How to Use Hiring Kiosks to Apply for Jobs

At a recent job search workshop at a local library, the dreaded hiring kiosk, or "hiring machine" as one frustrated job seeker called it, was a big topic of discussion among job seekers. Many job seekers did not like the hiring kiosks and some left the employers' site if they were directed to use one. Many believed the hiring kiosk was a company's way of getting rid of them or seeing if they could use computers.

One job seeker talked about the frustrations in her job search of going to two major retailers in the neighborhood and a local supermarket where she was directed to a hiring kiosk and given very little instructions except to -- "Read the screen".

During the discussion, the group of job seekers came up with a list of suggestions to use hiring kiosks more successfully.

1. Bring resumes. Leave one in an envelope for a store manager even if there is a hiring kiosk. Simply say, 'I applied at the hiring kiosk, but I wanted to leave a copy of a resume." If your resume has what the manager wants he/she will go to the data base to pull your job application if they are hiring.

2. Apply online at home. If uncomfortable with the hiring kiosk and don't want to ask questions to the employees, complete online applications in the privacy of home or at a library computer. The questions are the same as on the hiring kiosk.

3. Ask for a paper job application instead of using the hiring kiosk,. The employer could interpret your asking for a paper job application as a sign that your technology skills are weak. If you know that is not the case, ask for the paper job application. Bring that back to the employer with a copy of a current resume.
4. Plan enough time to spend at the hiring kiosk, but move as quickly as you can. Many of these kiosks will time out and you could lose all the information you entered.