Scorpios are such a bold sign: Why astrology and Tarot matter in hiring now
Tarot and astrology are being used more frequently during the job application process.
The popularity of Tarot and astrology today is comparable to the fame of television psychics in the 1990s. Tarot readers, astrologers, and fortune-tellers now not only answer personal questions but also advise large companies on which employees to hire and which to reject. A 161.RU correspondent looked into the reasons for this magical thinking in the labor market and why it is a marker of a deep systemic crisis.
Employers may rely on intuition when uncertain about a candidate«s performance in a specific role.
Work by Zodiac Sign, Not by Specialty
Esoteric consultants report frequent demand for their services from technology firms.
A Rostov resident named Vera wanted to get a job in a bedding store. The job did not require specialized knowledge or higher education. But the employer still didn«t think she was a fit.
Astrological knowledge can sometimes provide a competitive edge for job seekers.
«They rejected me because of my zodiac sign. They said: »Scorpios are such a bold zodiac sign.« It»s a good thing I didn«t go there; I found a job in my field. And a friend of mine worked there, and the owner told her to put the toilet seat down because money was going down the drain,» Vera recalls with irony.
HR consultant and author of the book Where Do Resumes Disappear? Yulia Bestuzheva told 161.RU that using astrology and Tarot in hiring is no longer exotic or «the quirks of individual recruiters.»
«It is a symptom of a systemic hiring problem. When companies stop understanding what criteria they should actually use to select people, any surrogates come into play — from psychological tests of dubious validity to horoscopes. The modern hiring system is designed to sift people by characteristics, not by work. Resumes, tests, questionnaires, interviews — all of this creates an illusion of objectivity,» says Bestuzheva.
According to the expert, esoteric methods are most often used in areas with high competition where exact requirements for employees are blurred, for example, in creative industries, marketing, media, and administrative roles.
«Where the result of work is hard to measure directly, the temptation to replace analysis with superstition increases,» believes Yulia Bestuzheva.
Asking an Astrologer if an Employee Will Steal
Alexander (name changed. — Ed.) has been working for a large IT company for several years. He told 161.RU that fortune-tellers are often invited to their corporate events and they organize «useful breakfasts» with a Tarot reader. Fortune-tellers help in his company and the HR department.
«They give us advice from the point of view of their »expertise.« They assign us stupid training sessions,» shares Alexander.
Tarot reader and astrologer Boris Zak has been working with IT companies for six years, helping them hire employees.
«There is a steady demand for these services, but I cannot say that many companies are directly turning to these tools,» Boris Zak told 161.RU.
According to him, astrologers and Tarot readers are most often asked to analyze key employees and managers.
«One of the topics that interests many owners is whether a new top manager will steal,» shares Boris Zak.
He notes that companies do not like to publicize the help of esotericists. This is a niche story, not a widespread trend.
Numerologist and astrologer Stalina Artamonova agrees with Zak. She also collaborated with a technology company.
«Officially, the company does not use the services of esotericists. IT people almost all, one way or another, »sort« their future employees in teams. They use the Myers-Briggs system, standard Jungian psychotyping, sociometric tests, and many other methods. So describing a person using Tarot»s projective methods is no worse in this sense,« Artamonova told 161.RU.
A beauty salon also turned to her services. The employer was worried whether a new employee would fit into the team.
«We needed the new employee not to disrupt the already established female company. I gave a description of how and what could motivate her and what abilities could be most fully used in this job,» recalls Artamonova.
Energy consultant Angelina Myalik also works with IT companies and startups. She gives advice before deals, investments, and appointments to important positions.
«My task is not Tarot card reading or horoscope interpretation, but directly reading information from the energy-informational field to answer specific business questions: about a candidate»s potential, project risks, or the energy compatibility of future partners,« Angelina tells 161.RU.
Such a consultation is conducted under the condition of non-disclosure of personal data. Myalik believes that Tarot and astrology are work with symbolic systems. She describes her method differently. The energy consultant makes a «request to a person»s informational field« and receives »specific« information.
«For example, not »the Aries candidate will be proactive,« but »in the energy field of this candidate, with a specific name and offer, there is a specific block on rapid adaptation in a stressful environment, which should be explored in more detail in the interview.« This points to non-obvious areas of attention,» says Myalik.
She believes that energy practice points to an employee«s hidden talents, »resonance with the company«s values.» And this saves the employer«s resources.
«Not Those Who Work Better, But Those Who Worry Less»
HR director Vera Chernichkina notes: in her field, it is generally believed that every HR person is a bit of an esotericist.
«Over a long professional life, they study patterns of people»s behavior at work and can indeed make some «predictions» about work success based on personal data,« Chernichkina tells 161.RU.
She gives another example of how astrology helped an employee get a promotion.
«I know of a case where a girl who studied astrology got rapid career growth. She was appointed head of the product department in a jewelry company after she gave presentations on selling stones taking into account astrological knowledge. The company got a hype-driven development impulse and really increased sales,» shares Vera Chernichkina.
HR consultant Yulia Bestuzheva is not so optimistic about the trend. In her opinion, the employer trusts intuition when they do not understand how an employee will perform a specific job under specific conditions.
«Intuition, »gut feeling,« »cultural fit« — sounds beautiful and professional. But in practice, it is the taste, habits, and personal biases of the decision-makers. Astrology and Tarot in this sense are just an honest form of what has long been happening. Instead of the phrase »he«s not our vibe,» there is «he has a difficult sign,» instead of «I»m uncomfortable with him« — »we have bad astrological compatibility,«» says Bestuzheva.
She warns that in the long term, such a trend is dangerous for the labor market. Teams become standard, homogeneous, and with the same types.
«The company starts selecting not those who work better, but those who worry less. The price of this is missed talents, weak teams, and management mistakes that are not obvious for a long time. The problem is not that people have intuition. The problem is that it becomes the deciding factor where the system no longer distinguishes professional suitability,» says the expert.
Bestuzheva believes that business and HR in particular should focus on real work tasks.
«Esotericism in HR is not mysticism. It is a marker of a crisis in hiring,» concludes the hiring consultant.
