Floor Staff Required: Minimum Three Years' Experience

I just saw this ad in a pub window on a walk through a Dublin suburb.

A publican is refusing to entertain the idea of hiring floor staff (the people who collect glasses, and do ... (I don't know what) ... with them, unless they have been working as floor staff for three years?

I count myself very lucky for having graduated from college prior to the worst of the global recession. How is this in any way 'normal'? I assume these people are paid close to minimum wage.

I am not rich, but I earn a decent wage in terms of the average industrial wage. My work is technical, and I have never yet been asked for 'three years of experience'.

Is this a case of employers becoming absolutely ridiculous, or what is it?

The_Valeyard

What people ask for and what they get are two very different things.

biko

fatknacker

Probably an insurance thing, maybe it discourages scammers looking to get a quick job that they could easily 'injure' themselves in.

StinkyMunkey

Unless the floor staff double up as waiters/waitresses then the publican is a total moron. Collecting glasses, cleaning tables and taking just drinks orders takes little training and most people pick it up after one night.

I've worked in the trade for close to 30 years, and these days you lucky to get bar staff with any experience. I've trained hundreds of staff over the years and by the end of the first day it's blatantly obvious whether they will make a decent bar person, waiter or lounge staff.

Most lounge staff are school going age or students on summer jobs. My advice to anyone thinking of working for this publican, is run a mile. That Ad streams danger, I'm a total dictator.

StinkyMunkey

StinkyMunkey wrote: »

Most lounge staff are school going age or students on summer jobs.

That's exactly what I was thinking. When I was 16, most of my coevals wore working as floor staff or in retail. How on earth are you supposed to get your leg in the door, and gain some experience, if even floor staff are required to have 3 years' experience?

I don't see how such policies are workable, and even if they are feasible, they are possibly damaging the level of skills available in the labour force by causing a 'bottleneck' at the entry level.

NinetyTwoTeam

Maybe he means you've been taking glasses from your sitting room or bedroom to the kitchen when you're done with them for at least 3 years.

That's the only way this ad makes sense. Who tf would even do that job for 3 years.

Then again those stinking millennials are so entitled they probably would turn their nose up at a long term career in glass transfer mechanics.

RustyNut

NinetyTwoTeam wrote: »

Maybe he means you've been taking glasses from your sitting room or bedroom to the kitchen when you're done with them for at least 3 years.

That rules out any of the teenagers in my life anyway.

So like not even being a waiter or some barbacking towards working behind the bar?

I don't particularly care how offensive this is but I'd imagine your ratio of quality applicants might start to drop if you're only looking for people who've been on the floor for 3 years and are still looking for that position.

Rjd2

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

I just saw this ad in a pub window on a walk through a Dublin suburb.

A publican is refusing to entertain the idea of hiring floor staff (the people who collect glasses, and do ... (I don't know what) ... with them, unless they have been working as floor staff for three years?

I count myself very lucky for having graduated from college prior to the worst of the global recession. How is this in any way 'normal'? I assume these people are paid close to minimum wage.

I am not rich, but I earn a decent wage in terms of the average industrial wage. My work is technical, and I have never yet been asked for 'three years of experience'.

Is this a case of employers becoming absolutely ridiculous, or what is it?

I did it when at college and at times it can be a really tough job. At peak events if you were not on your game, you can run out of clean glasses, a barman grabbed me one time and complained he had no glasses to serve anyone!:pac:
You also need to be prepared to deal with the public, some of whom can be volatile and very drunk.

I know the vast majority of places, a trainee could get away with it, but the really busy places and with things like NYE etc been so important, I don't really blame anyone looking for experience when it comes to hiring.

Don't forget people like to complain and sue for any reason now.:pac:

Gunmonkey

Hey, at least its not an Jobridge internship....well not yet anyways!

Rjd2

Rjd2 wrote: »

I know the vast majority of places, a trainee could get away with it, but the really busy places and with things like NYE etc been so important, I don't really blame anyone looking for experience when it comes to hiring.

Absolutely, I'm not dismissing the stressful nature of the work.

