Bad Hiring, Worse Chores, and ADHD Lite™

Job applications that test your patience, household splits that never add up, and why your partner not using a shared calendar is a red flag.

Let's actually do a bit of a personal note for this week's intro.

I feel like this year has been all about health with me and my family. We have been doing lots of testing and actually have genetic diagnoseseseses for 2 of my kids (which, I'm sure, will inevitably lead to MORE appointments), and I've been chasing my own health concerns. Turns out I have gallstones and subclinical ADHD. So not full-on ADHD, but ADHD light? I dunno, it's not what I expected based on my self-diagnosis from memes, so it’s a bit to process.

Now that you've creeped into my personal life (perv), let's get on with other matters...

Job Hunting is a Full-Time Job (and It Shouldn’t Be)

If you’re hiring, do yourself a favor: go through your own application process. I mean really go through it—upload your resume, fill out every redundant field, deal with your terrible ATS (Applicant Tracking System), and see how it feels.

It’s absurd to require job seekers to both upload a resume and then manually input the exact same details because your system can’t parse it properly. Or start asking BS questions that are likely just going to be filled out by AI anyway. You’re making your first impression on candidates, and for a lot of companies, that first impression is: We have no clue what we’re doing, and we’re totally fine with doing bare minimum work (even though we expect employees to give 150% effort).

If a company truly values talent, it should prioritize an efficient, respectful hiring process instead of a test of patience.

Household Chores: The Math Doesn’t Add Up

In theory, splitting household duties 50/50 should make things easier. But in practice, it feels like both people end up doing 75% of the work. The never-ending logistics of kids, meals, cleaning, and planning don’t fit neatly into a checklist.

Most the time it would be easier if one person just owned the whole deal instead of constantly negotiating over who’s doing what or having the other person hovering around and also partaking in the chores to help out. But that’s not fair either. So we trudge along, each believing we’re shouldering more of the load. Maybe the real solution isn’t about a perfect split, but about appreciating that both people are probably giving more than they think, and taking on the full breadth of work at that time and letting the other person have some time off (and switching that of course).

Speaking of Logistics… How Do Families Function Without Shared Calendars?

I will never understand how some couples survive without a shared calendar. Whenever I hear, "Oh, I have to check with my [partner] about that", I always wonder if A.) that partner makes all the plans, and B.) are you even going to remember this conversation to actually check?

Hot tip: Share a Google Calendar. It’ll save your sanity. Instead of texting back and forth about doctor’s appointments, school events, and who’s picking up the kids, just put it all in one place. Future you will thank present (and then past) you.

Follow the Dollar

My eldest asked me last night why I was saying, "follow the dollar". That led to a fun (for me. He was probably bored out of his mind) conversation about how nothing is actually free, and how, more often than not, if you want to understand why something exists, look at who’s making money from it. That free Fortnite game? Guess why you have to buy "V Bucks" to get a skin to make you look like a tactical reindeer...

It’s a useful lens, especially today when influencers are often mistaken for experts. If someone’s pushing a product, idea, or trend, ask yourself: Who benefits from this? What are they selling? Because the answer is almost never altruism.

City Kids vs. Nature Kids

I was talking to one of the best parents I know (not me), and we got onto the topic of how much harder it is to manage kids in an urban environment.

In a city, kids can’t just run free; they have to navigate cars, strangers, and that guy yelling about the government while kicking his feet and swinging his arms wildly. There’s so much social choreography involved: don’t stare, don’t press every button you see (but they do anyway), don’t get in people’s personal bubbles.

Go on a hike or out in a park and they can just exist. Run, climb, explore, and get their energy out without constant course correction. Let them be kids.

Low Performance… Or Low Standards?

Hey leaders... have you ever had to let someone go because of “low performance”. Are you sure their low performance wasn't actually due to bad practices at your company? I bet you feel like crap now, don't ya?

Did they have a clear job description? Did you actually go over it with them regularly? Were expectations set or were they just thrown into chaos with no real guidance?

Too often, businesses blame employees for issues that are actually process and culture problems. If a company has terrible workflows, no structure, and constantly moving goalposts, then no one is going to succeed. Before pointing fingers, leadership should ask: Did we actually set them up to succeed?

Leadership is Mostly Just Staying Calm

Sometimes the most valuable thing a leader can do is be the steady hand in a storm. People don’t always need grand solutions or inspiring speeches; they just need to see that someone has a plan, even if the plan is "We’ll try this, and if it doesn’t work, we’ll try something else."

Panic is contagious. So is calm.

Something to Listen To: More Perfect (Season 1, At Least)

How about we bring back a recommendation for the last bit? If you haven’t listened to More Perfect (a podcast about how the Supreme Court was formed and evolved through landmark cases), I highly recommend the first season (I feel like it jumped the shark a bit in the later seasons). It’s fascinating, well-produced, and makes you realize how many landmark legal decisions came down to a handful of unpredictable moments.

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Alright, there's your byte. If you’re out there filling out job applications in triplicate, negotiating chore duty, or wondering how the hell people survive without a shared calendar—solidarity.

Ever had to explain capitalism to a kid? Think urban kids should come with built-in hazard lights? Let’s hear it.

Trying to stay calm, cool, and collected (but mostly just trying),

//Trevor

P.S. When I’m not ranting about ATS systems and household logistics, I help companies build better workplaces and tech strategies.
More here: //TREVORFRY.TECH.