The problem of ghosting in job interviews

[BlueStarLizzard]

I've seen some amazing stuff (definitely not good amazing, either) with new hires, generally young people, over the past 10 years or so.

Completely unreliable, unmotivated, only does the minimum amount of work to not be fired and often not even that.
Can't communicate, can't cope without their cell phones, have no concept of professional behavior.
I could keep going...

[Andiron]

Completely unreliable, unmotivated, only does the minimum amount of work to not be fired and often not even that.
Can't communicate, can't cope without their cell phones, have no concept of professional behavior.
I could keep going...

That just bears repeating.

[K Frame]

Completely unreliable, unmotivated, only does the minimum amount of work to not be fired and often not even that.
Can't communicate, can't cope without their cell phones, have no concept of professional behavior.
I could keep going...

You left out massively unwarranted inflated sense of worth and abilities, positive that they are the only ones in the organization who really knows how to get things done, unable to either follow direction or accept constructive criticism.

[Hawkmoon]

You left out massively unwarranted inflated sense of worth and abilities, positive that they are the only ones in the organization who really knows how to get things done, unable to either follow direction or accept constructive criticism.

That's not new, but I don't know exactly when it started.

Back in the mid-1980s I was in charge of hiring for a mid-size A/E firm. Our practice was somewhat specialized and involved repair and rehabilitation of existing buildings rather than design of new ones, so many architects (perceiving themselves as the next Frank Lloyd Wright) weren't interested in working for us. The fact that the only school of architecture in the state happened to be an Ivy League university that catered to such delusions didn't make it easier for us to find qualified people.

So we ran some national ads. And we were deluged with letters of interest from people who had no clue. The one that still stands out in my mind was the one from an unlicensed intern architect from NYC who stated up front that he expected (not "wanted" -- "expected") a starting salary that was more than I was being paid. And he also expected to become a partner when he got his license. (There were no partners -- it was a sole proprietorship.)

The decision process for that one was quick ...

[K Frame]

It's always been something like that for prestige positions, especially from top schools.

But that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about start, or near start of career positions, right out of decent, but not great, schools.

I suspect it's come with the rise of the participation trophy mindset.

[Ben]

Completely unreliable, unmotivated, only does the minimum amount of work to not be fired and often not even that.
Can't communicate, can't cope without their cell phones, have no concept of professional behavior.
I could keep going...

We just started getting those in right before I left work. I probably would have lost it if I'd stayed longer and had to put up with them.

On my way out, I was training a PhD student interning with us on some of the maritime surveillance  stuff I had set up. Dude would consistently be late for meetings with me, yawn and let his eyes wander when I was going over tech stuff, and when I briefed him on behavior and attire for going to a Navy installation where I had some of my equipment set up, the next morning he showed up at the boat in a t-shirt, sweats, and tennis shoes and couldn't understand why I was mad at him.

I spent a good two months after I separated taking calls and emails from his boss on, "How do we do...?" which I of course went over in detail with the kid and also wrote a *expletive deleted*ing manual for.

Everything I read says that this is very normal - that younger employees, even when skilled, simply have a lackadaisical attitude towards anything that might be considered standards or procedure. They will work, but on their terms. It used to be that you had to put in a good ten years and rise in the ranks some before you copped attitudes like that.

[Bogie]

The counter monkeys in the parts store are expected to take the pallets of incoming stock resulting from the previous day's sales, and place them in appropriate places around the facility. Preferably the CORRECT places, or we won't find them again.
 
I have a floating broken bone in my foot, and I'm doing more than any of the <40 folks in the store.
 
I'm tired.