Students and weekend job interviews.

A degree needed to clean toilets looms!

Actually my daughter in law has a degree AND several years experience of part-time work in a well known chemist's shop, but still didn't get short-listed for a job at Boots.
(Turned out well as she got a much better summer job, but what on earth did they want?)

This last bit in the Asda interview is called The Asda Magic, all about seeing how you work in a team, who takes the top role (a leader) in trying to do whatever daft task has been asked of them. Showing initiative etc.
Everyone who does it thinks it's appalling and stupid, the idea is to overcome your reservations and show what you can do/your ideas.

My son had to be in a team and design a musical bathtub for a part time seasonal, Christmas job in Argos. I don't know how many applied but about 24 did the team thing and then some got a second interview, my son did, but there were only 2 jobs and he didn't get one.

He had terrible difficulty getting any Saturday job -with forms and CVs. I don't think I even knew what a CV was at that age. I simply wandered up the High Street asking if there were Saturday jobs until a shop had one and then they said 'which school are you at?- start next Saturday'.

What really annoyed me was that he wanted a Saturday job ( or Sunday would have done) but it was 'can you work both?' 'Can you work any evenings?' Basically they want a cheap labour force they can send home if quiet and call on if busy.

He got a pub job in his first summer at University,but only because he said he could do the whole summer, any days and any hours.

Well done that woman in Asda! A pity they need the jobs and can't tell businesses where to shove their stupid ideas! (I would have thought she showed initiative and given her a job!)

I agree with Coolgran. They may also have wanted grit, a person to keep their cool with difficult situations and customers.

This whole interview bit is a load of nonsense. I too have helped teenage children through the online process bit, and yes Leticia you are right, they just want a cheap labour force they can call on when things are busy, not at all suitable when you are at school Monday to Friday. There was case reported some months back of a prat manager with a clipboard and a very high opinion of himself, making applicants at Currys 'dance in the style of a 70s disco'. This was sheer malice and nastiness and had nothing to do with the rubbish job being offered. The sad thing about the woman in ASDA who quite rightly told the prat man with a clipboard what he could do with his spaghetti and marshmallows, is that she will likely be sanctioned by another prat jobsworth at the jobcentre.

These teenagers are not aplying for the CEO post- just as temporary shelf stackers- what a performance to go through.

For a holiday job, may I suggest that they get in touch with neighbours for maybe fence and shed painting? I did this last year and the twins did a marvellous job. There are many tasks not involving electrical equipment which could be done and somebody like myself. living on my own, would be grateful to have done. I am good at supplying drinks every hour on the hour!

When our kids were at 6th form, they applied for jobs at the local Tesco. They were put on the list after one interview and had jobs by the summer.

Why has everything become so complicated?

I know it is complicated and does seem unnecessary BUT it is good practice for later on when their career starts. I used to do lots and lots of interviews mainly nurses and health care assistants. So many people trained and highly trained nurses let themselves down badly at interview with very basic things like unpunctuality, mumbling, not looking at the interviewer- I even had a trained nurse come straight from the gym in her gym kit!! My nephew (15) had mock interviews at his school last week with banks, retailers etc for practice and for the feedback this was done instead of conventional work experience and I think they are going to have some more soon. My sister got him all done up in a suit, collar and tie and he got compliments for appearance but he giggles when under pressure!! Bless him.

My daughter used to continually swing from side to side trying to look at everyone, until someone kindly pointed out her mistake!

What happens to the people who lack social skills, have little social experience and no chance of competing with bright 6th formers who are likely to have more of both these assets.

Oh yes, on the dole and demonised, sanctioned if they're late or miss an appointment at the job centre or fail to apply for a million impossible jobs before breakfast - no housing benefit for under 25's, bedroom tax imposed on the dad they spend half the week with and who is also desperately applying for jobs. One dad I know found himself self employed as an events organiser after a recent appointment at the job centre. It's like living in Alice in Wonderland. He's no more chance of succeeding than I have of becoming a brain surgeon. That chap has lived in his 2 bed place for 20 years plus, had two children to live with him half the week throughout most of that time. He's now being charged the bedroom tax because the young people live at their mothers home for the purposes of housing benefit allocation.

I apologise for having moved this thread away from its original point merlotgran. I can see the positives for the employer in this kind of interview, but feel so sorry for individuals who would find the process truly terrifying

That is the trouble. It is not just qualifications that some people lack. They lack vital social skills too.

I dont quite understand what you mean by social experience.

Life is hard for these people.

I still don't understand why some dick with a clipboard, setting pointless tasks is a good or valuable thing to do.

and yes Iam it does sound like something out of Alice in Wonderland, surreal alternative universe. When will this madness end?

I agree Gill - there must be less demeaning ways of finding out who is likely to be a good team-player.

Professionals and high-flyers are not given spaghetti and marshmallows to play with, or expected to perform a dance.

Not a dance but these kinds of 'management challenges' are continually set on training and development courses for all kinds of professionals and high flyers. I've had to build lego towers, a raft across a lake, abseil down a cliff as well as numerous tough interviews with people like the ones Alan Sugar has interviewing his apprentices not for a new job but for keeping the I already had - but that's the joy of the modern NHS for you.

Apparently they had already been tested on using their initiative by being asked to check shelf displays by making sure all labels were facing the right way etc. Some objects had obviously been placed there to see how the applicants dealt with them like a couple of discarded boxes on the floor, bits of cellophane wrapper shoved between items etc.

They were obviously being watched to see who picked up the boxes and put them in a safe place and removed any untidy debris from the shelves.

A worthwhile exercise I would think so why not leave it at that?

I should also say I have frequently been the 'dick with the clipboard' on many occasions and seen many people develop their skills as a result of such training exercises.

I bet no medical consultants were involved in these exercises Teetime.

medical riverwalk they are not trying to screen for mental illness are they?
I think these tasks are set because everyone knows that interviews are really not much good at predicting success in a job. (just how good you are at interviews) and then someone in HR comes up with a home grown "test" that is cheap to administer.
A more scientific approach would be to use a reputable personality profile but that is quite expensive and probably overkill for self stacking.

I'm confused Jess by your reference to mental illness - I certainly didn't mention mental illness.

Teetime is a former nurse and I understood from her post that her exercises were for existing NHS staff on training courses, not for applicants to stack shelves at Asda.

I was betting that no NHS Medical Consultants, you know those people who are at the top of the food chain in the NHS, were made to disco dance or play with spaghetti.

I am sure that a quick chat would be enough to know whether someone could stack shelves one day a week.

Ah I thought you were talking about the OP riverwalk, apologies.

It seems a bit ridiculous to me and I would find it quite humiliating. I have some sympathy with the lady who stormed off.