Comments on: Always Ask and Observe: “How Long Have People Been Around”

By: varun

varun — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 17:48:44 +0000

is it sure

By: Mark Davis

Mark Davis — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 15:58:33 +0000

Dear Mr. Barnes:

I would like to apply to a number of positions currently posted on your website, but I am having trouble submitting my resume and cover letter through my preexisting account on your website. My request to have my password emailed to me was unsuccessful. I have submitted a request to your to reset my password to your IT person, but I have not heard back.

Can I submit my information to you directly, or can we speak over the phone?

Thank you,

Mark Davis
mmdavis1@comcast.net
616-581-6731

By: lisa

lisa — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 02:54:24 +0000

Aw, this was a really nice post. In concept I would like to put in writing like this moreover ?taking time and actual effort to make a very good article?however what can I say?I procrastinate alot and certainly not seem to get one thing done.

By: bordas

bordas — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 18:19:20 +0000

A useful article. A company is a living organism , it evolves and it grows. It needs to learn from it’s mistakes and adapt and shape itself to it’s market.

Too many start ups take your cash and fail. A company that’s been around for a while has survived the ups and downs of the market and surely must know a thing or two about good service,

Couldn’t have put it better myself – thanks Harrison!

By: Betty Boo

Betty Boo — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 18:13:03 +0000

I have a question, after reading “Why You Should Never Miss a Company Holiday Party or invitation to Your Boss’s Home”, and found that a good read. I find it conflicting, with Always Ask and Observe, which is also a good read. M y reason are as follows: In the first article, employers may keep employees for emotional reasons or because they hire friends, in some case these are the people that move up in the company, allot of biases, some to the point that where the friends with thin the company have no qualifications for that position. In my company most of them have been around 10 + years, but not because the employer is doing something good, but because emotionally they kept these people around for that long. If someone sees this, they may think that is a good company to work for because this company must be doing something right and surely may have a good track record by keeping these employees. Little do they know that once you’re hired, is a totally different picture? A conflict of interest plays a big role in some companies like mine. Some employees like me that may be liked (but not that much) chose to deal with it and not speak up and afraid they may lose their job. I speak up and cover my tracks, thus supervisors need to prove me wrong. So far they can’t. When you follow the chain of command to settle or resolve issues, well a slap in the hand is all they get. All big shots are buddies enter-twinning with each other except human resources, but I wonder about that too. In my case, I don’t’ brown nose or become anyone’s pet. I do my job well and I speak my mind. I have never in my life after +30 years of working have I ever been in any trouble or written up. I have excellent references. In this company, there is always an excuse or they try to find a reason to justify why some special employees can get away with certain things and why others can’t. One of many big example is fundraising. According to our employee hand book, that is not allowed. Yet!, even as we speak, there are at least 4 people advertising for charity events asking for money and one person has a box in their desk with items for sale proceeds for a charity. One of the four is a supervisor bring and selling things for her children’s school events has a box of candy for people to leave money. So I figured, well that’s ok, maybe I can do it too. So I sent out an invite to a special event just to test the waters. My involvement in community service has been now for 25 years. That same day I got called in the office and was asked never to do that because it was against company policy. My response was I won’t do it again, but I thought it was ok, since everyone else is doing it and I see that you get informed via emails as well. My supervisor didn’t say anything. After I have accumulated 8 years of evidence, my journal is very interesting, I might get fired, oh well (probably not though) and there is a first time for everything right! My next stop is human resources, because I will not let anyone take advantage of people that are actually loyal employees that have been discriminated against, even if it doesn’t benefit me.
Betty Boo

By: MaryBeth

MaryBeth — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 22:42:25 +0000

Excellent points for work and for personal life. I have always asked the question at job interviews “How long was the previous person in the job and why did s/he leave?” What the employer says gives me an idea whether I should take the job, if it is offered. If he says “she was here for 10 years and left because she returned to finish college/her husband got a job across the country and they moved/she got promoted/she is taking care of her elderly mother, etc. that makes me feel better…but it isn’t a guarantee that the job is a good fit for me, just that longevity in the job hopefully means the job is good/where you can learn and grow AND that the employer is fair/reasonable and the other employees good/okay to work with. But if an employer says that she wasn’t in the job very long (e.g., less than 2 years) and that she left due to creative/personality differences or that she couldn’t do the job, then I follow up with another question: how many people have held this job over the past 2 years/5 years? If the answer shows that there is a revolving door, and the reason is the same (people couldn’t do the job, creative/personality differences), then that tells me it probably isn’t the person or people who held the job who were the problem, but that the problem(s) lie with the employer/management, lousy coworkers, or just a job that isn’t doable no matter who has it.

A job interview isn’t a one-way street–they’re interviewing me to see if I can do the job and if I’m a good fit for the company/organization/agency, and I’m interviewing them to see if they’re a good fit for me. It goes both ways.

By: Sarah

Sarah — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 12:44:58 +0000

Good article. I wish I would have read and followed it years ago. A previous boss who offered me a job had an extremely high turnover of subordinate staff. A week later I received a another offer for a boring job. Both job offers were for the same high pay. I should have took the boring job. There was a reason this boss had a high turnover rate.

By: Liton5

Liton5 — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 09:14:46 +0000

It’s a important article for job seeker and need for everyone.
I really attracted on this article and I hope everyone like this so much like as well as me.

By: LitonKhan

LitonKhan — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 19:55:24 +0000

It is very useful and attractive article. I read it more and more times. I am really impressed on this articles.

By: Matthew Chell

Matthew Chell — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 02:20:08 +0000

A useful article. A company is a living organism , it evolves and it grows. It needs to learn from it’s mistakes and adapt and shape itself to it’s market.

Too many start ups take your cash and fail. A company that’s been around for a while has survived the ups and downs of the market and surely must know a thing or two about good service,

Couldn’t have put it better myself – thanks Harrison!