My last job search article discussed an incident that happened on an interview with a company in the private sector, Goldman Sachs. But I had some odd experiences while interviewing for jobs at colleges. (Oh, and “universities.” Excuse me for that major oversight).
Once I went to an interview at Seton Hall University Law School, and met with a committee of four people. So when I walked into the room each person introduced himself or herself and held out their hand. I smiled as I gave each person a firm handshake.
Unfortunately I grimaced when I clasped the last woman’s hand. Her hand was greasy. She must have just smeared it with some sort of hand lotion, before I entered the room. Now my hand was covered with whatever this oily slime was. Afterward I wondered if this was her, or the committee’s way of trying to trip up a candidate. A stress test of some sort? A clever way to see how someone would react to adversity? Perhaps it was a signal that if I got the job I would have to “grease palms” in order to get ahead in the organization?
Or maybe the woman was just a moron. Even with all their degrees some people who work in higher education are pretty strange.
They asked me a couple of questions, the asked me if I had any questions. I asked one and had a few more prepared but one guy with an unkempt beard (must have been a sleazy lawyer before landing his cushy job at the law school) abruptly thanked me for coming and stood up.
Needless to say I didn’t shake anyone’s hand as I left. I didn’t bother to send a thank you note either. I decided I didn’t want the job. I guess some lawyers really are slimy, literally.
Donald Trump is right to not shake anyone’s hand. Smart man…
Showing posts with label employees. Show all posts
Showing posts with label employees. Show all posts
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Long-winded bosses, asking employees to evaluate themselves and their peers, and other American job nonsense
Ever have a boss who asks you to keep them on track, then when they start droning on about nothing at a meeting and then when you signal them to stop, they ignore you? I would think I’m not the only one. I guess whatever the boss was saying (I don’t remember anything of what they were talking about) was just too critical for them to say, that they couldn’t stop talking. Some people just need to make themselves feel important, I suppose.
Can anyone tell me what the point is of having workers evaluate themselves? How silly. Someone who is doing an excellent job is going to wonder why you, as a boss, don’t already know that. Someone who is doing a lousy job isn’t going to give themselves a poor rating, obviously (or not obviously to people who think these things up). Instead of self-evaluations why not ask workers what the organization can do to help them improve their skills – which would benefit the organization as well as the employee.
Maybe worse are “peer” evaluations. It doesn’t matter if the evaluations are confidential or not, who wants to work with someone who is critical of them? That’s hardly the best way to develop a “team first” attitude among your workers.
Does anyone have any proof that the above concepts actually do produce positive results in an organization, and I’m wrong? Let’s see it…
Can anyone tell me what the point is of having workers evaluate themselves? How silly. Someone who is doing an excellent job is going to wonder why you, as a boss, don’t already know that. Someone who is doing a lousy job isn’t going to give themselves a poor rating, obviously (or not obviously to people who think these things up). Instead of self-evaluations why not ask workers what the organization can do to help them improve their skills – which would benefit the organization as well as the employee.
Maybe worse are “peer” evaluations. It doesn’t matter if the evaluations are confidential or not, who wants to work with someone who is critical of them? That’s hardly the best way to develop a “team first” attitude among your workers.
Does anyone have any proof that the above concepts actually do produce positive results in an organization, and I’m wrong? Let’s see it…
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Creepy employers who ask you to donate to their charity
I once worked at a community college in New Jersey where a creepy, high level Dean went around asking staff members to fill out a form and donate money to some social/political charity. I don't remember the name of the organization. What's the point of pressuring employees to contribute to a certain charity? Just so you can brag to the world what a great boss that you are, that you got 100 percent participation of workers to contribute to a charity of your own personal or political liking? That's wrong. I told the Dean no, I have my own charities that I contribute to, and walked away. He left the office grumbling. I would think a high level Dean would have better things to do, like maybe helping students in some way.
What employees do with their money is their own business. Why not offer to match whatever employees contribute? I would guess a lot of bosses are too cheap to do that.
What's almost as bad is when your boss sends his kids to you to ask for money, for a fundraiser for their school or church. Come on. That's rude. And unprofessional.
Keep the job separate from this type of stuff. Please.
What employees do with their money is their own business. Why not offer to match whatever employees contribute? I would guess a lot of bosses are too cheap to do that.
What's almost as bad is when your boss sends his kids to you to ask for money, for a fundraiser for their school or church. Come on. That's rude. And unprofessional.
Keep the job separate from this type of stuff. Please.
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