How has everybody been since we've been away?
Let's get to it -- Pinterest led us to the first article which led us to the second article...and one of these led us to the third. We would like to comment. *insert grinning smiley face here*
http://www.levo.com/articles/career-advice/warning-signs-of-a-bad-company
http://www.boston.com/bostonworks/galleries/warning_signs_of_a_bad_company?pg=2
https://www.levo.com/articles/career-advice/how-to-spot-a-good-job-opportunity
There's so much to mention with all this, we do not know where to begin.
We would like to state that we are VERY fortunate to work for Cheers POS because it is a small company and everybody who works here shares the same goal: to help people and to grow the company. Cheers POS is not a great big conglomerate with a high turn over, we are people serving people. Interviewees were treated like people and not like a set of skills that can only help the company, without really caring about the person long term.
A concept opposite of Cheers POS are how newspaper and online classifieds advertising the same jobs week after week as well as the same jobs a few weeks or months later, which demonstrate a company's standard of trying to only get a warm body in a position...until they can get another warm body in the position. As for the former -- weeks and weeks of the same add -- we know they are lousy jobs (denoted by there being hardly information about them), the later -- same job posted months or weeks later -- we know they may not have found the right people or they are lousy jobs (are the new people quitting or getting fired?).
Case in point, when looking for work years ago, our secretary has seen a very brief advert daily online for, "Appointment Setters." The description looked good enough, but, it was vague. After doing some research (the phone number was checked), it turns out this was for a certain vacuum cleaner company that does not advertise, and therefore, sells its vacuums for between $1,000 - $3,000. We're not kidding. Our secretary, having been fairly familiar with this vacuum, knowing its reputation, and how it is a sales-driven job, knowing that there are a lot of bad reviews including 2 to 3 hour demonstrations in a person's residence PLUS bad reviews of the vacuum cleaners themselves, our secretary knew better than to try for this job. It always takes a special person to do sales and this was not a product into which she could put her whole soul. If you cannot commit yourself to your job, even during working hours, it's not for you. [Those who love these vacuums LOVE these vacuums and are VERY loyal to the brand, but, those reviews are harder to find.]
"Employees are bad mouthing the company." -- Eh. In today's environment, who doesn't complain. This could be for anybody. It would be MOST professional if ALL employees either a) speak well about the company or b) KEEP THEIR MOUTHS SHUT!! If they cannot do this, they may be out of a job. It does not take much to be, "let go," these days. More states than not are At Will states -- employers do not need a reason to fire you...but, who ever terminates somebody without reason? Does anybody ever quit because everything is going well? No reason needs to be given to let an employee go, which is lousy. It is further lousy, that in today's age, not only can a person be let go, without reason, but also, without warning...or any advice on how to NOT get fired, that is, correction, from a supervisor. Our secretary knows of a man who was fired from a craft store his first day of hire because he was not breaking down boxes fast enough. His first day.
It is lousy that, in some places, one has to worry day to day about keeping one's employment, for whatever reason. ...Or giving one's heart to a company and not have anything to show for it when it comes to retirement because the company does not want to support its retirees.
Moving on...
The last/seventh statement from the first link -- yes, we will agree to this and with anecdote. A friend of the secretary's has mentioned that, when she had a job, she was there to work, not make friends. Ehhhhh....that is NOT the right attitude to have, not in today's workplace. Friends in the workplace makes work easier and more fun -- it is a very hostile and sterile workplace without friends. If you do not enjoy the people you are working with (perhaps not all of them), see what you can do to fix that. You need to spend 4 - 12 hours a day with these people, you should enjoy being around them nearly everyday. Another side to this, to validate, our secretary, years ago, was doing temp work and was talking to another temp who was telling her about a temp job she had that was just awful. She was told just to keep her mouth shut and do her job because the regular workers there had gotten temp girls fired before. The workers asked her fairly innocuous questions ("How did you get here?" "I drove my car."), and reported her. She worked for one day at that position. It's not like she shared controversial opinions or proffered unsolicited advice, she answered a few questions. Because to ignore would be rude, right?
Friends at work are important.
The second link -- First point. It's easy to say, "You may want to take your business elsewhere," but, is that really an option if you do not have another job and nothing else looking like it is going to pan out?
Anyway, our secretary when she was looking for work in the past, was professional and respectful at one particular interview, but, the interviewer was not. The interviewer did not know how to interview nor how to treat somebody else as a person. It was a good thing our secretary did not get that job, there was two weeks training (not on the job training, but, meeting training, where a group of newly hired people (newly hired...but, they were already hiring again for the same position) walked out of the meeting room on a break and looked drained) for it, meaning it was NOT people centered.
High turnover rates -- ALWAYS PAY ATTENTION TO THOSE!!! BE AWARE!!
On a side note, we have also heard, "We will get back to you by X, one way or the other," and never heard from that company again.
The third point...oh yes, in all your glorious spare time (if you already have another job) or with all your spare money (if you are unemployed), go check out the workplace. Alright, maybe this will not take another trip out after your interview, but, will the company appreciate you lurking/lingering/doing recon work? Perhaps you cannot check out your potential work place setting and future co-workers, but, check out the facial expressions and interaction of the workers there while you are there waiting.
Perhaps this point is talking about if you are interviewed in a different place than where the job is. We have little experience with this, but, looking at it from this angle, we can understand. If space or time has the employer renting out some other place, OR, if there's a main office and you will be working at one of the branches, we concur with this point. Our secretary, while looking for work in the past (this phrase can turn into a drinking game), interviewed at a main hospital miles and miles and miles away, even though the job was about two miles from her home at the time. She did not get the job (the interviewer was...upfront, albeit discouraging, informing our secretary that NONE of the interviewees she saw had everything for which she was looking...and that our secretary was lacking as well), but, guess what, that job, after it was filled, was advertised a few weeks later!
Point Six -- See the above about the vacuum cleaner, "Appointment Setter." Vague and scant description.
Point Six...and Seven: Our secretary, when looking for work in the past, has also been subject to the bait and switch...twice.
But, those stories will have to wait.
There's so much more to post, though!
~Cheers!
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