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Jobseekers on employers: Slow, picky, cheap, annoying

Many employers will tell you that it’s hard to find good employees these days.Jobseekers tell Life Inc. it’s getting pretty hard to find good employers, too.A post this week on how many employers have grown extremely picky amid such high unemployment prompted hundreds of readers to share their frustrations from the job hunt.“I've seen too many job descriptions where it seems they have only 1

Many employers will tell you that it’s hard to find good employees these days.

Jobseekers tell Life Inc. it’s getting pretty hard to find good employers, too.

A post this week on how many employers have grown extremely picky amid such high unemployment prompted hundreds of readers to share their frustrations from the job hunt.

“I've seen too many job descriptions where it seems they have only 1 person in the world in mind! Education + Experience + Extras beyond reality,” one reader wrote.

“You're either overqualified or underqualified while they search for a fictional candidate,” another lamented.

Almost all of the nearly 17,000 people who took our poll said they thought employers had become too picky. Many complained that technology to automatically screen resumes – which is widespread in the industry today – is making it tough for people to break through and impress an employer.

Others complained about job descriptions demanding way too many skills and qualifications for the job on offer.

“Even a resurrected Jesus wouldn't be hired because, even though he can perform miracles, he had trouble with the law at one time and he's way over 50 now, plus that beard isn't to corporate standards,” one reader joked.

Another big complaint: Lowball salary offers.

“They want 20 year-olds with two degrees and 10 years of experience willing to work for peanuts,” one reader wrote.

The fact that there are around 12 million people seeking work in this country has made many employers feel like they have the luxury to hold out for the perfect candidate. But many readers said they felt like it also has made them  overlook candidates who would have worked out just fine.

“They pass up qualified applicants because they think that the next one will be even better,” one reader said.

OK, but what about jobseekers? A reader in the staffing industry complained that many people who are looking for jobs dress unprofessionally, lack basic reading and writing skills and are dishonest.

“My clients do take longer to interview, they are pickier than they have been in the past, but I also think that a lot of that has to do with the terrible experiences they've had before when they relaxed their requirements and took a risk and it didn't pan out,” the reader wrote.