Out of Touch

Now that the school is done, we're out job hunting for the summer as we try to figure out whether God plans for us to be in Rock Hill or not. The process of beating the bushes has made me increasingly aware of an unusual trend in job applications... a wholly online application process.

Now, I want to be careful about my own opinions, since it's very easy to get righteously indignant about perceived shortcomings that directly affect us. Additionally, I could get so focused on these perceived limitations that I ignore God's sovereignty and care for us.

Still, I do find this trend interesting and potentially disturbing. In these situations, the entire application is designed and managed by the employer and is accessible only online. There are several advantages to this method. For one, companies can take in a huge number of applications without getting bogged down. Additionally, as one friend pointed out, this allows them to instantly screen applicants who cannot meet their availability requirements or such. And by tailoring the application process, they can weight and measure certain attributes that are most important to them.

The troubling part of this process is that eliminates the human interaction factor. I've noticed that companies who do online applications will not even talk to you. They simply promise to review your application, which from what I can tell means they see what the computer says about your application, good or bad. So in a service industry, where personality and communication skill are vital to success, an applicant has little opportunity to showcase his skill. Likewise, there is little chance to showcase intellect, teachable nature, drive and desire; etc. For instance, I know that on paper, my application looks risky in some regards. I'm about to have a Masters degree, which suggests that I would leap at the chance to find someplace better. What doesn't show up is that I'm looking for a means to commit to the area and serve my church here. If I can speak with no one, then how do I convey this desire?

Another interesting aspect is the personality test that is often included in online applications. The application asks a series of questions to get a sense of the applicant's work ethic, work style, instincts; etc. However, these questions are very basic, allowing no explanation of one's views, and certain questions are repeated, though phrased differently (in an effort to catch people who are intentionally lying about their views). My problem here is that the questions carry implicit nuances which the employers don't really seem to care about. For instance, do I like people? Yes, very much. Do I like being alone? Yes, because I have to get away to recharge. Do I like spending time with groups of people? Yes, I love group interaction, but do I like being in the middle of large crowds? No, I find them much more impersonal. My only way of improving things is to strike up conversation with strangers so that I'm not alone in a throng. Answers like these could be seen as contradictory on a superficial level, and I know in a couple of cases, I had to redo an application because these tests threw out my application.

There are major limitations, I think, but my deeper concern comes from wondering if we aren't stripping ourselves of human contact, interaction, and camaraderie. In our quest to streamline and speed life, every time we insulate ourselves from the messiness of personal communication, I fear we begin to forget how to truly know one another and be known. By association, I wonder if this helps make our jobs less personal: more focused on only hours, tasks, and paychecks. In so doing, does this not threaten to strip core meaning from our labors?

I need to think about this more, but I'll try to add another post later on a Christian response and focus to our work in these ultra-modern times.
Jon