Why ? - Mansfield,TX

I think it's because if someone is already employed, their talents/skill set are said to be more valuable since they are working. They look more attractive to employers who are looking to hire. Let's say that the candidate is working, but not in their chosen field. They are still more attractive to the employers because they are working as opposed to sitting home doing nothing. For those people who are unemployed and looking for work, but haven't been able to find a job, the sediment that I got when I once worked was that if you have been looking for work for a long time and have not found a job, you are either too picky or really don't want to work. So, you don't look as "attractive" as a candidate who is already employed and looking to either get in their chosen field or advance their skill set.

Sadly, it's a trend. There has even been news stories about it:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/26/business/help-wanted-ad...

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/job-listings-unemploy...

Pisses me off to no end.

I'm really confused. I've never come across a job listing that requires you already be employed by someone else. Work history? Sure. References? Of course. But to already be presently employed? Never come across that.

Clarification?

Hmm. I had not hear that. My brother is currently looking for a job in San Antonio and hadn't mentioned that either.

My guess why would be to show that you are employ-ABLE since you already have a job. With 200+ applicants, lets say, at least you know that this guy that has a job, but looking elsewhere, is not willing to just quit w/o first finding another job. Make sense? Maybe if you have a job, but are job-hunting elsewhere before quitting job #1 shows that you DO want to pay bills and that you DO have a good head on your shoulders. Maybe the other 199 applicants have an 'unknown' stamped on their forehead, so to speak, and the employer doesn't want to risk (to to mention sort thru all the applicants) to find a stand-up guy to fill the position.

Added: Tia phrased it beautifuly. THAT's what I was trying to say.

Companies headhunt like that for higher level managers, usually. They look for someone who is already successful somewhere else and try to attract their potential with more money or a better/higher position in the new company. I have never seen this being done with regular employees, unless they are key in their position or more experience is needed. Corporate world (high level) is FULL of people switching companies.

I have heard (and suggested to laid off friends) that they do volunteer work. The longer they are out of the loop, the harder it is to get hired. I guess the reasoning is that if they are languishing on unemployement, they won't do a good job. It's untrue, but that's one idea I've heard batted around.

I hear ya, it seems like they just assume if you are unemployed than you are a dead beat employee, not that you went back to school or had a child or any other situation besides being fired for being incompetent.
I'm still trying to find out why they want new college graduates to have 5 years of experience. If every company wants it, exactly who is going to give it to them in the first place? lol. Definitely think that sometimes the job listings aren't thought thoroughly through.

sorry - i've not seen any listing that calls for the people to already be gainfully employed...they may want someone with experience but not currently employed..

My husband has been furloughed for 3 weeks now - none of the jobs he is looking at say "you must be currently employed to apply for this position"...

I have not seen a single listing like that. Without understanding what field I wouldn't have a clue how to explain why they would say that.

LeeLee said it all.

It has been commented on by CNBC and Jay leno.

Good luck to you and yours.

Haha I know what you mean! I got hired in a management position (I didn't even apply for any mgmt position but they hired me anyway, knowing I had little or no mgmt experience) & ended up firing me b/c I wasn't "Management material" ! Well duh, they 'knew that' in the interview! I think it's cool that companies allow employees to work their way up the ladder in the same company, I find that admirable that they'd look in house first but in other instances like you mentioned, if that's how you mean, I find it really obnoxious of companies wanting to take potential mgmt from other companies rather than searching outside their company for those who are unemployed but can be & have really great potential employees. I now have a great job that I love so it really worked out for me but I too think of all the ones who so desperatly need a job that get passed over in lieu of 'already employed' peoples.