When employers expect one person to do the work of three
Editorial: This article reflects my personal experiences and observations while looking for work. It’s not an argument against employers having standards. It’s about what happens when job postings become unrealistic lists of qualifications, responsibilities, and expectations that few actual workers could reasonably meet.
Who Exactly Is This Job For?
I want to talk about something that I’ve been seeing more and more lately.
Job postings that don’t seem to be written for actual human beings.
Maybe you’ve seen them too.
A company says they’re hiring for an entry-level position.
Then you start reading.
Bachelor’s degree required.
Five years of experience required.
Three certifications preferred.
Experience with six different software platforms.
Management experience is a plus.
Industry-specific knowledge required.
Must be able to multitask in a fast-paced environment.
And the pay?
Eighteen dollars an hour.
Fifteen dollars an hour.
Or maybe less.
And you’re sitting there wondering…
Who exactly is this job for?
Because the person they’re describing doesn’t sound like an entry-level worker.
The person they’re describing sounds like someone who’s already spent years building a career.
And that’s what I’ve started calling The Unicorn Employee Problem.
Companies aren’t looking for employees anymore.
They’re looking for unicorns.
The perfect candidate.
Someone right out of college.
Someone with years of experience.
Specialized skills.
Advanced education.
The ability to do the work of multiple people.
And somehow willing to accept average pay.
Or minimum wage.
The Perfect Candidate Probably Doesn’t Exist
The problem is…
Most unicorns don’t exist.
And if they do exist…
They’re probably already employed somewhere else.
I think that’s one reason we’re seeing such a disconnect between employers and applicants.
Companies say they can’t find qualified candidates.
People say they can’t find realistic opportunities.
And somehow both sides are frustrated at the same time.
The expectations keep getting higher.
The requirements keep getting longer.
And the compensation often doesn’t follow.
In some cases, the compensation goes the other way.
I’m Seeing This While Looking for Work
The reason this topic caught my attention is because I’ve spent a lot of time looking at job postings lately.
Like many workers, I’m trying to navigate an economy that feels increasingly uncertain.
I’m currently a seasonal employee who’s looking for full-time employment.
So I pay attention to what’s out there.
And the more postings I read, the more I notice a pattern.
The expectations keep growing.
The compensation often doesn’t.
The compensation goes the other way.
Employers want experience.
Employers want flexibility.
Employers want technical skills.
Employers want customer service skills.
Employers want leadership skills.
Employers want availability nights and weekends.
Sometimes it feels like they’re trying to hire three people with one job posting.
And maybe that’s part of the problem.
One Employee Doing the Work of Three
For years, companies have been trying to do more with fewer staff members.
Lean staffing.
Efficiency.
Optimization.
Automation.
Those words sound great in a boardroom.
But on the ground, they often translate into one person carrying responsibilities that used to belong to several people.
One employee becomes responsible for more customers.
More software.
More paperwork.
More decisions.
More problems.
More expectations.
Eventually, those expectations start showing up in job descriptions.
Instead of hiring additional people, companies sometimes seem to look for someone who can somehow absorb all of the additional responsibilities themselves.
And then they wonder why they can’t find anyone.
The Job Description Can Scare People Away
I think that’s why so many workers read postings and immediately feel discouraged.
Not because they aren’t qualified.
Because nobody is qualified.
You read the requirements and start thinking:
I don’t have enough experience.
I don’t know that software.
I don’t have that certification.
Maybe I shouldn’t apply.
And here’s the strange thing.
A lot of hiring managers will tell you that candidates don’t need to meet every requirement.
If that’s true…
Then why are we writing job descriptions that make people feel unqualified before they even apply?
Because that’s exactly what’s happening.
Workers are self-selecting out of opportunities because the expectations look impossible.
They’re reading the job description and deciding they have no chance before they ever submit an application.
And that’s a problem.
What About Older Workers?
This can be especially difficult for older workers.
Especially individuals trying to change careers.
Especially people who have valuable experience but don’t perfectly match every bullet point.
Someone might have twenty years of experience solving problems, working with customers, managing responsibilities, learning new systems, and adapting to change.
But if they don’t have the exact software certification listed in the posting, suddenly that experience can seem irrelevant.
That’s frustrating.
