Parachute employment

[nagomi]

How do you describe in the English language? In my language, it's called 'parachute employment.'

Companies announce an open hiring process; everybody has to hand in their application and wait for the result. However, if the company is corrupted, it could be possible for an influential figure at the higher-up to help someone to join the corporate in much easier way; for example, the person would not struggle with the interview because he or she is guaranteed to pass. And this individual will probably take a middle or high level position that others often otherwise take years to reach. This is why it's called 'parachute'. The idea is you're dropped in the middle of sky so that you can land on a middle or high location effortlessly.

Is there a way to describe this staying as close to the original as possible? Pulling the string may fit, but I'm looking for something closer to the original.

 

[lingobingo]

Nepotism?

 

[SwissPete]

The generic term would be corruption.

 

[nagomi]

Nepotism?

That's exactly correct. Would you fiddle with the original; parachute?

 

[nagomi]

The generic term would be corruption.

That's true, but it seems to broad.

 

[lingobingo]

The term “golden parachute” seems to sometimes be applied to employment contracts in English. I’d never come across it before, but it implies that parachute employment is an established concept.

EDIT:
Or maybe not? (Golden parachute - Wikipedia)

 

[nagomi]

The term “golden parachute” seems to sometimes be applied to employment contracts in English. I’d never come across it before, but it implies that parachute employment is an established concept.

EDIT:
Or maybe not? (Golden parachute - Wikipedia)

My understanding of Golden Parachute is a financial benefit for taking responsibilities for certain risky occasion often to quite the public as an executive member of the company. In this case, the idea of parachute is to have a solid financial situation (safely land) even though the person is no longer in the employment. But the parachute I brought up is different. It's about using a 'parachute' as a mode of transport, if you will, to get up high enough, not a safety device.

 

[lingobingo]

I realise that. Hence my edit. So it seems that your parachute employment metaphor doesn’t exist in English.

 

[Egmont]

The other problem with "parachute" in an employment context is that there is a popular book on job-hunting, updated every year, called What Color is Your Parachute. Many people, especially in the U.S., are familiar with this book; over 10 million copies have been sold. In it, the parachute refers to the skills a person has that enable him or her to find a new job. People who know of this book would assume that "parachute employment" is a position that a person found by using the methods that it teaches and recommends.

 

[Loob]

Here's one use of "parachute" in an employment context: from Parachute definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

If a person parachutes into an organization or if they are parachuted into it, they are brought in suddenly in order to help it.​

...a consultant who parachutes into corporations and helps provide strategic thinking. [V into]​

There was intense speculation 18 months ago that the former foreign secretary might be parachuted into the Scottish Parliament. [be VERB-ed + into]​

It can be used in a negative way to imply cronyism or nepotism, as in
Parachuting political careerists into safe seats is a poisonous practice | Holly Baxter | Opinion | The Guardian
17 Sep 2014 · The policy of parachuting in candidates from Westminster to a safe party seat somewhere so that that person is essentially guaranteed power is poisonous. Labour already suffers from a shameful problem of nepotism...

 

[nagomi]

The other problem with "parachute" in an employment context is that there is a popular book on job-hunting, updated every year, called What Color is Your Parachute. Many people, especially in the U.S., are familiar with this book; over 10 million copies have been sold. In it, the parachute refers to the skills a person has that enable him or her to find a new job. People who know of this book would assume that "parachute employment" is a position that a person found by using the methods that it teaches and recommends.

That's very refreshing view, thank you. As a non-native speaker, I would've never had such a view.

 

[nagomi]

Here's one use of "parachute" in an employment context: from Parachute definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

If a person parachutes into an organization or if they are parachuted into it, they are brought in suddenly in order to help it.​

...a consultant who parachutes into corporations and helps provide strategic thinking. [V into]​

There was intense speculation 18 months ago that the former foreign secretary might be parachuted into the Scottish Parliament. [be VERB-ed + into]​

It can be used in a negative way to imply cronyism or nepotism, as in
Parachuting political careerists into safe seats is a poisonous practice | Holly Baxter | Opinion | The Guardian
17 Sep 2014 · The policy of parachuting in candidates from Westminster to a safe party seat somewhere so that that person is essentially guaranteed power is poisonous. Labour already suffers from a shameful problem of nepotism...

Parachute has quite contrasting meanings, I see. Thank you. I meant the latter, but should note the first too.

 

[nagomi]

I realise that. Hence my edit. So it seems that your parachute employment metaphor doesn’t exist in English.

What was your first idea got into your head the first you read "parachute employment"?

 

[lingobingo]

Since I’d never come across it, and you’d explained your use of it, I had no reason to imagine anything else. I don’t think it has an obvious meaning, as a parachute implies different things, such as escape or a safe landing.

 

[LolozaN]

The generic term would be corruption.

I worked in the HR department of a local university. As a department we waged countless battles against staff using an open recruitment process to parachute their students into academic posts. As HR you would sit in draining interviews only to hv the most inexperienced individual deemed appointable. It is corruption and individuals would conspire outside of the interview process to appoint specific people.

 

[JulianStuart]

However, if the company is corrupted, it could be possible for an influential figure at the higher-up to help someone to join the corporate in much easier way; for example, the person would not struggle with the interview because he or she is guaranteed to pass.

Nepotism?

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
nepotism/ˈnɛpəˌtɪzəm/n

1. favouritism shown to relatives or close friends by those with power or influence

Note that it should be too, not to (an error common even among native speakers!)

That's true, but it seems to broad.