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1ST STEPS IN THE HUNT
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OT (Organizational Types) (From the Vault)
December 29, 1999
Organizations that are steeped in a bureaucratic, hierarchical way of Employer/Employee relations seek greater control over workers. Changes tend to be incremental, and decisions are made top down. Conformity and Control are the corporate mindset, so worker survival depends on the ability to follow orders and ritualize your work behavior.
Bureaucratic companies value rank over creativity, so paradigm shift thinking is rewarded only when it is presented through the proper channels. Make your boss look good, and you will rise - make them look bad, and you'll suffer the consequences. While the downside of working for rule-driven outfits are legendary, don't forget the upside - these firms generally have an accepted set of behaviors that are easy to learn, and require less energy to follow. Just do as your manager tells you, follow the company handbook, and everything will be OK.
Directly opposed to the Bureaucratic Organization is the Entrepreneurial Company. Loosely constructed organizational charts downplay who's in charge, and a team environment is encouraged. Members of the team include people working on a particular project, and all team members are supposed to feel free to contribute their opinions on how to make the workplace a better and more efficient arena. Decision making tends to resemble a more consensus orientation, rather than coming down from 'on high'.
Worker Empowerment is (theoretically, at least) more than a slogan used to recruit new workers or put on TV ads. Getting along in an organization like this requires the ability to talk to co-workers with ease. Give and receive information without taking it personally, and brainstorm freely with an open mind. In a word, what you'll need are good communication skills.
Most organizations lean toward one of these two archetypes. While the variations are abundant, the differences are generally a matter of degree. And company culture does change - losing money consistently can sure affect the attitude of both workers and top management. Have you ever worked for an Employer that blamed the hired help for their own poor management decisions? The spread of gloom throughout the organization is almost palpable, and going to work is like heading to the gallows.
A primary function of your Jobsearch should include the two stage step of realizing what type of organization you prefer to work for, and matching that with what you can find out about your target companies. Finding Employee discussion groups Online, and trawling for what really goes on at your target companies, could make or break your decision to work there. And increase both your longevity and enjoyment with that firm.
Comfort Level (From the Vault)
December 28, 1999
Humans tend to avoid pain and seek their greatest degree of comfort. They are sort of like water seeking its own level. Think about your past Jobs. At first you may have been nervous about your competency, and whether you could 'fit in' with established Employees. Everything was new and awkward, from the filing system, to how tasks were accomplished, to work relationships.
Eventually, of course, you fit in just fine and within six months you are cranking out work product with the best of your coworkers, taking your Job for granted (just like every other Employee). Beginnings and Endings are tough times. People usually coast during the Middle times because they have settled into their 'rut of highest comfort'.
And this is the real danger zone.
Employers are beginning to look at Employees in a different light than they used to. As the era of lifetime Employment gives way to temporary workers, the question of Loyalty has been turned on its head. Long time Employees are now viewed as Company Albatrosses - the dead weight that is bringing growth to its knees. Stay too long (3-5 yrs) with a company without radically improving your work skills, and you will be subject to the presumption that you are an Albatross.
Many firms are moving toward an apprenticeship model of Employment. Similar to OJT (on the Job Training), it allows workers to grow into positions they might not otherwise be qualified to perform. Companies are using Mentors (experienced workers) to help acclimate new Employees to the company culture. As change accelerates through the Economy and the Workplace, those Employees who get comfortable adjusting to new ways of accomplishing tasks will fare the best.
The bottom line? Employers are less concerned about what you've done in the past, and more interested in your willingness to adapt to new ideas, methods, and skills. You will be tested less on what you know than on your willingness to learn new things. For most of us this means getting comfortable doing things wrong while moving up the learning curve.
In effect, don't be afraid to get it wrong while learning how to do it right.
Behavioral Interviews (From the Vault)
December 27, 1999
Hiring Managers have the nearly impossible task of figuring out whether you are the best Job candidate to fill their company's open position. You know your resume is peppered with examples of 'positive spin', creative literary attempts to show your skills in the best light possible.
Well, they know it too. Your resume is one of hundreds a Hiring Manager sees every day - if they have been in their Job for any length of time, they've probably seen hundreds of thousands of them. They've seen great cover letters, typos out the wazoo, the clever and the cute. How they manage to actually read another resume is beyond human comprehension.
So don't worry too much about presenting the 'perfect resume', it's only going to get skimmed, at best. Concentrate on being able to answer questions designed to get at the root of how you might act if you get the Job you are applying for. Assuming you have assessed the Job function after researching the company, you should prepare for the Interview by considering some of the following questions:
Interviewers assume that your past behavior is a good indicator of future actions. They will be looking into your past through the stories you tell during the Interview, attempting to determine if your methods for solving potentially problematic situations will make a good fit within their company. Your resume says you have certain skills - do your stories about how you solved problems at your last Job show these skills in action?
Before you enter the Interview stage you should attempt to figure out what the core competencies of the Job are, and remember/create stories that clearly show how you possess these particular skills. Do exactly what the Hiring Manager is doing - trying to figure out what skills and kinds of behavior the Job requires. Are the skills related to technical proficiency, or more toward motivational or leadership skills?
Ask for a copy of the Job description, and see if you can uncover what abilities will be assessed in the Interview. Talk to Employees at the company to get clues as to the company's core values and culture. You may not get all the answers, but you'll be better prepared with a few stories from your last few Jobs. This is the kind of edge you'll need to separated yourself from the other twenty people Interviewing for the Job.
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December 26, 1999
- Acquistion Costs
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Materials written by John Sumser © TwoColorHat. All Rights Reserved.