Crystal River, Fla.: Sports editor for Citrus County Chronicle daily

Sometimes I wonder if certain companies aren't required to post openings, regardless of whether they are actually looking or know darn well who they are hiring. I know that was the rule when I worked in athletics at a state university years ago.

 

Let me preface this by saying I know nothing about this particular situation, but ...

I don't know why Drip automatically assumes it's underhanded when a paper makes a quick hire. Often, a strong candidate emerges early and you move through the process quickly. If no one better emerges before the deadline, you make an offer. Even if it turns out to be an internal hire, it's quite possible they opened it up and didn't get any applicants who were stronger than the internal applicant.

I don't know if you're working at a daily newspaper right now, but most of them are working with skeleton crews and can't afford to go with unfilled positions very long. It's imperative to move quickly in filling a position, especially when it's a department head.

 

I don't assume anything. I don't know the particulars about this job but I do know an offer has been made and that it was made BEFORE the application deadline. You can call it what you want but those are the facts.

 

Last time I made a hire at a small paper I had a pretty good idea who was going to get the job before the ad was posted, but ...

1.) it was corporate policy to post a job ad

2.) One of the applicants may have gotten the job.


We had an excellent candidate with local ties who had made it clear he'd be interested in an opening when we had one. But if one of the people responding to the ad had been clearly a better fit, he would have gotten the job. Also, this is an ad for a small paper, which means if they are down a sports editor people are pulling double or triple duty and racking up overtime (either paid or unpaid). That's a damn good reason to act fast if you find somebody worth hiring.

 

Why do companies play these games?

That's not a fact. That's an assumption.

 

Unpaid overtime? What is this you speak of?