Thursday 19 July 2012

Types of "toxic bosses"

An interesting article on Yahoo about the types of "toxic bosses".

Sunday 11 March 2012

"Dinosaur interview takes the Biscuit" - more extreme interviewing techniques

As interviewing techniques get ever more extreme, this in the Daily Mail highlights how interviewers are increasingly using variations on the "If you were a (blank), what sort would you be and why?" question theme, examples being "animal", "dinosaur" (hence the headline) and "biscuit" (now that really takes the biscuit). This theme was common among contestants on Cilla Black's Blind Date, not what I'd want to expect in a professional interview. See this thread on MoneySavingExpert for some comments.

The main article goes on to quote that "the idea of extreme interviewing is to see how quickly job-seekers think on their feet", more of that dreaded "blue sky thinking outside the box" malarky. Hard enough for those without communication skills disabilities, for those with ....

Monday 30 January 2012

"Promotion is bad for mental health"

An interesting article on Yahoo Lifestyle about people being "wealthier, but not healthier following promotion." I can so relate to this, on the one hand interviewers expect us to be striving for promotion, looking for the person who gives the most confident and ambitious answer to the old "where do you see yourself in 5 years time" etc (see my entry in July for one of my friend's takes on that one), yet the increased mental strain people are under in a more responsible job does suggest the truth in the "wealthier, but not healthier".

While I'm generally so chuffed my job has gone permanent after how hard it was to get one, being the start of the calendar year the team leaders have been getting us all into meetings to plan our "personal performance plan" objectives for the year ahead, to show they're ticking their boxes for developing us. They seem to be making a big push for telephonists and data entry bods to cross train on the other sides, they seem to be appreciative this is not for me but talking to colleagues on the shop floor they don't like it and its still making me uncomfortable even if they aren't asking me to do it as it seems like it is coercion rather than their choice.

Just seen the date and it was actually published in April 2009.