Job seekers face tough hiring process in picky market

Landing a job is never easy - even in good times.

But in today's economy employers are running job seekers through the wringer with multiple interviews, complex personality tests, ad hoc projects and a myriad of other requirements.

"It's really frustrating for people," said Cynthia Shapiro, a Woodland Hills-based career strategist and author of the book, 'What Does Somebody Have to Do to Get a Job Around Here?'

"It's taken a lot of people by surprise. They don't know how to handle it."

With some 11.7 million Americans still out of work, companies have come to realize they can be picky, she said. Many businesses tightened their budgets and scaled back operations in the wake of the recession, Shapiro said, but now they're in need of more manpower.

"They've been running leaner and meaner, but they've finally been able to scrape the money together to hire someone," she said. "The pressure that puts on job candidates is enormous. It's not like, 'Oh, let's hire someone.' It's like a saviour coming in. They hope this person will change everything. They've put together totally unrealistic ideals of what they want " they're looking for something that doesn't exist."

Candidates are often forced to endure multiple interviews - sometimes as many as eight - in their quest to land a job, according to Shapiro.

"They'll go through a real stringent HR screening, a technical screening, aptitude testing, and then they'll be interviewed by a variety of employees and executives," she said. "They may be asked to do business presentations and even solve problems that can sometimes take weeks to put together."

Michael Macho, division president for BIS Computer Solutions Inc. in La Crescenta, said his company is in the midst of doing interviews to fill about 10 positions. BIS does software development and IT solutions.

"We definitely have multiple interviews because it's hard to find out how much someone knows in just one session," he said. "You want to find out how someone programs, and when you try to vet these kinds of people and their skill sets it's best to spread it out over multiple interviews."

Macho said his company typically conducts four interviews per candidate - providing that they show promise in the first session. He admits the process can be intimidating for some.

"Candidates who have been working in the IT field are probably used to it," he said. "But for someone coming right out of college, they may find it difficult. Their professors probably didn't tell them about this."

Mona Dhillon, who is in charge of human resources for OpenX, a Pasadena-based provider of digital and mobile advertising technology, said her company typically does a pre-screening, followed by a regular interview.

"We try to keep it to less than two interviews, but an applicant could talk to four or five people in one day," she said. "They are speaking to multiple people."

Shapiro said the basic requirements for most jobs have been broadened because of reduced budgets and companies trying to do more with fewer workers.

"The way people used to work was more specialized," she said. "You got a specialty degree and that was reflected on your resume. But companies today are looking for a lot of flexibility - more like a jack of all trades. Many businesses can only hire one marketing person, for example, so now that person needs to do everything."

Cara Eichorn can identify with that. Eichorn used to head a call center for Countrywide but left in early 2007 when it became obvious the company was in trouble.

Last summer she finally secured full-time work at another call center in the San Fernando Valley. But during her years of searching and picking up contract work she endured some pretty intense job interviews.

"Some job descriptions are shooting for the moon, so to speak," the Burbank resident said. "They want an individual who can do everything, and that may not be realistic. It's great that you are looking for the perfect candidate, but how long will you look for that person who is probably already working - and probably in another country?"

Eichorn spent much of her out-of-work time as a volunteer for Women at Work, a Pasadena-based career and job resource center. When she did land job interviews, many turned into marathon sessions.

"I would have these intense interviews that were quite lengthy," she said. "Whether it was with one person or multiple people, they would often last two and a half or three hours - sometimes triple that. I felt like I generated some interest or they wouldn't have taken that much time out of their day. But my hopes were dashed many times."

Sometimes, she also felt used. "In some cases I was asked to put some information together for something," Eichorn said. "I realized that the employer was trying to tap my knowledge base ... but they weren't quite willing to pay me."

That doesn't surprise Shapiro. "I had a client who went through five really major interviews, and they were not close to home," she said. "At the end he was asked to solve a problem the company was having and he had two weeks to do it. So after all of that they filed all of these people into a room one at a time - and no one ever heard back. They were just using them for free labor."

Genine Wilson, vice president of the greater Los Angeles region for the Kelly Services staffing agency, said companies are going to great pains to ensure they find a good fit. Once a candidate is deemed to have the necessary "hard skills" that are required, they are further evaluated, she said.

"They're looking at the soft skills - how well do you fit in with our culture and will we like hanging out with you?" Wilson said. "And a lot of people are involved in the hiring process. Candidates are meeting with so many different parts and levels of the organization ... it's sort of a hire by vote."

Those who make it through the gantlet and get hired typically need to do some renegotiation, according to Shapiro.

"You cannot take the job as written - it's often too much," she said. "Once you get the formal written offer it means they have fallen in love with you. At that point you need to renegotiate what your job will be. You can say, 'All of these things are great but we can't get it all done in the first year. Let's figure out a plan to get it done.'"

Those fortunate enough to land a job will still face challenges in trying to meet company expectations. But scores of others, like Ci's Avilia, 45, of Duarte are still looking for work.

Avilia recently secured a contract position with Women at Work. But that job won't last forever, and there's no guarantee it will lead to something more permanent.

"I'll be taking their existing data from different software and converting it into a new software program," she said. "I've been looking for quite a while and I wasn't even getting callbacks. Women at Work helped me revamp my resume, and I got this job through volunteering there."