Desperate graduates forced to dance like monkeys for work

kabayiri

I blame that profession called HR.

There's a stack of publications which arrive through our letterbox every month which represent this "honourable profession".

The tripe they pass off for articles clearly demonstrates they are well "up their own 'arris". I wouldn't be surprised if they steer some of the innovative thinking surrounding employee selection in Currys.

It used to be "personnel" (at least there's a nod to the person there).

Not content with that, it became "human resources" (I'm a resource am I? bit like a desk or chair)

Then it became "human capital management" (Seriously? What are these buffoons smoking?)

What's next ? Might I suggest : "Carbon based income generator allocation" - this to differentiate us from our robot work colleagues.

chris_m

kabayiri wrote: »

I blame that profession called HR.

HR's a profession?

In my experience, the real professionals are forced to waste more and more time jumping through the hoops that HR choose to set up and then, when they almost succeed ... yep, in comes another abortion of an idea from HR - usually even worse thought-out and worse implemented than the previous pile of !!!!!!.

kabayiri

chris_m wrote: »

HR's a profession?

In my experience, the real professionals are forced to waste more and more time jumping through the hoops that HR choose to set up and then, when they almost succeed ... yep, in comes another abortion of an idea from HR - usually even worse thought-out and worse implemented than the previous pile of !!!!!!.

Oh you mean like 360 feedback?

That's the process whereby you end up hating your boss, and they hate you

HR must be a profession - it has a magazine and a "body" representing it.

The bloke in the original OP was misguided anyway. He thought that having an interest in cameras made him suitable for the job.

He would do better having an interest in over priced post-sales guarantees.

ruggedtoast

antrobus wrote: »

It's an even sadder state of affairs when people throw out phrases such as "rentier capitalists" without actually knowing what they mean.:) One might well be able to describe the owners and managers of Dixons Retail plc as being "capitalists", but "rentiers" they are not.

I blame the education system.

Oh, they most certainly are.

Not the people running the interview, they were just the usual pawns given some quasi managerial job title and a 3% increment to make convince them to willingly scr ew over their fellow workers. But the people at the top are renting out the entire world to us, and we pay them willingly and accept their humiliation gladly.

Some times you have to think a little more laterally rather than relying on rote. Even if that is all you did in school.

spacey2012

I did hear of a tale of a Electrician Employed by a brewery which was taken over by an American company.
Everyone was made to reapply for jobs against outside applicants.
In the interview room he was given a pile of plastic bricks and told to build a house which showed his version of a ideal house.
He questioned them why he was been asked to build a wendy house out of plastic bricks when he was an electrician, the head electrician in fact who had designed and installed the entire brewery electrical system.
They said, well in that case you have failed the interview as you have clearly demonstrated you have no worth whatsoever to this company.

What he said, so I am redundant /
No they said, you are sacked for refusing an instruction .
I have no worth despite 20 years here do I he said.
Yes said the new manager, we are the important people here, this company is run by us and we have control over everything at any time and we no longer value you as an employee.
Ok he said, but just let me demonstrate what I am worth before I leave.
This will be good, chirped one of the management...

He took out his blackberry, entered a pass word and turned the entire power off to the plant leaving the management in total darkness .
This torch is yours I think, but the batteries are mine, left it on the table and walked out leaving them feeling around in total darkness .

It took them two weeks to get the power back on.

lostinrates

ILW wrote: »

I did hear that anyone did dance failed the "interview" as they were deemed to lack the character to refuse.

I've heard of similar things in other group interviews.....exercises where candidates are told the aim is to show their leadership skills. Those that win the task fail the interview and are asked to leave....they are looking for 'cannon fodder' not 'future senior officers'. Its a slightly odd test, as often those who make good leaders can also be good team players, knowing that to get a job done they have to pull together. The two are not mutually exclusive.

Similarly, one could have the immense strength of character and confidence or extrovert personality to be prepared to dance. The real gems of employees, the ones you might REALLY want, the one in a million type, are thrown out with the ones you might not want in such a test it seems to me. Its an area of which I have no knowledge at all, and I'd love it if someone here is in HR and could explain a bit how these work for them?

StevieJ

He is that shamed and humiliated that he is telling the world about it?

Masomnia

I've done plenty of these group exercise things at interviews, so maybe that's why it doesn't shock me much.

As I've said on another thread, if you can't do a daft dance for a bit in front of a group of strangers who also have to do the dance you're probably not suitable for a sales role.

Masomnia

lostinrates wrote: »

I've heard of similar things in other group interviews.....exercises where candidates are told the aim is to show their leadership skills. Those that win the task fail the interview and are asked to leave....they are looking for 'cannon fodder' not 'future senior officers'. Its a slightly odd test, as often those who make good leaders can also be good team players, knowing that to get a job done they have to pull together. The two are not mutually exclusive.

Depends what you mean by leadership, of course.

Someone comes along, bullies their way through, puts themselves in charge from the off, won't take on board other ideas, just tells everyone what to do etc. Even if their team wins the task they will likely fail the interview and then tell all their friends 'Oh they just want the canon fodder rather than the real leaders like me.'

Who actually comes up with the best dance, or makes the most money out the task is irrelevant in these exercises. They're only interested in observing how people work with each other.

wotsthat

Curry's need really thick skinned people - this chap sounds far too sensitive.

When they've been told 5 times that you don't want antivirus or office software they've got to be willing to ask one more time. They've also got to be able to cry at will as they contemplate the horrors of taking home an appliance without the security of an extended warranty.