Should I Keep Applying to the Same Company

When HR tells you to keep checking the website, do they really mean it? Or is that just the wimp's way of saying, "don't call us, we'll call you?"

Should I Keep Applying to the Same Company?

It's Not That I Don't Love You All

I haven't posted for a while, which is strange, I know. But it isn't for lack of questions, but rather because my darling toddler poured a bottle of water over my laptop keyboard.

Why, I ask, do they not make computers waterproof?

Anyway, I am now the owner of a new laptop and posting will commence.

Should I Ask for a Job Interview?

I'm doing an out of town job search and the recruiter from one of my target companies finally called me to schedule an interview. I am paying for my own plane ticket to get to the interview. This is a large hospital so they have applicant tracking software that allows you to see what you status is.. (not qualified, under review, referred to hiring manager, etc).

I have several positions that have been "referred to hiring manager" but no interviews have been scheduled. Would it be bad form to ask the recruiter to inquire with said managers as to whether or not they might be interested in interviewing me while I am in town?

I don't want to screw this up, but it would be nice if I could meet with more than one department while I am there.

Should I Ask for a Job Interview?

5 Things to Do When the Boss is Wrong

Do you have a Highly Paid Person who likes to walk in and request unreasonable things? Here's a 5 step plan for dealing with these HIPPOS.

5 Things to Do When the Boss is Wrong

One of the Book of (Last) Year: Management by the Markets

I'm doing some work with colleagues on HR and governance and writing another paper on HR and the global financial crisis.  Both projects have been influenced by my book of the year (which came out last year - takes me a while to get up to speed) and some academic papers that have shaped its formation.  The book is by Gerald Davis and is entitled 'Managed by the Markets: How Finance Re-shaped America' published by Oxford University Press.

As Jeff Pfeffer described it and I agree, this book is an intellectual tour de force account of the American economy by a sociologist who is as comfortable with financial economics as he is with history.  To quote, his core argument is that 'financial markets have shaped the transition from an industrial to post-industrial society.  For most of the twentieth century, social organization in the United States was shaped by the gravitational pull of the large corporation.  It is now oriented around financial markets to a degree that was unfathomable until it was revealed by a global economic crisis' (p. 1).  Given the UK's dependence on the financial services sector, the argument applies with almost equal force to this country, though with a few differences.

Davis provides compelling evidence of rise of shareholder value as a mantra for corporate governance and the decline of the traditional corporation.  This was associated with increased stock ownership in the early 1980s, mainly resulting from George W Bush's plan to privatise Social Security so ending defined benefit pensions.  What emerged was what Davis describes as a portfolio society in which 'free agent' individual investors began to treat themselves, their homes and their colleagues as human and social capital with a view to securing financial returns on their investments.  This was evidenced by the huge take up of 401 (k) pension plans and the purchase of investment properties (not just second homes) that individuals felt free to walk away from if their speculations turned sour.  It also resulted in the growth of the bond market and the growth of the shadow banking sector, which forced changes in behaviour among the traditional banks, most notably the growth of investment banking.  The rest as they say is history. 

Davis concludes with some speculations on a 'society of investors', in which everything and everyone is commoditised, a continued decline in the power of corporations and a rise in importance of the financial services industry - broadly defined.  These developments will have important implications for employees, with a continued decline in the potential for them to form long term 'resourceful human' attachments to corporate 'feudalists'. Instead they are likely to treat themselves (and be treated) as 'human resources' or 'human capital', which will lead to a further erosion of employee engagement levels, commitment to and identification with individual employers.  It will also lead to less mobility, more inequality, educational insecurity (already happening in this country) and the end of the corporate safety net (again already happening).  Is this what is driving David Cameron and Vince Cable to reduce the reliance on increasingly dangerous financial services?

My Boss Sexually Harassed Me After Work

Dear Evil HR Lady,

I'm a female in my mid-thirties. Last week I went out with my colleagues and we all consumed a ridiculous amount of alcohol. My attractive, married, Vice President was there and once we got to talking, things turned inappropriate pretty quickly. At first we were just talking, but as the night progressed it ended up getting physical and he exposed himself to me in the street and confessed to engaging in relations with another woman at the bar we were at. It was truly shocking.

During the night we were also texting. I have several texts from him where he is telling me sexual things that he wants to do to me and I am telling him that I just want to talk. The worst part is that during the course of the night, he told me if I said anything he would "take me down with him." Yesterday at work he cornered me in the hallway and caught me completely off-guard. He asked that we forget about everything and told me he hadn't been avoiding me for the past week, but he had just been really busy.

To be honest, I just want the whole thing to go away without anyone's career being impacted. This is not how I act around my boss though. Every time I see him I am uncomfortable because I am intimidated by him and the whole situation was really just mind-blowing. I am afraid that he is going to try to take me down anyway because I make him uncomfortable. Is there anything I can do to protect myself? Is it possible to report this to HR to document the incident, but ask them not to take disciplinary measures against him? I would just like to have this on the record in case he retaliates against me in some way. Should I just shut up and try my best to act normal? I am very distracted at work. Please help.

My Boss Sexually Harassed Me After Work

My Boss is Going on Maternity Leave and I'm Taking Her Responsibilities

Dear Evil HR Lady,

I was wondering about something: my boss is currently pregnant and I was asked to replace her during her six-months maternity leave. This involves about twice the responsibilities and work hours on top of managing three people. What happens salary-wise in these situations? Should I ask for raise? Stay silent and hope that the end-of-the-year bonus will make up for the bigger workload?

Whatever you do, don't stay silent.