Call me jealous or whatever, but most of the time I shop I get shitty service and inactive employees working in reputable companies like Officeworks, Big W, Coles and etc! To tell you the truth I have applied for these jobs but got rejected all the time and now I see the employees and I wonder how the hell did they get the job? It just frustrates me because I know if I got the job I would have worked hard and actually try and be a good employee!
I Don't Understand How Some People Got The Job
lifehacker on 03/02/2016 - 14:23
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(profanity)Bob!
Nice post: and spot on.
Performance management is the only answer to those star recruits who show their true colours once the probation is over!This is Bob.
Bob is a shitty employee.
Bob doesn't get any work done.
Bob is deadwood.Bob is stupid.
Don't be like Bob.
And Bob still keeps his job.
I work in one of the businesses mentioned in the opening post, and totally agree with your statement. We have a couple of people in particular who are more dead than dead wood yet still have their jobs. They piss off everyone who works there who do put their all in, but management refuse to do anything about these layabouts. I guess things will never change.
I remember applying for this telco who don't hire permanent staff, they hire people on a 28 month contract and they specifically chose people who had no prior experience with another telco. So most people there are greenhorns new to being a telephone service rep.
I guess they want to avoid having deadwoods and having to fire them when the 'apples go bad'…
Not so much management refuse, sometimes it's easier to leave the guy in place. It is insane how much needs to be done to fire someone. Multiple written warnings, performance plans, everything is tailored to favour the employee. And God forbid you yell at them or tell them off too harshly, that's workplace bullying!
Also, in bigger companies turn over rate can be quite high so they prefer to stick to the "I hope Bob quits soon" and as soon as other employees see Bob slacking off with no consequences then it starts a vicious cycle.
Where - in Life - would an Aussie learn BOTH
+ the Work Ethic &
+ Attitudes of Good Customer Service?Family (How were you/they treated when growing up?)
School (Work experience?)
Clubs (sports)?
Volunteer workplaces
Media (Compare BBC ABC & SBS for comm style;
I bet an Aussie kid is more likely to be
encouraged/pushed into acting like an Aussie,
rather than as a Brit' or (pick your culture);
of course, media now shows different sides
of AU's & others' cultures than it/others
might have done, in past)Courses, eg, there are online courses & books on, etc.
Communications for Business
Customer Service
etc.IF this post leads to folks thinking about
how to provide good Customer Service,
whether one is a GP or a Burger-Flipper……it might be for the best.
There are NO bad employees, only bad managers
Both can be bad.
Actually I agree in a way, a good manager can get a lot out any employee by having great people skills and knowing how to deal with each individual differently. Everyone can be motivated or improved immensely with time and effort. Funnily enough the most i have worked and the hardest i have work has been for the same company as the least i have worked or the least amount of productivity i have achieved. It all came down to the manager and how they treated the team.
Really? No bad employees???
True, MOST people can be motivated to do well in their job, but some really couldn't care less.Bad employee:
No respect for others
Narcissistic
Always right, knows it all,
Sabotages for the heck of it
Lacks integrity
Dishonest
Add yours here ….
It also depends a lot on who their manager currently is. I have seen time and time again how the best employees can lose all motivation and belief in the company just due to a management change and their new manager being a real ….. whereas the old manager was good at treating people and getting the best from his team.
whereas the old manager was good at treating people and getting the best from his team.
Always think of this picture.
http://40.media.tumblr.com/c55e1da6c53307c5d7ae108e41782d5b/…
Yup very true.
Perfect
A colleague who worked in receiving at my previous workplace somehow lost a pallet of hard drives and other technology items, valued up to $25000. He didn't get sacked or anything, just got moved into another department.
It just proves firing someone is very difficult.
Nobody loses 25k grand worth of stuff, it's pretty obvious they stole it. What kind of idiot believes it lost was lost .? Strange how they lost valuable products that should be easily sold as opposed to packets of toilet paper which has significantly less value.
Well said!
Excuse me…
Sorry Bob, someone had to tell you…
"useless" Bob? #freeadnan
Requirement to keep a job ? That makes no sense, unless you only want one weeks worth of pay.
While your point about better resumes etc looks valid, but in most of those places listed, they don't hire basis resume. In fact, resume doesn't even matter in most of the cases. I have applied with wonderful resumes and I didn't get a single call because I learned hard way that most of the positions are fulfilled with referrals. Since I was new in the country, I didn't have anyone who could refer me for such jobs.
