Pets Gone Wild, a pet resort in the Houston area, went viral when owner Walter Parsons put up a sign that read “Now Hiring Non-Stupid People” earlier this year.
Now we have the story behind the sign.
“I’ll be honest with you, we didn’t do it deliberately. You know, I wasn’t getting any results out of these websites for hiring… I told I told my wife, I said, look, let’s just put up a hiring sign and see what kind of response we get,” Parsons told “Something Offbeat” host Mike Rogers on the latest episode of the podcast.
He explained cell phones were at the root of his decision to put up the controversial sign, as well as the surprising response he got from it.
HR consultant Caren Goldberg also joined the show to explain why Parsons’ sign might have rubbed some people the wrong way.
“It’s not uncommon for people with intellectual disabilities that are visible somewhat, you know, through their behavior or whatever to have been called stupid, perhaps,” she said. “And so, they may sort of shy away from, you know, even applying.”
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