Commuting. A necessary part of getting to work. For the lucky few, this involves transitioning from your bedroom to your living room. For the unlucky few, this may involve getting on a shuttle flight from Boston to New York. Most of us fall somewhere in the middle. All of us would rather a shorter commute than what we do have, and why not? Commuting is time for which we are not paid.
As a recruiter, one of the questions we ask is: "How far are you willing to commute to get to work?" Asked another way: What is the amount of time you are willing to effectively donate to your employer every day traveling to and from your job?
It’s a simple question, but...routine answers include:
"Anywhere the bus can take me."
"Up to forty miles."
"I’ll Uber, like, up to thirty miles."
C’mon people! Think! You are really going to Uber twice a day to and from a minimum-wage job? Really?!? Also: You realize there are buses to Tulsa, right? Tulsa! You are going to take a bus to Tulsa and back every single day? (no offense to people actually living in Tulsa, mind you. I’m sure it is a very nice city.) The only moderately realistic answer is an enthusiastic candidate willing to drive forty miles, but…forty miles is going to take no fewer than forty-five minutes in best-case traffic. With the type of jobs I am filling, you can bet there is an equivalent job a lot closer to home.
Be advised, too, that there is no "grain of salt" when it comes to a recruiter considering your commute answer. Rest assured, we will take it at face value. You tell me you can travel up to forty miles, I'm going to look at every available opening within a forty-mile radius of your home that is a match with your work history and other preferences. Don't turn around and get salty with me for discussing a solid-fit job that's thirty-eight miles from where you live.
Now, to be fair, there are certain positions that have a complex answer to the traditionally cut-and-dried commute question. School districts are one example. When we hire for the school district, there is a requirement that you be open to employment at any school within that district, even on short notice. School districts are always understaffed and need people who can move around as needed to assist with coverage anywhere within the district. We are extremely up front about that during the interview process, and if you tell us you are willing to do that, then we'll hold you to it.
Let’s fast forward, then, to a freshly hired employee in a school district…
Despite the clear and direct information given during the hiring process, sometimes (most of the time) people complain that the commute to whatever school they have been assigned that week is just too far from their home. Alright. Sucks to be you, but you did say you were willing and able to move to any school in the district when we hired you. Liar.
Sometimes we're willing to reach out to the school to see if there is potential to shuffle a few people around and improve the commute. We are in the business of putting people to—and keeping them at—work, after all. Recruiting takes time and money, so keeping that person working ultimately benefits both sides of the employer/employee equation.
I overhear hear my coworker explaining to a contractor hired as a school cafeteria worker–who called up to complain about a newly assigned school location, mind you—that there is a closer location for him/her. That location would like for him/her to report starting tomorrow. A brief pause, and the address for the new location is given. There's another pause, presumably for the contractor to look up the location, and then my coworker exclaims, "How can that be too far?"
Well, now I'm fully invested in this one-sided conversation and proceed to listen (in all amusement) to the following:
Coworker: "What do you mean 'too far'? It's 0.8 miles from your house. I googled it. If you were driving, it would take you three minutes. Three! I know you're on the bus line, but it's less than a mile away. Why would you take the bus for something that's less than a mile from your house? You can walk there! 0.8 miles! No, I don't have a location that's closer. That is the closest school to your house in the entire district. If you're not able to go 0.8 miles, to the absolute closest school in the entire district, then unfortunately we're going to need to end the assignment because there is nothing else out there for you. Oh, oh, you can make it? Are you sure? Positive? Alright. I'll let the site sup know you'll be there tomorrow at seven."
Coworker hangs up and promptly mutters to herself: "Jesus, 0.8 miles, are you kidding me? I mean, seriously?"
0.8 miles. Remember that the next time you are in bumper-to-bumper traffic on your way to work.
Comments