I wish there followed meritocracy for every job.
yeh my wife is not getting work, yet 99% of people seem to hate their job so badly. Its life. My Wife didn't fit in at her last place cos she didnt own a Jeep, or have fake boobs
She should look for employment opportunities outside of Car Show Bikini Girl
bit below the belt
says uncle snake.
@supnigs: you know i was drunk when i made up this user name, my usual one was taken, and uncle buck was on tv, then i flicked to the simpsons and snake was breaking out of jail.
I faced sexual discrimination trying to get the same job just because I'm a bloke!
Was it as a Hairdresser?
I understand that your wife didn't fit in at her last workplace, but one of the easiest and biggest mistakes you can make in your career is quitting your job without securing a new one first.
From what I can tell, she left the job because she didn't fit in, and now has to apply for jobs from a position of unemployment, which is not easy. My live-in gf recently went through the same thing, it lead to a lot of pain and resentment between us (more me against her) due to the financial issues it caused.
what financial issues were they?
She didn't have a job so I had to pay for everything. My expenses doubled overnight and it stayed like that for quite a while.
@unclesnake: Haha :)
I doubt signing a piece of paper would change how I felt about forced financial arrangements.
@AlanHB: Man up abit. If it were the other way around she would probably do the same for you till you got back on your feet.
@immortalbjr: I guess that's an easy position to take if you've never experienced it.
You budget for one circumstance and have that circumstance change on you, it's no fun. Double rent, double food. You leave home for work and your partner stays in bed. Resentment builds over time, no matter how many internet dudes tell you to "man up".
It's all good now, I'm just sharing my opinion and experience.
@AlanHB: Im not just an "Internet dude", my partner had 3 children before I met her and we all live in the one house now so its fair to say I live it, I give far more than I get but I dont lose sleep or stress myself over money.
"You budget for one circumstance and have that circumstance change on you" Still in your 20's or something? thats just how the world works :)
Im glad it worked out for you guys, but if you plan on trying to keep the relationship long term theres going to be times over the years where you each need each other support and understanding, its not a time to build resentment towards your partner.
Just remember that next time life gets hard for you and you need their help or financial support, and trust me the time will come.
@immortalbjr: If you are suggesting the inheritance of your partners children was similar to my circumstance, which I didn't choose or have an opportunity to prepare for, I'd have to disagree.
To address your other points:
I am no longer in my 20s. However I learnt in my 20s that I like dating girls with jobs.
I have been with my girlfriend for 7 years now. I am unsure whether this amounts to "long term" as per your post, but yes, we intend to continue our relationship.
Thanks for the tips.
@AlanHB: Yeah, on second thoughts you just sound like a bit of a salty douchebag anyway.
If you still think you can somehow prepare for everything thats going to happen to you and your unfortunate partner in life, you still have a lot to learn.
@immortalbjr: I understand that some things you can't prepare for, but when making career or financial decisions I'm sure you can appreciate that in the case you have co-dependants, you need to consider how your choices could effect them.
In my case the whole "situation" could have easily been avoided if my partner found a new job before quitting her current one.
However, she didn't. The difficulties of applying for a job from a position of unemployment were not considered, nor the unecessary hardship that her lengthy period of unemployment could have caused on me.
I do understand the idealistic "stand by your partner" mentality, but to suffer for what is an extremely rookie error can test any relationship. It certainly tested mine and I was very relieved when it was all over. At that point I was able to start paying off the massive debt I had accumulated over that time, and hope to have my first holiday in three years later this year.
You could call this douchebaggery if you like, it's simply the situation that I went through, and how I felt as a result.
Consider yourself lucky that she didn't say "I hate my job; I want to have a baby…"
How many time you have applied for those jobs? and how many time you get rejected before reach an interview.
If you say that you have applied 10 times then you have given up and made this statement, I would say it is fair.
You do not know how many time people apply for this same job before they got interview? and even they got an interview how many time they are not being shortlisted before getting the job.
Or even may be they start working in there when they are young i.e. 16 or 17, as they are cheaper to hire. They may be there years to get to where they were before you seeing them.
You cant judge a person from outside.
Cheer up and keeping looking for job they you like to work but you need to keep improving your mind set even when you are rejected. If you try you might have a chance to be success if you given up you never get a chance to get the job.
Think yourself what you have done try to secure a job? studying the company? understand what they do? digesting the job description? buy a new dress/suit for interview? pay for someone to write up your resume?
