Now we've been looking for some more staff. Front of house and kitchen. The owner's put an ad up on Kijiji and on Craigslist.
And every day the applicants call and come down.
They're hopeless. Absolutely hopeless.
Men and women, all of distinct minorities, accompanied by their brothers/sisters/best friends/co-workers/husband/wife.
People who refuse to speak for themselves and do it instead through a translator or have their friends explain their intent.
This must be a new thing, I've never seen it before, people showing up with their friends to apply for work.
They show up in their work clothes - McDonald's, Wendy's or Tim Horton's uniforms, they want to be a cook. The uniform should be all the proof we need that they have a job, or had one, or know what a work uniform looks like when they get it donated by the Salvation Army.
They want to know when they can come in, I give them a couple of time slots when the owner will be around to interview them. They call back and want to know the bus that runs nearest to the restaurant. Or they call back and tell me that "if they still need the job they might drop round tomorrow....".
Good people can't be that hard to find. But, really, someone with 2 arms and 2 legs walking through that door under their own power is starting to look pretty good.
They come down, hours away from the times I've quoted them on the phone, the middle of the afternoon when no one is there to interview them, in the middle of the dinner or lunch rush, waiting at the front door for the owner to drop all the orders and come out to interview them, the time I suggested, it just wasn't convenient for them. I just pitch the resume into the garbage.
And the phone keeps ringing and the ad stays up. Help Wanted.