Instant Interviews_ 101 Ways to Get the Best Job of Your Life - Jeffrey G. Allen [95]
That’s why the genie technique (Do 1) is so phenomenal to get them on the phone to HR for I.I.’s.
Managers have ultimate control over hiring in their stores. They just don’t exercise it because there’s nobody to pitch. So they let the digital door closer do it for them. HR sends them bodies. They check for a pulse while worrying about the spill on Aisle 5. And they wonder why “nobody wants to work anymore.”
Don’t let that computer terminal stop you—it’s just a way to get past the beeper at the front door.
Check Out the Store Online
Go to the “About Us” section. Click it and print the puff page. You want growth hype, number of stores, company philosophy, mission statement (great to memorize for I.I. playback), number of employees, and future plans.
This instant information is your instant in.
Know Where You Want Your Instant Interview to Go
Your objective isn’t a job.
It’s an opportunity to contribute and to help in any way possible.
Follow the classic genie technique (Do 1).
He’ll remember your call. It’s the first time in his long career that anyone has ever respected him enough to set up a short meeting to help.
Oh, he gets asked about job openings all the time. All he has to say is, “You need to apply online.” That gets him back to the spill on Aisle 5 and his daily inventory tracking report.
He’ll be impressed by your knowledge of the company (from your instant Internet investigating), your knowledge of the store, your togetherness. You’ll be so memorable! You’ll be blown away by what is done when a store manager wants to hire someone. He’ll create an opening if necessary, and HR will be very obedient.
Calling a group of workers team members doesn’t make them a team. MVPs like you, yes. If he’s got any deputies worth their name badges, he’s worried about losing them to another store.
No more than 15 minutes, even if he wants to sit down in the food court and treat you to a cup of coffee. Sorry, instant business is business.
If you’d applied online—without going up, down, and sideways—you’d never get an interview. You’d get a very nice, customer-friendly PR e-mail.
That’s not because Bullseye doesn’t want the most talented, dedicated people it can find. It’s because the rules become the lowest common denominator.
Occasionally, someone motivated dares to be creative.
A perfect example just happened.
Interview Insight
Bev and I were at a clothing store. She wanted to look around, so I sat down to wait for her. Across from me were two individual restrooms marked “Men” and “Women.”
I decided to use the few minutes to try an experiment. I walked over to the checkstand, pushed the button on the register printer (can’t resist—Do 55), tore off a strip of paper, borrowed a felt pen from the cup on the counter, and wrote in big letters “OUT OF ORDER.” Then I asked the security guard for some tape (the checkers were busy), received it, and taped the sign on the Women’s room door.
Now, before I tell you what happened, surely you know the restrooms are basically the same. Oh, there are a few differences. But nothing to get constipated over.
So I sat and watched. You know what happened!
A Keystone Kops routine: “Aw, shucks,” a quarter-turn right, a few steps, a quarter-turn back, push, enter, and lock. People sat next to me waiting, so I walked over and pulled down my sign. Back to business as usual. Doin’ their business following the signs.
Rules. Always rules. Some make sense, others are just signs. You decide for yourself. Ignore rules for fools. You don’t need a case of the runs to figure out what works.
You just need to follow Instant Interviews.
Getting an interview is just not urgent enough for the herd of hunting hyenas. They don’t know the law of the jobjungle either (see Introducing Instant