Buzz Session

Crazy Job Applicant Requests? One Wanted to Attend Every College Home Game

Another ‘wanted more than I make.’

Published

6 years ago

January 21, 2019

INSTORE Staff Instore January 2019 Issue

Crazy Job Applicant Requests? One Wanted to Attend Every College Home Game

- One person I interviewed wanted more than I make. Also, dictating when they would work and four weeks paid vacation the first year. Alan Beckner, Beckner Jewelry & Repairs, Naples, FL

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I long for the days when people appreciated having a job in a business like ours! My last disappointment was a woman in her 50s telling me she would be available on Saturdays (when I needed her most) only to discover that, upon hiring her, she absolutely had to go to every Virginia Tech home football game! Really? Jane Johnson, RM Johnson & Sons, Salem, VA
Funny, they all want weekends and evenings off. Haha! Me too! Stacey Gelmici-Saunders, Gelmici Jewellers, Edson, AB
Yes! We are getting demands for no weekends due to their recreational activity such as volleyball, golf, even babysitting grandchildren. It’s retail! Alison Sophy, Sophy Jewelers, St Clair, PA
One in particular wanted the entire month of December off to travel. Linda McEathron, Design House, Waco, TX
Total lack of qualified people. Was surprised to have a prospective employee ask for a lot of money, health benefits and retirement benefits. No jewelry experience. Michael Cook, Walter J. Cook Jeweler, Paoli, PA
We had part-time employees ask about health benefits and even moving reimbursement. Beth Cevasco, Scott’s Custom Jewelers, Fairlawn, OH
It’s ugly out there! I can’t afford to employ entry level any more. Trying to find real salespeople is tricky; they want a big salary and commission. No one wants to work hard any more. Laurie Langdon-Gerber, Elisa Ilana Jewelry, Omaha, NE
We have a hard time getting applicants and the ones we get aren’t dressed appropriately: shorts and flip-flops. Charles Hood, C.B. Hood Diamond Co., Santa Maria, CA
I live in a market driven by the oil field, so it’s boom or bust. It’s very hard to find good help in a boom and plentiful to find it in a bust. Marc Majors, Sam L. Majors, Midland, TX
We had a new hire not want to sign off on our background check because it addresses medical issues. The medical portion is there to check if someone has had mental issues, drug abuse or pre-existing injuries. We check it to protect ourselves from potential work comp issues. We couldn’t hire her. Elizabeth Kittell, Pretty In Patina, Omaha, NE
Tried to find help, but no one even applied. Laurie Cusher, Hyde Park Jeweler, Hyde Park, NY
Mostly surprised at their resumes. They all change jobs every year! Cathy Calhoun, Calhoun Jewelers, Royersford, PA
Yes and no, it’s been trending for a little while. Fewer and fewer workers want to work Saturdays, and more and more applicants are demanding more time off and requesting more flexible times. The days of someone young being eager to work their way up seem long gone. Kim Hatchell, Galloway & Moseley, Sumter, SC
We do not offer insurance and lost two good manager candidates to jobs outside the industry that did. Russell Criswell, Vulcan’s Forge, Kansas City, MO
Not really any demands, just unqualified people unfortunately. Alisha Moore, Toner Jewelers, Overland Park, KS
I was surprised how many “applied,” sent their name and wanted more info, yet never followed through. Possibly just getting job application quota for welfare benefits. Julee Johnson, Julee’s Jewelry, Mankato, MN
I hear a lot of, “How much will I make and will I have to work on Saturday?” That’s a deal breaker for me. Murphy McMahon, Murphy McMahon & Co., Kalispell, MT
Yes: phone rights, sleeping later than required to be here, all Saturdays off and two weeks to three weeks vacation the first year. Just a few. Tim Wright, Simply Unique Jewelry Designs, Yorktown, VA
I did hire recently and I can say I was pleasantly surprised with the professionalism of our candidates. Sue Parker, Nyman Jewelers, Excanaba, MI
Not really. A lot of younger people don’t even apply for retail. I mostly hire 55 and olders! Teddie Gause, Gause and Son Jewelers, Ocala, FL
We have hired an awesome young lady that we are paying less than she was making, but we gave her the opportunity to make more by her performance. Brenda Hefner, Oz’s Jewelers, Hickory, NC
The tight labor market doesn’t seem to have affected my area as much as others. Jon Walp, Long Jewelers, Virginia Beach, VA
Part-time do not want to work full days, want to leave daily for lunch, want higher starting hourly wage. Some only want to sell, don’t want to install batteries, don’t want to set-up, etc. Jody Bond, Just Gold Jewelers, Stuart, FL
Applicants want to pick and choose the hours they are to work and they want $18-$20 an hour. Georgena Kincaid, Gold Casters Fine Jewelry, Bloomington, IN

Ready to Relocate? Wilkerson Makes Your Move Seamless

When Brockhaus Jewelry decided to leave their longtime West Main Street storefront for a standalone building elsewhere in Norman, Oklahoma, owners John Brockhaus and Brad Shipman faced a familiar challenge: how to efficiently reduce inventory before the big move. Their solution? Partnering with liquidation specialists Wilkerson for a second time. "We'd already experienced Wilkerson's professionalism during a previous sale," Shipman recalls. "But their approach to our relocation event truly impressed us. They strategically prioritized our existing pieces while tactfully introducing complementary merchandise as inventory levels decreased." The carefully orchestrated sale didn't just meet targets—it shattered them. Asked if they'd endorse Wilkerson to industry colleagues planning similar transitions—whether relocating, retiring, or refreshing their space—both partners were emphatic in their approval. "The entire process was remarkably straightforward," Shipman notes. "Wilkerson delivered a well-structured program, paired us with a knowledgeable advisor, and managed every detail flawlessly from concept to completion."