Because experience doesn’t always come in the exact package an employer wants.
Because employers want someone that doesn’t know their worth and aren’t going to give too much push back if they don’t like what they hear.
People learn things in different ways.
People develop skills in different industries.
People bring knowledge from previous careers.
And sometimes the most valuable employee isn’t the person who checks every box.
It’s the person who knows how to figure things out.
Careers Aren’t Straight Lines
Let’s be honest.
The economy has changed.
Most people don’t spend thirty years doing one thing anymore.
Because sometimes you don’t have a choice.
People switch industries.
Learn new skills.
Take different paths.
Adapt to changing circumstances.
Sometimes they get laid off.
Sometimes their industry disappears.
Sometimes their company moves.
Sometimes technology changes their job.
Sometimes they simply need a different career.
Life is messy.
Careers are messy.
Human beings are messy.
But job descriptions often read like they’re searching for a flawless machine.
Someone who can do everything.
Know everything.
Handle everything.
And never need training.
When Did Training Become a Bad Word?
Which brings me to something I’ve been wondering.
When did training become a bad word?
Because it feels like many companies want employees who can walk in on day one and immediately perform at full speed.
No learning curve.
No development.
No investment.
Just instant productivity.
But that’s not how people work.
Every experienced employee was inexperienced once.
Every expert had to learn.
Every skilled worker was trained by someone.
Because no one starts off a professional anything.
Nobody is born knowing how to operate a company’s software.
Nobody automatically understands a company’s procedures.
Nobody walks into a new workplace knowing the customers, systems, culture, expectations, and processes.
They learn.
They adapt.
They get better.
That’s how employment has always worked.
And somewhere along the way, it feels like many companies forgot that.
Maybe Potential Still Matters
I don’t think the answer is lowering standards.
I think the answer is creating realistic expectations.
Hiring people for what they can become, not just what they already are.
Recognizing potential.
Recognizing adaptability.
Recognizing that experience comes in different forms.
Recognizing that someone who doesn’t check every box might still become an excellent employee.
Sometimes the person with five years of experience isn’t necessarily better than the person with two years of experience and the willingness to learn.
Sometimes the person with the perfect résumé isn’t the person who will actually perform the best.
And sometimes someone needs a chance before they can prove what they’re capable of.
The Perfect Candidate Is a Myth
Because if every company is waiting for the perfect candidate…
They may spend a very long time waiting.
And workers may spend a very long time wondering why they never hear back.
That’s where the disconnect becomes frustrating.
Employers say:
“We can’t find anyone qualified.”
Workers say:
“Nobody will give me a chance.”
Both sides can believe they’re telling the truth.
But somewhere in the middle is a system that may have created unrealistic expectations for both.
Maybe that’s the real Unicorn Employee Problem.
The perfect candidate exists mostly in job descriptions.
Not in real life.
And until employers recognize that, workers and companies are going to keep talking past each other.
Myself included.
What Does a Realistic Employee Look Like?
Maybe it’s someone who has enough experience to understand the job but still has things to learn.
Maybe it’s someone changing careers.
Maybe it’s someone over 40 who has spent decades developing skills that don’t fit neatly into a job description.
Maybe it’s someone without the exact degree but with years of practical experience.
Maybe it’s someone who doesn’t know every software platform but knows how to learn.
Maybe it’s someone who doesn’t have the perfect résumé but has the right attitude.
Maybe it’s simply a human being.
Not a unicorn.
Not a machine.
Not a candidate who can somehow do the work of three people while accepting the salary of one.
A person.
Let’s Talk About It
What’s the most unrealistic requirement you’ve ever seen in a job posting?
Did you ever see an “entry-level” job requiring years of experience?
Have you ever looked at a job description and thought, “There is no way one person is actually supposed to do all of this?”
And did you apply anyway?
Leave a comment below.
Tell me what happened.
The Exploited Worker 138 is about having honest conversations about what workers are actually experiencing.
Because sometimes the problem isn’t that workers don’t want to work.
Sometimes the problem is that employers are looking for someone who doesn’t exist.
Starting Over in a Broken System.
These are my personal experiences and opinions. They are shared to encourage honest discussion about employment, hiring practices, job requirements, and the changing expectations placed on workers. If your experience has been different, I’d genuinely like to hear it.