So I wake up this morning, still groggy and go to the iPhone like a lab rat that's trying to get some more sugar water. There I get my morning copy of SmartBrief Leadership, which aggregates articles and posts that I need to see related to the world of Leadership. First article of note? This nice piece related to the value of first jobs to instill work ethic, negotiation skills and the value of customer service. Of course, McDonalds is cited - at this stage in America, lots of Boomers/Xs/Ys got their first job at Mickey D's, so it shouldn't be a shock that many CEOs hail from there.
With that in mind, I start thinking when the Dunn boys, currently 10 and 7, need to get their first job to prep them for life. I wonder to myself whether it will be McDonalds or something more white collar, and the respective values of both approaches. Deep thoughts.
Then I flick on the morning news, and the first full commercial I see is this from Hooters. Email subscribers click through for the video (it's clean and career-related), you won't want to miss it:
That's right. When it comes to kids getting ready to launch their career, CNN is featuring McDonalds, but hey - don't forget the value that Hooters brings to the table to teach life and career skills.
I know I'm being a little elitist with this one. I know there have to be a ton of smart ladies who have used Hooters employment to pay for school, etc., then launched a mega-career in law, medicine, and you guessed it - HR. There's merit and value in all work. I know that Hooters is using this to remind the world that just because ugly people can't work there and one of the job requirements is dealing with harassment, employment at Hooters is a good deal that can lead to other careers. I get it, but let's face it - it's complicated. For example, judging from the video, if you work at Hooters and then move on to your profession of choice, you always wear your hair up to look more professional, right?
It's complicated. I'll close by stating the obvious when it comes to employment for my kids when they're on the way up and need to learn lessons of life.
I'm glad I have boys. I'm out...
I have 3 girls. I hope none of them ever want to work at Hooters. In HR, I see Hooters as the exception to the normal HR rules more often than not.
3 examples leap to mind:
- Their quest to see women-only servers at their restaurants as a BFOQ.
- Pregnant waitresses at Hooters practically have to sue to keep their jobs.
- "We only have S, XS and XXS shorts. Which one do you want?"
Posted by: Interviewer | July 30, 2010 at 02:07 PM