I can totally understand someone requiring 6 months' experience, or even a year.

My current role pays a fair salary and I was required to have 1 year's relevant experience.

But 3 years? Collecting glasses? I don't see how that is necessary, let alone desirable.

riffmongous

I wonder how many years experience the toilet attendant needs there?

B.A._Baracus

It's still an employers market.

RasTa

Does it serve food? It could be a waiter.

RasTa

RasTa wrote: »

Does it serve food? It could be a waiter.

I would imagine it does some pub grub (certainly not Sunday lunches).

Even for toasted sandwiches, it seems a bit OTT. The ad clearly seeks 'floor staff'.

Rjd2

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

Absolutely, I'm not dismissing the stressful nature of the work.

I can totally understand someone requiring 6 months' experience, or even a year.

My current role pays a fair salary and I was required to have 1 year's relevant experience.

But 3 years? Collecting glasses? I don't see how that is necessary, let alone desirable.

3 years I admit is a bit odd. I am not Bill Gates or anything so not trying to sneer, but when I did it, I always thought it was job to get yourself in the door in such an establishment.
I'd find it bizarre that someone could be doing it for 3 years tbh.

I'd like to think back then I'd have progressed to bar man or something after a year or two.

Samaris

NinetyTwoTeam wrote: »

Maybe he means you've been taking glasses from your sitting room or bedroom to the kitchen when you're done with them for at least 3 years.

That's the only way this ad makes sense. Who tf would even do that job for 3 years.

Then again those stinking millennials are so entitled they probably would turn their nose up at a long term career in glass transfer mechanics.

No, the older Millennials have all been too busy working unpaid roles for months to try scrape up allowable experience for the (self-)important generations to employ us properly!

Apparently we also killed golf.

freshpopcorn

He's probably being letdown a lot by secondary school/college students ad he wants someone who might be a little more mature looking for a few hours work.

RhubarbCrumble

Not a bar, but there's a Centra near me and they had an ad recently for 'Part time deli assistant. Minimum 2 years experience. Must have relevant HACCP qualification'

Samaris

RhubarbCrumble wrote: »

Not a bar, but there's a Centra near me and they had an ad recently for 'Part time deli assistant. Minimum 2 years experience. Must have relevant HACCP qualification'

Having done deliwork, yeah, that's not entirely surprising except for their summer child hope of finding people with two years deli experience that would not now rather eat a brick than go work in a deli again. Although really, most delis will just hire expecting that their new people won't know the arse of a chicken from its neck-hole and will get them trained and HACCPed up themselves.

mariaalice

He/she would be overwhelmed with every teenager in the area( especially in a non tourist area ) so they are trying to cut down the applicants a bit maybe.

Dohnjoe

"3 years experience" is not to be taken literally, it's a preferred situation, employers often do this to try and get the best staff possible

Attitude is still one of the most important factors in choosing an employee. We've had many people with little or no experience come into the job that required up to 5 years experience - simply because they right attitude and approach

odyssey06

I have three years experience drinking in bars... does that count???

Ted_YNWA

odyssey06 wrote: »

I have three years experience drinking in bars... does that count???

Experiencing of emptying glasses does not help with knowing what to do with them when they are empty.

odyssey06

Ted_YNWA wrote: »

Experiencing of emptying glasses does not help with knowing what to do with them when they are empty.

True that... but I know the difference between a Long Island Iced Tea and a Black Russian, and I know whether to drink red or white wine with a particular dish, and what range of lager, stout, ale and cider is on draught is any establishment I frequent!

I suggest an immediate efficiency improvement... you want another pint, give me your empty to fill up

Ted_YNWA

odyssey06 wrote: »

True that... but I know the difference between a Long Island Iced Tea and a Black Russian, and I know whether to drink red or white wine with a particular dish, and what range of lager, stout, ale and cider is on draught is any establishment I frequent!

I suggest an immediate efficiency improvement... you want another pint, give me your empty to fill up

Quit with your new-fangled teas, Barrys at a push in this pub.

:P