I think if you have done that you new job is just around the corner.
I've applied a few times and most of the time I get rejected even before an interview.
The thing that bothered me was the fact that a lot of people desperate for the job and potentially very good employees apply for jobs but get rejected, but those who do get the job seem uninterested, idle and chatting amongst their workmates. I try and not judge but I see the same thing every time I shop.
At the moment, I'm just studying so not in a hurry to find a job but yeah.
Only a few times? I have applied for job more than 50 times(different company) to get my current job. persistent is your gold.
So when you are not hurry to find a job make it even harder to get the job as you do not care when you fail to get that job.
I admit writing up your resume and cover is hard and time consume on the first time, then handling interview is hard too. Once you get into the job it is different, not saying you do not have to work but not as hard as you promise in the interview.
I think as alone as you get your job done it is ok sometime to be relax, but in your case you catch them when they are relaxing. So thinking of working some job is very busy from start to end but some job is more ad hoc - busying for 3 days then quite for 2 days.
Once again do not judge from outside. May be you are just the same if you are job the same position after 2 years of night filling.
Sorry to be blunt but its most likely your interview technique. Talking to strangers at important times under high pressure is quite tough for most people. It's even more nerve wracking when its a job you are desperate to win.
I know friends who are super overqualified, they get invited to interview on every job they apply but fail to win the job. With a little coaching on their interview technique + interpersonal skills their luck turned around very quickly.
How are you at interviews?
I don't think I'm that good when it comes to interviews but I try to look friendly and genuine. I think it's when I answer interview questions I mumble a bit. :/
It is not enough. Everyone can look friendly and genuine why they have to pick you?
Would you mind I ask how old you are?
university student, under 20s. you have a good point
@lifehacker: That is why you are jealous, if you start looking for part time/casual job in supermarket when you are 16,17. You will get a higher chance to get hire.
You just need more experience in the social university, get a casual job and get some working experience, it will 100% help you get the job that you jealous.
@lifehacker: If you're looking for a summer job as a student, so are tens of thousands of other kids. Most won't get the job, that's just how it is. As for lousy workers, being a good interviewee and worker are very different. Fortunately, many large companies don't offer permanent positions off the bat and regularly cull slackers. Also, don't be picky. If you're a teenager, don't snub fast food (Macca's is always recruiting). Having some work experience is better than a blank CV.
You mumble a bit when in a job interview situation, but want to work front-of-house type of jobs, dealing with the public?
Yeah you need to change that if you want to get a job in customer service.
the thing is, i'm not complaining much about not being able to find a job because I know I have room for improvement in terms of interview techniques and considering I've only applied a few times. I just feel for others who could be better employers that those employees now that I see who looks like they're about to go on a holiday.
You need to practice interviewing.
Come up with a list of likely questions, write some standard answers and practice.
I've been looking for work for ages now and one of the things I hate is writing cover letters, so what I do is have different templates that talk about specific positions. Then I basically just replace the names with the company that I'm applying for. Writing tailored cover letters is a tiring exercise which often gets overlooked by HR people a lot of the time. This setup has got my interviews, but getting past interviews is entirely different.
You should try working in Human Services, talk about the excrement rising to the top. :/
Gotta love HR departments. Also known as "The Waiting Room Until Women Get Pregnant"
Yup, tell me about it…it gets even better after they've been preggers too…we have half a dozen women in one dept who only returned to work so they can share a single full-time position (yes, you read that right - 1-2 days each per fortnight - just enough to keep professional registrations & mooch free PD opportunities)…forget continuity of care for the clients!
It's not what you know but who you know. Unfortunately there are a lot of people who get jobs through friends or family and then often don't take it seriously because they didn't get the job themselves.
Yep, from my experience it's about half get it from who they know. Still a lot of people get jobs on their own merit.
I should know worked for Corrections Victoria a lot of staff got promotions either because they sucked up to
the boss were related to senior management. Strange when they got promoted they asked me how to do the job
I believe Corrections Victoria has still not changed.
Some people are just gifted at being a peoples person, being able to communicate with anyone and within 5 mins it feels like you're best friends already. Those people probably pass the interview easily, especially in a customer service role, however, it doesn't mean they'll be a peoples person to everyone once they got their job ie. customers.
The #1 tip for this type of employment is to apply physically, in person.
