'Now Hiring Non-Stupid People': Texas Pet Store Owner Posts Controversial Sign After Employee Lasts 3 Days Walter Parsons is trying to "weed out" the people who aren't up to snuff.

By Amanda Breen Edited by Jessica Thomas

Most employers want smart employees with strong work ethics.

But one Texas pet store owner took that desire to the next level, Houston television station KHOU 11 reported, posting a sign requesting "non-stupid" applicants.

Walter Parsons, the owner of Pets Gone Wild Resort in Pasadena, Texas, said he put up the sign after being less-than-impressed with former employees, claiming one wouldn't get off their cell phone despite his warnings.

"We're trying to weed out the people that do come in," Parsons says. "We hired one last week that lasted three days."

Of course, Parsons isn't the only employer navigating today's retention issues. Last year, Gartner predicted that companies would see a year-over-year turnover rate 50-75% higher than the norm.

Still, not everyone was happy with Parsons' attention-grabbing announcement.

"The fact that they felt so emboldened to put something up there like that, it's disgusting, it's distasteful and it's unprofessional," one Pasadena resident told the outlet.

Amanda Breen

Entrepreneur Staff

Senior Features Writer

Amanda Breen is a senior features writer at Entrepreneur.com. She is a graduate of Barnard College and received an MFA in writing at Columbia University, where she was a news fellow for the School of the Arts.

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