DEAR HARRIETTE: I have been looking to hire a part-time assistant to help me get a project off the ground. Considering how many people are out of work, I figured if I posted the position on my social media, I would get a few candidates. I did, and a few people responded, but nobody seemed eager to work hard. For example, when I wrote back to people to set up interviews, it took them days to respond. One woman sounded interesting, but she wasn’t willing to work enough hours. Another man I gave a chance, but he never could show up to our morning meetings on time. I think I may need to go to one of those services that has already vetted people in order to feel confident. Whatever happened to good old-fashioned work ethic? -- Work Ethic
DEAR WORK ETHIC: Amend your job description to include the personality and shared values that you need your assistant to have, including being proactive, timely, well organized, enthusiastic, etc. Using a service may help you with vetting, but know that, either way, it may take a while to find a perfect match. Don’t give up and don’t lower your standards. It’s better for you to be without help for a while than to pay for substandard help. I’d also recommend you stop searching on social media and start looking at dedicated job boards.