in the job application. Will you call her back? “Yes! It’s really very dynamic, responding as soon as the candidate leaves. I’m a franchisor, and I’m aware of that.”

actually happened

But after a few minutes, I realized the truth about recruitment. We won’t see the second candidate called up at 2 p.m. On several occasions, while she was waiting for him in the sun on the sidewalk, the lady said.^I Fournier consulted his text messages. nothing.

“If she doesn’t bother calling me, that’s a bad omen,” she says, deeply concealing her disappointment. The ghost candidate will finally call 15 minutes after her scheduled interview time. She said in a hoarse voice that her phone was off charging. The alarm did not sound to wake her up.

“I have bad Feeling ‘, points to Julie, M .’s right arm^I Fournier, present to welcome the candidates. “I will give the opportunity to the feud,” adds the president himself, who agreed to meet the young woman later in the evening.

After about 30 minutes, the scene repeats itself. The third aspirant is evident in his absence. We will learn later that it will not give any sign of life.

Heaven, the final candidate of the day, appears with a friend, who is also interested in a summer job. Marion Fournier decided to conduct the interviews indoors, after the workers’ departure. The 17-year-old says he left his livelihood because his boss didn’t respect schedules. At 267 he’s ready to work a few nights a week until 9:30 p.m. max.

His friend, questioned after him, hardly hid his nervousness. Her legs were frantically patted under the table which made her betray her. The young woman, who used to work at McDonald’s and Burger King, is not available on Sundays.

Despite everything, they made a good impression on M.^I Fournier. However, she remains reluctant because they have shown little openness to work on the weekends.

It should be noted that all the interviewed candidates showed more enthusiasm when they learned that there was a photo booth in the restaurant (photo booth) or by making it possible for deliveries to be made using an electric bike only for the salary offered. The hourly rate is set between $15 and $17 plus sharing tip can sometimes be as high as $4 an hour. They were called to an information session that was scheduled to take place a few weeks later. They all confirmed their presence. It was scheduled to open on June 20.

After a month…

About a month later, on the eve of day 1^Verse July, Le 267 was still unable to welcome its first customers. Work delays and communication problems are included in the list of factors that explain the situation. None of the candidates Journalism met with mr.^I Fournier did not attend the briefing, although everyone was recorded. They didn’t give him any sign of life either. On the phone, Marion Fournier does not hide her fear of losing other employees, in a hurry to raise money for the summer.

M^I Fournier also asked a few to hand out coupons for raffles. The experience appears to be decisive. “Write to them. Keep them informed.”

If the new owner acts instinctively, her strategy for retaining her team feels right, according to Céline Morillon, HR specialist and chair of Value Leaders, the consulting group.

“In such a situation, if we cannot pay it directly, the best tactic is constant communication, not only between the boss and the employees, but also between the employees.”

“We must never detach ourselves from the mission of our organization in our communications with them. Then, between them, they will not want to give up on them,” she adds.

Pinned again a few days ago, m^I Fournier has finally announced that it will be able to open on Monday, July 11th. Recently, it lost two of its employees, “coups de coeur” who started working elsewhere. At the moment, she has 25 people on her team. “I can still get surprises,” she said frankly. At the opening, this is where I will see how many employees I have left. »

“We can no longer recruit like we used to.”

The more you talk about labor scarcity in the media, the worse it gets in interviews. Workers know they have the big end of the stick, they know they are needed and that if the employer says this, someone else will say yes. It’s that simple,” sums up Celine Morillon, HR Specialist and Head of the Leaders de Valeur Consulting Group.

She explains that the manufacturing sector as well as service companies such as restaurants and barbershops, for example, are particularly affected by this situation.

Now that the balance of power has changed and candidates are realizing that they are needed more than ever, what should employers do if they want to succeed in their “hiring process”?

“It’s up to them to change the way they think,” she explains to the entrepreneurs she meets. We are no longer able to recruit as we did at the time. It’s over, he’s dead. »

She adds, “You take the time to analyze it and meet your world right away. We can no longer afford recruitments over three, four or five days. When people send in a resume, they send it to four different places, it will be first come, first served.”

The interview should also reflect the company’s image. “If the atmosphere of your company is festive and cheerful, then cheerfulThe interview should be festive and cheerful and cheerfulexplains m^I Morelon. If the atmosphere of your interview is tougher and more squared, you will find players who appreciate it, it should be consistent with what they will experience the next day and the next. »

Another important point, knowing that employment is scarce and that sometimes no application is submitted for a posted job, companies should start hiring early, advises Céline Morillon. In this regard, feel free to criticize the “not seeing” of many organizations.

“That’s what’s happening now at airports, that’s what’s happening everywhere,” she notes. Organizations are not able to present themselves adequately. They all started enlisting for the summer in March. It was last December that we started showing off and advertising our colors. »