Yes, it's 100x more difficult than sending in a resume; but guess what… nobody saves resumes 'for later' - they generally go straight in the bin. If you show up neatly dressed, politely spoken, then it hardly matters what's written on the resume.. soon or late you're going to be in the right place at the exact time they need someone - that's when the magic happens.I feel for the poster.
I recently had a period of time 12 months where I applied for over 200 roles. I had over 30 interviews and didn't get one position. I left my previous role as I needed a break which I got. I had managed a team of 20 people for 3 years and never been out of work previously for any length of time since leaving Uni.
I was confident of getting a role after a 3 month break. But I ended up having way more of a break than I asked for.
I applied for positions in my field (IT/Telco) management. At the same level and also at a lower level.
I applied for positions doing other things in industries where there was transferable skills where I felt I could contribute. banking / finance, Real estate, Mining, Construction etc.
I had my CV rewritten multiple occasions by professionals. I had interview coaching. I went to networking events.
I was Continually rejected for reasons such as there are more qualified candidates. You are Over qualified, you have no recent experience in industry, "I'm not going to employ you as you'll just leave when you get a better offer." I also suspect that there were age discrimination as well and I am only mid forties. ie I can get a Grad who will do the same thing but cost me less. I also think having a family and being a family orientated person is frowned upon as it reduces productivity to have to pick the kids up from school.
I am qualified, experienced ( 20 plus yrs in industry), and consistently got told that I had been shortlisted to the last 3.
A number of times I was offered a role which was then reversed due to a last minute budget cut. I even got a payout for a role that I hadn't been in the office for as I had signed contracts as had the employer.
I eventually got a role out of luck more than anything else. A phone call from someone I had worked with 10 yrs prior. I have been here for 6 months, doing apparently a good job. And I am very glad and thankful to be working again. I would not want to go through what I have been through again anytime soon.
Whats my take away ?
Its hard to get past automated HR screening tools even if you ensure you include key words in your application.
HR staff tick boxes rather than interview people.
Volume recruiters want easy appointments and often don't understand the role requirement other than it being just a word.
National job boards are a confections of Job availability often advertising similar or the same roles from different agencies.
sometimes advertised roles are not real
It is exhausting trying to get through the front door of businesses you know you can contribute to. No one is interested in what you have to offer. They are too busy working. If they need a resource they'll go to HR.
Meeting people in management positions is just that. A nice coffee and rarely anything more. I had no success. "We'll call you if something comes up…"
Screening by HR firms is hit or miss. Mostly miss.
Social networking sites with a business bent are not much assistance other than a method for arranging coffee catch ups.
Cover letters are a waste of time. I have been informed by professional recruiters that no one reads them.
HR firms, indeed many businesses do not give feedback to an applicant on why they were unsuccessful. I inquired a number of times to see if there was some way I could improve my chances with another employer and I got little or no response. I actually got several annoyed responses after I had requested some more detailed feedback.
Most Management roles are filled mostly by those already within a business, or otherwise known to the hiring manager prior. Not many are willing to take a chance on someone they don't know previously.
Get a job before you leave your existing position.
it doesn't matter how nice you are, compliant, ambitious, engaging, well dressed, blah blah. If for some reason an interviewer has a doubt, however trivial, You ain't getting the role.
I have many more but perhaps that's for another time.
In response to Blackfrancis75 I respectfully ask :
Who do you apply to physically in person when you don't know anyone at the business you've just walked into ?
Hi Chubbsmcfatflabs, very interesting post. I was referring to the types of jobs cited by the OP; i.e. Big Box Retail. Generally you can ask to speak to the current Store Manager - they'll mostly assume you're a Customer.
Sorry but that's a stupid idea IMO. in now way does this work at all. infact it almost guarantees that you wont get the job if you pretend you're a customer or mislead/fake the pretence for the manager to come and assist you when they have their own things to do. it also seems like you just rock up everywhere for any job.
The best way is to communicate some how with a manager yes, but on their terms. and if they choose not to give you the time, you have to accept that and adjusts end your cover letter and resume through standard channels. no-one likes a pushy job finder.I never said or implied you should pretend to be a Customer. If they ask what it's about obviously you wouldn't lie; and if the Manager doesn't have time for non-Customers obviously you wouldn't fight it. I'm assuming common-sense here, without which of course you won't be getting any job (until they start paying Internet Trolls)
I applied for positions in my field (IT/Telco) management. At the same level and also at a lower level.
