It has been three months since my last article (which no doubt helped countless numbers get interviews) and an alarming trend seems to be emerging. As the year progresses, job losses continue; companies are doing more with less and the Government is urging us to not only shop local but hire local.Many companies have heard this call to arms; accepted the various moratoriums; attended job fairs; solicited candidates from the BIU and Labour & Training and accepted dozens of applications from walk in candidates. As a consequence and most importantly, position by position, Bermudians are being hired.Curiously and disturbingly however, individuals are not being retained. For reasons ranging from “I don’t like the work” to “I’ve been arrested” to “I’ve changed my mind”, those persons who purportedly most need employment are shunning the proverbial hand offering to feed them.I am hearing tales of employees quitting after one day; failing to show up at all or calmly phoning in sick for the tenth time during the first month!We appear to be in an unusual situation whereby people have forgotten that work is hard, requires commitment and some level of demonstrable interest and willingness to buckle down and actually do the work they have been hired to do.Employers are being hit with challenges on all fronts, they have lost their customers; are losing their skilled labour base and they now have to dramatically change their hiring practices. Not only must they do more with less; invest in more on the job training to accommodate the less knowledgeable and experienced but now they must also remember to ask “by the way, are you planning to work once you start”.My message to job seekers is this, be sure of what you want during the interview process take the time to probe what will be expected of you and then be honest, both with yourself and with the potential employer.It is important to remember that there are many people seeking employment. The lives of our non-Bermudian workers are being heavily impacted by the efforts to Bermudianise so if it is not a role you plan to commit to, do not accept (ideally don’t apply!).Secondly, practise full disclosure, if you have credit issues, pending court cases, planned surgery, upcoming cruises or must attend weddings, let the employer know up front. This is one of those times when honesty really is the best policy!One surefire way to guarantee that you get on a company’s ‘don’t hire’ list is to engage in the behaviours listed above.If you are serious about getting employed, be prepared understand the position you are applying for, show that you are serious every step of the way your appearance, your timekeeping and the questions you ask during the interview all make a lasting impression.Don’t know what to ask? “What are your expectations?” and “how will you measure success?” are surefire hits.Kelly Francis is the founder of Performance Solutions Limited a professional services firm specialising in human resource consulting and immigration management. Contact Kelly on kelly_francis[AT]psolutions.bm, or visit the website www.psolutions.bm