From the other side.....

kittykat100

I work in a hotel and have recently advertised a job for a Receptionist. I am amazed at the amount of CVs that have landed on my desk over the last 2 weeks.
70% are non UK nationals
20% have degrees

This is for a Minimum wage position. I weeded people out with a glance at their CV.. Ok this sounds harsh but I am extremely busy and don't have the time to wade through pages.

I interviewed 6 people so far for 2 positions. 5 people turned up nicely turned out, 1 person turned up with a couple of face piercings.... they didn't get the job.

Several emails that were sent were in abbreviated speak.. as plz can you look at my CV... I didn't read past that.

I even had one person call up from somewhere in the Eastern European asking for the job... I had to convince her not to come to England because I could not give her an interview because she did not have a good command of English.

I have offered both positions to people who I believe are interested in the role and not using it as a way of getting money before moving on to 'better' things.

I had no idea that it was so hard out there and competition was so tough. 8 years ago I was hiring and I was lucky to get 3 CVs.. now there are literally dozens.

I genuinely wish everyone searching for a job the best of luck.

Kittyx

shikoku

I would have thought a receptionist post warranted more than minimum wage.

Anyone doing a minimum wage job is doing it 'as a way of getting money before moving on to 'better' things.'

It's just that some are better than others at hiding this from tight fisted employers...

kittykat100

It does for experience but for non experienced it is minimum wage till trained up.

Sambucus_Nigra

kittykat100 wrote: »

It does for experience but for non experienced it is minimum wage till trained up.

Pay peanuts - get monkeys...

How long exactly does it take to train a receptionist up?

A day, a week, a month? :eek:

Uncertain

Sambucus_Nigra wrote: »

Pay peanuts - get monkeys...

Monkeys with degrees it seems.......

Mudd14

I work in HR in the hotel industry and ou will be amazed the amount of foreign doctors and highly educated people applying for jobs cleaning rooms at minimum wage!

shikoku

At the last few interviews I've had - and these were for various clerical roles - I have been, sometimes gleefully, informed by the interviewer that they have had just under three hundred applications and how lucky I was to even get an interview!

We are talking about minimum wage here.

These are jobs I would have bypassed due to low salary in normal times, and yes I would only do them until I found something better; or more to the point somewhere where they showed respect for their staff by paying a living wage.

I've also noticed a tendency for employers to try and recruit one minimum wage person to do what used to be the job of two if not three people previously.

A particular vacancy I was interviewed for (but didn't get) returns every couple of weeks as each person fails to cope with the workload. Fortunately they have taken to putting 'previous applicants need not apply' in the advert.

gingerdad

Sambucus_Nigra wrote: »

Pay peanuts - get monkeys...

How long exactly does it take to train a receptionist up?

A day, a week, a month? :eek:

Would disagree with the pay peanuts - get monkeys, we pay as much as we can afford which is above the NMW, but not much above and i have some fantastic staff all very experienced and want to go the extra mile for the company and customers.

last time i was looking for staff we have over 100 applications.

GD

leah123_2

I agree I recently went for an interview in a local hotel on a Sunday afternoon for a Receptionist role and then told there would be not one but two interviews. Then told I would need to be willing to work Xmas Day, New Years Eve & New Years Day and as well as cover Reception lend a hand in the bar and the kitchen and generally where ever needed for Minimum wage and would be required to work until 1am on occassions.

Having a degree in Accountancy & Business Law this was not the kind of thing I envisaged doing but being desperate for a job I agreed and the interviewer said she'd be in touch if I had got a second interview - 2 weeks later I'm still waiting on the phone ringing doesn't do much for your confidence when your unemployed .

dickydonkin

In defence, catering/hospitality is traditionally a low wage sector, however, many industries are taking advantage of the current situation by offering NMW where in the past, a more realistic salary would be available.

Mrsp used to work as a receptionist, however, that role incorporated many other functions including admin and HR duties therefore it may be a little unfair to portray a receptionist as someone who just sits behind a desk all day answering phones. The difference however, was that her salary reflected the additional duties she had to undertake.

Googlewhacker

Again to those moaning about NMW being offered. If you feel it is not right please go and start your own business up and offer more and then maybe you can start the drive of upping the average wage?

Some companies are taking advantage at the moment of the current situation but alot are only offering NMW because this is all they can afford to offer.