Disney to start hiring 15yo's

[DisneyFan 2000]

There aren't any more immature 15 year olds then there are 20 year olds, or 40 year olds. I know a lot of 15 year olds that would be perfect at the job. Age does not equal maturity. Look at Roy Disney. He is extremely immature (does 'Ding dong the witch is dead' ring a bell?). I know a lot of adults that are immature.

-Michael

Like that had to do with the topic...

I'm kinda against this and I'm 16! I know some 15 year olds are mature (I would call myself relatively mature at the age) yet I can't help but worry that a lot of 15 year old kids just can't deliver the same excellency in service a full grown and mature adult would deliver. Lets hope I'm proven wrong!

 

[mkt]

Having worked at WDW, I can attest that some of the younger high-school aged CM's were definitely more mature than their older, more seasoned counterparts. Working in WDW can be like taking a step back to high school or middle school if you're not careful.

 

[askmike1]

All I'm saying is that Disney isn't going to hire someone not fit for the job. Just like they wouldn't hire a 28 year old not fit for the job. SO I do not think there is any answer to the question "is this a good idea." Its like someone saying "It is now raining...do you like my dress." One does not affect the other.

-Michael

 

[CrashNet]

Good grief. Why oh why would they hire someone so young? There are so many places out there now that won't hire you unless you are 16/17 now. Well, as others have said, I just hope they hire mature 15 year olds.

 

[Number_6]

The only thing about hiring a 15 year old for the Resort Dispatch position, is that if they are on "Point"(pointing incoming cars to where you want them so that you can keep a steady flow of traffic and not get 20+ cars backed up) then they will on occasion need to pull cars forward. If you can't have a license at 15, then you can't do that part of the job, or handle the luggage transfers.

 

[barnum42]

At this rate Nike will want to set up a factory on Disney Property! :lol:

 

[disneysailor]

All I'm saying is that Disney isn't going to hire someone not fit for the job. Just like they wouldn't hire a 28 year old not fit for the job. SO I do not think there is any answer to the question "is this a good idea." Its like someone saying "It is now raining...do you like my dress." One does not affect the other.

-Michael

Not quite true. When WDW first opened, they employed only one in ten candidates. Now they employ one in three- which indicates that they may have lowered their standards. There's such a shortage of workers in Central Florida that no company can afford to be too picky.

I think Disney are only selective when it comes to more executive/managerial roles, or the International Programmes (where only a small percentage get through).

 

[askmike1]

When WDW first opened, they employed only one in ten candidates. Now they employ one in three- which indicates that they may have lowered their standards.

Not necessarily. There are more factors involved than just the ratio. The people being selected could be different. Perhaps More people looking for a job really want to work at Disney. When Disney opened, there may have been more people looking for a job that Didn't know the 'Disney Standards'.

-Michael

 

[General Grizz]

I was told last night that, based on the improving Orlando job market, Cast Members have less of an incentive to work for Disney, and thus many are leaving and less are applying for part time/full time roles. Based on the cost-cutting layoffs that had occurred in the past years, as well as the overall treatment that many Cast Members didn't appreciate while working for the Company, the lack of job security have made many look elsewhere for employment. Thus, if the crisis is to this degree, Disney might have to choice but to accept a greater ratio of the applicants and rely on more CP students. At this point, they are very short of Cast Members, about 3,000 short a couple weeks ago, hence the closure of the Noodle Station.

Thoughts?

 

[unkadug]

Not quite true. When WDW first opened, they employed only one in ten candidates. Now they employ one in three- which indicates that they may have lowered their standards.

Not taking you out of context and not having the proper figures ready at my fingers but-

WDW now has about 10 times the number of employees as they did when they opened.

So, that makes them even pickeyer (is that a word?) than they were when they opened.

 

[se8472]

I think one point that is being missed is that fact that these arn't just 15 year olds that are off the street.

They need the backing of a CM in order to work for the company. Belive me I know who I would recommend and people I would not.

