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IF YOU'VE ever joked about your boss being a robot, stop laughing, they soon could be. A web service has launched that allows software algorithms to automatically recruit, hire and pay workers to do a wide variety of tasks.
"For the last 60 years, humans have controlled software - now we're getting to the stage where software can control humans," says Matt Barrie of Australian website Freelancer.com.
The IT people in my company are seriously underpaid. If we ever complain about, management says they could always outsource our jobs to India, so we better stop whining. So, a year or so ago a co-worker and I had a great idea: we got permission to buy the old computers that were going to be discarded and then we fix them up and sell them on Ebay.
A few months ago, I took it a step further. When I’m asked to fix someone’s computer, I’ll declare it unfixable instead. The person’s department orders a new computer and I buy the old, “broken” one from the company for $50-$100, fix the minor problem and sell it for huge profit.
I’m afraid I’m going to get busted. What’s going to happen to me if my boss finds out?
Anybody who ever built an empire, or changed the world, sat where you are now. And it's *because* they sat there that they were able to do it.
I was recently fired. My working environment was hostile at the least. My immediate supervisor, African American, was blatantly racist to me, white. Multiple people in the office, including other African Americans, have complained to HR about this individual’s racism yet the company protects the problem and discharges the problem white employees. How can this sort of thing continue? I don’t think we’ve got a chance in a court of law since we’re white and she’s black. I’m amazed that the administration and HR cover for her. I’m out of there now. Tuesday of last week they terminated another. How can this be stopped?
I was fired from a major corporation after 3 and a half years of employment. The stated reason was that I violated policy, but I believe it was retaliation for reporting that I was being sexually harassed by a client. This client happens to be good friends with the boss. I have documentation that he was harassing me, but the company ignored it.
Luckily I was able to find another position with a small family owned business. Although I am grateful for the opportunity and income, I am not happy with the work or company. I miss working in a structured and corporate environment with benefits and 401K.
After almost 6 months of working at the family owned company, I posted my resume and have received quite a few responses. There are 3 large companies that I am interviewing with and besides feeling extremely guilty for lying about how I ended in this position, I am afraid that they will check with HR and discover that I was in fact fired. During my time unemployed I was very open about why I was let go and the situation and NO ONE called me back (even though in each position I met all the requirements). So now, I wonder what is the right thing to do? I have a good background and excellent work ethic. I also have to account for almost 6 months of time in between the fired job and my current position. I really dislike lying but I do want to stay in my current position. How can I get another large company give me a chance and hire me?I just spent a week in Romania. I know it's not the typical vacation spot, but we're trying to take advantage of our few years in Europe by seeing everything we can. While there, we ate great food (really great, I gained 4 pounds), saw interesting sights and, of course, picked up a few career lessons. Here are a few of the things I learned on my vacation.
Just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean they aren't out to get you. In Bucharest we visited the People's Palace, which was the massive, expensive, and over-sized last project of Communist Romanian Dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu. Our tour guide took us into a massive ballroom and noted that Ceauşescu wanted the ceiling to open up so that he could escape by helicopter, if need be. He also did not want central air conditioning for fear that his enemies would try to poison him that way. See, paranoid? Of course, he had good reason to be paranoid and he was, shortly thereafter, toppled and executed by his enemies.
I'd like to tell you that any paranoia you may have is craziness, but this is one of those cases where there were many people out to get him. There may be people intent on bringing you down, or at least keeping you below them. You do need to keep an eye out for those types of people and make sure you don't get caught off guard. And if you are the boss, don't be dictatorial and your chances of being caught in a Human Resources led coup are much smaller.
Sometimes the most important requirement for the job is not the one you would think. We spent three days in a rural area of Transylvania and stayed at an inn run by an actual Romanian Count and took a couple of tours with Monica. She was smart and funny and knowledgeable and put up with our incessant questions. (We like to learn while on vacation.) We found out that when she was hired she spoke very little English. This is a problem when 90% of your clients are from the UK or USA. But, she jumped in with both feet and learned English. She had the other requisite skills (knowledge of the area and a degree in European and Art History), but not this one critical skill. Fortunately her employer had the foresight to hire her.
I'm sure many places would have rejected her because she lacked that one critical skill. Be careful not to reject the person who would do the best at the job overall, just because she happens to lack one skill. If she has the desire and capability to learn this missing piece, you may want to give her the chance.
Thinking outside the coffin box really works. While Vlad the Impaler, the loose inspiration for Dracula, wasn't a real vampire, he certainly killed enough people to be an honorary one. There is a story that he managed to escape pursuers by having his horse's shoes placed on backwards. Now, I don't know how comfortable it was for the horse, but it worked. His would-be attackers couldn't see where Vlad had gone because they didn't think that these tracks leading "towards" them would indicate his path.
Sometimes we try to solve our problems the same way everyone else has. And for good reason--it works to run away from your enemies. But, sometimes, thinking a little bit differently can help us solve these problems in better way. Make sure you come up with some varied and unusual ideas for your problems. You may be surprised at how effective they can be.
In January I applied for a new position in the company, I interviewed for the position twice and both interviews went well. After a couple of weeks I was called by the vice president in the new department and told that they selected another candidate because they had more experience. I was disappointed, but not heart broken. The vice president in my current group took me out to breakfast as a morale boost and I appreciated it greatly.
Now several months later the supervisor in the group I had applied to work in approached me confidentially and told me that I was the candidate they originally wanted, but my current vice president would not allow me to move. He told me they have another position opening up and they want to fill it with me, but are concerned about whether or not it will be possible.
I am not sure how to feel about this. I am frustrated because my vice president held me back without even giving me an explanation. I am worried that I will not be able to move anywhere within the company because my supervisor is a flake and my vice president relies on me too much. What should I do?
And a good HR manager recognizes that employees are assets, not liabilities, but we all know that the general perception of HR is not one of sunshine, sweetness, and light.
Perhaps that's because most people's experience (as you're seeing here), either direct or vicarious, is that if/once HR gets involved with *any* situation concerning you, things are *not* going to be resolved in your favor.
Do you have any suggestions for educating HR professionals to avoid the behaviors which reinforce this perception, perhaps even going so far as to spur HR into thinking of "mere" employees as people instead of replaceable cogs?
