Hurricane Evacuees Dont Necessarily Have an Edge in Getting Hired

Only one-third of human resource professionals who participated in an online poll at HR.BLR.com, the website for HR managers, said theyíd give preference in their hiring decisions to applicants whoíve been evacuated as a result of hurricane Katrina or Rita.

HR.BLR.com asked, ìWith all other factors being equal, would you give preference to a job applicant who was a hurricane evacuee?î Hereís how participants responded:

No ñ 38%
Yes ñ 33%
Not sure ñ 30%

The poll drew 461 participants between October 6 and October 10.

The results shouldnít be taken as a sign of disdain by HR professionals, especially since theyíre usually the ones coordinating the charitable giving in their workplaces, according to Kevin Flood, managing editor of HR.BLR.com.

ìEven with the qualifier ëall other things being equalí in the question, the participants might have had a strong reaction to seeing the word ëpreferenceí in the question,î Flood speculated. ìHiring managers are so intent on getting the person with the best qualifications, theyíre instinctively against choosing on any other basis, qualifier or not.î

Moreover, Flood said, an HR manager might vote one way in the poll but decide differently after interviewing an actual evacuee. ìThis might be reflected in the high percentage of ënot sureí votes,î he observed.

For HR managers who want to ensure they leave no stone unturned in their recruiting, BLR offers a free report: ìe-cruiting 101: How to Find New Employees.î

It shows how to use career sites, list-servs, and your own website to attract qualified applicants. Youíll also learn how to find those passive job seekers. And when all the resumes start pouring in, you’ll know how to handle them.