 

[Dizneyworld4430]

Now I think that might be a bit harsh. If a 15-yo WANTS to work at WDW and possesses a decent level of maturity, I would argue they may provide even better quality service than many CMs there now. I really find age itself has little to do with quality; it is mindset. As long as Disney does an adequate job screening, training (which is debateable given the current trends), and monitoring activities, I think this could create the possibility of some good long-term CMs.

Ok yes i agree with you. Im sorry i wasnt clear on what i ment to say. I just dont want to see that "disney service" disapate. Which I think has when M.E. took over the company. I mean just look at how he was treating his employees, and that is a valid reason on why the "service" got crappy. But in any case if they CAN do a good job with screening then i agree. Sorry for not being clear on my point.

 

[markc]

There aren't any more immature 15 year olds then there are 20 year olds, or 40 year olds. I know a lot of 15 year olds that would be perfect at the job. Age does not equal maturity. Look at Roy Disney. He is extremely immature (does 'Ding dong the witch is dead' ring a bell?). I know a lot of adults that are immature.

-Michael

I don't think you've been exposed to 15 year olds in awhile or are probably just a 15 year old yourself. lol. IN all seriousness though, 15 year olds, as a whole, are still immature. They may not be blatantly immature, but their behavior (even in the most "mature" 15 year olds) doesn't match up to that of most 20 year olds nor is it adequate for public service in a park which prides itself on high quality customer service. I'm sure at 15, I probably wouldn't want to be told I was immature (when in fact I was fairly well behaved and responsible) however, now that I'm much older, I can look back and see all my faults and that I truely was still immature.

 

[Tinkrbell]

TDS hires now at 16 though, however.

I'm so glad to find out that TDS hires at 16, because that's where I really want to work this fall.

 

[speck76]

Ok yes i agree with you. Im sorry i wasnt clear on what i ment to say. I just dont want to see that "disney service" disapate. Which I think has when M.E. took over the company. I mean just look at how he was treating his employees, and that is a valid reason on why the "service" got crappy. But in any case if they CAN do a good job with screening then i agree. Sorry for not being clear on my point.

Walt was never "pro-employee" either......

Unless you or anyone else here has ever been in a job in the Orlando market where you have hired and fired, I am not sure you can comment on the labor pool this city has.

It is not easy finding good employees for unskilled positions.

 

[disnyfan89]

whats TDS ???????

 

[mousermerf]

Depending on the context, TDS is usually The Disney Store, sometimes Tokyo Disney Sea.

 

[tigger248]

They are really getting hard up if they are hiring 15 year olds, I only thought Six Flags did this.

Actually, Six Flags no longer hires 15 y/o's. The one I work for quit doing it a couple seasons ago.

I just hope Disney does this right. It will work well and gain them some loyal cms, if they hire the right 15 y/o's. I was hired into my current job at 15 and was told I was very mature for my age and did a very good job. I'm still a loyal employee who has now worked for them for 7 years. Many 15 y/o's are immature, but so are many 16,17,18,19, etc... y/o's. There will be immature people in each age group, it's just inevitable. All 15 y/o's will not be immature. Labor laws are the killer. They're pretty stiff for 15 y/o's (at least in KY).

 

[thedisneyfan]

I don't believe that 15 year olds have enough life experience to approach a demanding service job like those at Disney. This is a big mistake to hire these children for their first job ever.
As mentioned earlier the problems with making sure that all under age workers are the regulations necessary because of their age. This includes the # of hours that they can work each week, 3 of hours that can be worked in a row, the lunches that must be no less than 1/2 hour. The fines, even for a technical violation, are severe and costly not to mention the added burden on managing these workers for the above reasons.

 

[askmike1]

I don't believe that 15 year olds have enough life experience to approach a demanding service job like those at Disney.

So magically, the life experience hits you at 16 or 18? Life experience is a personal matter, some people have more than others. There are some kids who have gone though more in their lives than a 50 year old has.

-Michael