When I lost my mind a few years ago and left the recruiting industry, albeit for 4 months, I found myself at one of the top companies (allegedly) in Indianapolis. This company is always at the top of the list of like "The Best Places To Work" – you know these lists – sure.
I am always looking for common denominators that make companies good places to work and those that are not good places to be. By the way, the company made a remarkably good product but the people left something to be desired. They just were not my kind of people. In some reflection lately, it became crystal clear to me one major reason why.
Before I go there, let me say in my career – I am now self-employed but – I have worked for some small companies, a mid-sized company and a Fortune 500 player and this company, which I would describe as another large company and a leader in their industry. I have seen a wide variety of corporate cultures.
I am always asking my candidates to tell me why they would leave – why?, why? why?. I want to know what makes it a bad environment? Why are you bored? All that stuff.
But I left this company because in my opinion the job was not right for me – I should have never left the recruiting industry but I have to tell you the culture sucked and the culture sucked because of the word – unacceptable.
I think after awhile bold words that are so black and white can lose their sting. No, I am not venting because my performance sucked and I personally was the target of that word. I heard it everywhere – in all 5 business units I supported. Unacceptable. Seriously? – unacceptable.
I think the worst part is when words like that are tools of people you have no respect for at all. I can still see some of these freaking idiots, one in particular, that had Executive VP on his business card, people could not stand him – Crazy sons of bitches in charge of millions of dollars and the only person that is empowered by their leadership is their super rude administrative assistant – you know the one that goes by her first name and no one even knows her last – it is as if she been given a new last name -"that bitch." Does this sound familiar?
Someone needs to go. They need to be fired or you need to fire them by leaving. I guess this is my wake-up call to those of you in a negative environment. Look around you – are people that should be fired, being fired? Do you respect your co-workers? Do you respect the management team?
I laugh and think about some of those meetings now. I witnessed people being berated – conference calls where people were called out, with absolutely no tact. Managers that use words like this repeatedly lack creativity and certainly do not inspire and certainly are not leaders.
Don’t get me wrong – there is a time for unacceptable – perhaps in a private meeting with your boss when you really screw up. However, I would offer if you hear that word alot – you probably need to be getting your resume together. Unacceptable may be the step before unemployed. Understand?
This is my favorite blog as it really hits home with me and the environment / culture I work in. Let’s just say it’s a company in the Top 50 of the Fortune 500 list and everyone I talk to thinks I’m crazy to want to leave it. Unfortunately, appearances on the outside can be exceptionally deceiving.
Now, some may think I’m just a disgruntled employee that is looking to mother-eff my employer because I was passed up for a promotion or received a bad performance review. That could not be further from the truth as I have been promoted twice in the five years I have been a salary employee and have received nothing short of impeccable reviews. So what’s the problem you ask??
It boils down to a couple of issues. The first being the culture, where fear rules the roost. I have witnessed a few too many business reviews where intelligent folks are lambasted, disgraced, publically humiliated, etc. etc. for absolutely no good reason at all, except to make “an example” of them. Meanwhile, the ones that are incompetent are allowed to “skate by” without so much as a slap on the wrist. Personally, if it were me, I probably would have walked right out of the room. 2nd, I am sick and tired of seeing incompetent people making exorbitant salaries with nothing more than high school educations. The best is seeing salary folks that used to be effing security guards (there are quite a few of them) making the $ they do. I guess it could be jealousy on my part, but the fact of the matter is,
if these individuals and the skill sets they offer were out on the open market, the best they would do is find a job making 1/2 of what they currently make.
There are other factors involved in my decision to leave, however, these are the two main ones that I have focused on in this rant. I guess I just wanted to reinforce the point of the blog through my own experience.