That's the sucky part about progression to management, especially in technical fields. You become less "hands on" technically speaking meaning you're less appealing for non-management roles. And when they pull the "over qualified" card it's usually more a case of, they don't want you working in a role with significantly less responsibility and pay than you were before because you'll likely put in way less effort than someone who views the role as a promotion and a pay increase.
Add to that the fact that organisational structures are still relatively pyramid shaped - the higher you climb the ladder, the less roles there are to go around.
I eventually got a role out of luck more than anything else. A phone call from someone I had worked with 10 yrs prior. I have been here for 6 months, doing apparently a good job. And I am very glad and thankful to be working again. I would not want to go through what I have been through again anytime soon.
Nearly all of my roles apart from my fresh out of Uni role were though networking and/or referrals. It's not so useful to OP since he's just starting out, but anyone with an established career needs to have a good bank of people they can call on when they're looking for that next role. I've regularly poached people from previous teams I've had and I've been poached several times too, and I also have a few places I know I could knock on the door and say "Hey, I need work!" and there's a good chance they'd give it to me. Networking and referrals (including networking with decent recruiters) becomes more and more key the higher up the corporate ladder you climb.
Social networking sites with a business bent are not much assistance other than a method for arranging coffee catch ups.
Not sure on this one. In my field of IT we regularly scour LinkedIn. It's how I poach previous people I've worked with and how I've gained most of my tech speaking gigs (which are invaluable when it comes to making new contacts). I'd rate LinkedIn way above Seek now, and I know most internal recruitment in the Tech industry are using LinkedIn to source candidates very heavily and with decent success.
The management pyramid is real.
The site you mention has not been that useful for me other than in a social context.
The rating of my profile was expert and also I have over 100's of contacts from my previous roles including C many national and international C level people who were happy to catch up and shoot the breeze, but not able to employ me.
your comment about poaching supports my statements re people getting jobs from those they know. Capability in those you don't know is overlooked in favor of a trusted, yet at times less capable ex colleague.
Hence my opinion. It is just that however…an opinion. Other peoples experiences are obviously better than mine.
When asked, "why did you leave your previous job?", what do you say?
Got caught getting a gobbie from the bosses wife…
ahhh no..
I resigned. I left to pursue other opportunities.
Never spoke about my reasons for leaving then then in generalities.
I also think having a family and being a family orientated person is frowned upon as it reduces productivity to have to pick the kids up from school
I would say most definitely. I don't know anyone in my office who would leave towards the afternoon to go pick up their kids and then coming back to work. Unless the role requires you to start early (therefore finishing early, and enabling you to go pick up the kids), I don't think anyone does this.
I hope you never mentioned this in the interviews as part of your expectations of the company.
I pick up my kids if I'm working at home.
No..
What i was referring to was the fact that at times when you have kids, you have to go and get them or alternatively if you have elderly parents you may have to deal with things during work hours that cannot be done out of hours. ie Drs appointments.
Most businesses have flexible working arrangements. Productivity is more important then clocking on, clocking off..
you forgot to mention that recruiters are useless and stupid half the time. i've worked with people from various recruitment companies like talent2 and peoplebank, all morons beyond belief.
Some useful notes but I think some of them depend on situation. A cover letter is a waste of time if it's not an overly competitive process. When you have 2,000 applicants for 20 roles, the cover letter helps whittle out those who clearly haven't done any research on the organisation or thought about why their experiences/skillsets would make them valuable to the role they're applying for.
And if you make an egregious error on the cover letter (e.g. reference a competitor instead of the firm you're applying to - i.e. a clear cut and paste job), then it can kill your chances of getting an interview.
Honestly, most of those points sound like they're coming out of frustration and not reality. Every situation is different, if you are applying for a job where there are 5,000 applicants and large HR firm involved, then maybe. However, this is not true for most cases.
Cover letters are very important. Sometimes more so than the resume itself. They give you a sense of the applicant, whether they are appropriate or making odd jokes, whether they would fit in with the company, whether they can write well, whether they've research the role or paid attention to the add, etc. People tend to add a bit of everything to their resume and are more selective on their cover letters. I like looking at Cover Letters to see which points they find most important. I struggled to find work right out of university, but after doing a bit of HR in my previous jobs, I have not had any troubles getting interviews or job offers. It's something that honestly takes time and practice.
