The spring that I graduated from high school I took my first real job at Walmart. It was a brand new store that had just been built in our community and they were putting on a hiring fair. I remember finding the full-page spread in the classifieds section for the first round of hiring and decided to check it out. It was held at the local ice rink and I distinctly recall walking in and being greeted by the Store Manager, Alf. He wore a plaid shirt with the Walmart name-tag hung from his chest pocket. He shook my hand with a smile and said I look forward to working with you! Inside, there were rows of managers sitting across from candidates at long tables. A candidate started at one end and would be filtered through various tables as managers deduced what your skills, interests, and experiences were. I ended up at the Security and Electronics tables.
The Security Manager was a burly man with a handle bar mustache and a name-tag that read Joe. He took one look at me and said Do you think you could drop a heroin junkie that’s steeling DVD’s to sell for a fix? I was 145 lbs, skinny as a rail, and never been in a real fight in my life. My response was something like, isn’t that what the police are for? I ended up in Electronics, happily I might add. Although that experience was over 13 years ago, the hiring process still impresses me. Walmart made their hiring decision in a day, and then the offer and paper work followed that week. Today’s hiring process is crazy. Here’s an example:
Walmart hiring process (circa 1999)
- You meet the Store Manager, Alf, upon entry
- Your personality and experience are filtered against the Walmart brand
- Your resume is looked at and you’re sent to department heads based on your skills, interests, and experience
- Each department evaluates your qualities against their openings and then they stake their interest
- HR finalizes offers, negotiations, and paperwork
- You’re hired
Time to hire = 1-5 days