I think the first mistake kids out of uni do is to apply for everything. It's a waste of time and very discouraging. When employers advertise, they have a very specific person in their mind. Sometimes you think you'd be fantastic for the role, but they may have struggled with staff turnover and are looking for someone who looks like they'll be there until the grave. It's hard to figure out what HR is looking for, so don't take rejections personally. Only apply for jobs that you really believe you can do well.
You need to spend some time on creating that first draft of your resume. Look at samples online, look at your friends resume, observe and adapt. Then pay a very close attention to the job Ad. As I said, only apply for jobs that you believe you are going to rock, then show that confidence in the cover letter. And then again if you get an interview. Address why you think you can do all those things thoroughly. Confidence and attention to detail are key.
I'm trying to get a job too. Not in IT though.
I'm a fresh graduate with great marks and experience and it's so hard.
On another thread someone posted something absurd about It being easier if you're a young pretty girl so people can degrade your worth to a sexual object but I'm that and I still can't get anything. I can't get to the interview stage because of those insane online assessments or I'm over or under qualified.
It sucks.I need money and something to do. I spend every day at the gym or reading. I'm tempted to just study a language to fill in time. But the longer I'm out of uni the less desirable I am.
Ahh yes…agreed thats very different..
maybe I should have just gone strait to JB !
What's the problem? Just buy a suit and become a real-estate agent. No qualifications, education or brain required.
I am also an IT professional.
I have had three IT different roles in since 2008. And before that around 4 roles in retail since 2003.In my opinion these so called recruiters are useless. All the roles that I got in last 15 years working, were directly advertised by/ applied to the company. Interviewed by people who I would be working with.
As an immigrant I didn't have any networks/ acquaintances/ referrals etc.
When I was trying break into IT I went through the same thing that most people go through. Applying 100s of jobs in various job sites daily. Appearing for few interviews with recruiters and not hearing back from most of them. It was really disheartening.
Even now with 8 years IT experience I find difficult to move to a new role as most of the jobs are recruiter advertised.
In my opinion these so called recruiters are useless. All the roles that I got in last 15 years working, were directly advertised by/ applied to the company. Interviewed by people who I would be working with.
Agreed. I had my fair share of trouble while using them once. These days they try and push their Cert II - Diploma courses with a 'free' laptop.
i met a recruiter who got me a sick job in IT, and a little bit extra too after work
i personally had a great experience
A lot of spuds prosper in life. It's just the way life goes.
Overqualification is actually a pretty common reason for HR to reject an applicant. OP you mentioned applying for stores like BigW and Coles. Depending on how you sell yourself on your resume sometimes they might not want a applicant who has a uni degree etc. Purely because they think you will most likely leave the company in the future for a better position. So they're more likely to pick candidates who look like they'll to stay with the company for longer.
Don't oversell yourself, and definitely DO NOT undersell yourself. If you have knowledge/experience related to the position you're applying for, tell them. If it's unrelated, best keep it for an interview.
Worked in HR myself, rejected plenty of overqualified applicants in my time there.
So true, I got a job at a store by telling them I had dropped out of uni because it was shite and I just wanted to work.
Agreed. Staff turnover really sucks. Having to advertise, interview and then train someone to only have them quite for something better after a few months? Complete pain in the ass.
I'd just like to say that HR departments are useless.
100%
I work in finance and most of the time i am doing everyone's else job like generating more sales for the sales managers and any bonuses for me ….nope
Isn't that always the case though? I see it everywhere.
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Getting a job and keeping a job are two different requirements.
Employing someone is expensive so time and effort is put into finding the right candidate. Some people are really good at interviews, some can put together fantastically compelling resumes. Neither mean they'll be awesome employees but hey, no one said the system is perfect.
Firing someone is hard, and expensive. To fire someone from a big company takes time, investment and a lot of hassle. If Bob is a bit sour some days, that's not reason enough to fire him. And even if it is…it's a warning, then a written, then a performance improvement plan, then another warning etc etc… Urgh, is Bob really that bad? Maybe I should just let him stay and hope he leaves. But Bob probably won't leave, and Bob will become deadwood.
So basically when you hire someone you are very picky. But once you employ them you have to be much less picky. Also, employee enthusiasm often wains with time - when you start a new job you give it your all, then 4 years in to the same mundane stuff with no hope of progression…you care a lot less.
In short - the person serving you with a scowl isn't the same person they were when they turned up for their interview / submitted their resume. But them's the breaks, they're there now, and it's damn hard to move them on.