America's Work Stories

We've had several people email and tell us about the temp agencies all over the country and report the following: the agencies are FULL of incompetent and ARROGANT people who just don't understand their function. They also have no comprehension that the candidates become your clients when they get placed irrespective if you place them or they find a position via another method. The corporations where the candidates are being placed are in very bad shape and only add to the problems with all of their RIDICULOUS tests, requirements, LARGE EGOS/ARROGANCE in addition to the incompetent people that they've placed in hiring positions in the HR departements and in hiring manager positions.

If you've had to temp, what type of experiences have you had? Which agencies and clients have you dealt with? We want to hear about your experiences!!!!

Pfizer not only has problems with the drugs that it's selling but they also have problems with the Managers that they're retaining. We received an email that talks about Managers who were sent from the South to the Northeast to help with a project and couldn't manage, couldn't adapt to the environment and were a FAILURE!!!!

Dear America's Work Stories,

I was doing some temp work and was working with Managers who were sent from the South to the Northeast to start a project. These people weren't adjusting to the environment of the Northeast. If we had to go to the South, we would have to adjust and understand their culture. How could Pfizer send such unadjustable people for a project? Moreover, they didnt' have any group skills and didn't understand how they came off to the group. They sounded like a bunch of rednecked hicks. One guy said "Oh boy, when you get Charlie Rangel and Al Sharpton together..it's a mess". The blood drained from my face when I heard this. I was appalled. They created SUCH PROBLEMS for the project and everyone involved, that the Senior Management actually jumped in and had to intervene.

Thank you,
Disgusted.

A side note from America's Work Stories
Pfizer has ENOURMOUS ENORMOUS problems with how they manage their people. They don't provide any training and don't keep people accountable. The type of drugs they're selling isn't their only problem and don't function in reality just like the Bush Administration. The people who did the recruiting and the management are at great fault for allowing a situation to become this bad.

The recruiting in the agencies, non-profit and corporate settings have taken a turn for the worse and we've heard some pretty horrific stories. Stories of blatant racism and illegal questions being asked absolutely abound in every story that we've heard.

What type of experiences have you had with a job interview or recruiter?

As an HR professional, I'm thoroughly shocked at the vertical slide the HR profession has taken in terms of the people in the profession and the manner in which it's functioning (or in some cases, not functioning) There are alot of people who haven't been educated or don't have enough experience in the field to understand it's functioning or how it serves the organization.
The low number of qualified people in Human Resources and Management are also a reflection of the leadership in this country in the last four years and how they have neglected the American workplace.

We'd love to hear your stories!!! What type of HR encounters have you had in the last 4 - 4.5 years.

This is a letter from a Social Worker who's been applying to Social Work positions. Accepting resumes via fax or email IS THE BEST WAY to get the first glimpse of a candidate. This method of making everyone go online and fill out an application doesn't allow the older worker to submit their information. NOT GOOD AND THERE HAS TO BE SOME CHANGE SO PEOPLE CAN SUBMIT THEIR RESUMES VIA EMAIL OR FAX. TIME FOR SOME CHANGE.

Dear America's Work Stories,

I've been applying for Social Work postions. I have managerial experience and an MSW. THE SUBURBAN SCHOOLS AREN'T ACCEPTING RESUMES VIA FAX OR EMAIL. THIS IS HORRIBLE!!! I've worked with many different types of agencies, families, principals etc. I'm very frustrated and know that there are other people out there who are experiencing the same thing. In the last 4 years, it has become IMPOSSIBLE to find a job without having your blood type run or cutting an arm or let off. I know I'm exaggerating but the job search has become RIDICULOUSLY hard and it shouldn't be this difficult.

Northwestern University (Evanston, IL) has the NOT SO BRIGHT & NOT SO NICE BUNCH doing the recruiting as evidenced in an email we received from someone who has over 7 years of recruiting experience, a Masters Degree in the HR field, has supervised over 7 people and was applying for a Recruiting Manager position. Now, if it was me, I would DEFINITELY want to talk to this person and bring them in for an interview. Northwestern HAS ALOT OF CLEANING UP TO DO. In recruting, Susan made the mistake of taking an arrogant attitude with the candidate which ALWAYS COMES BACK TO BITE YOU AS A RECRUITER. She's also made the University look bad. The same is true for those inside of Kellogg, what goes around comes around and you need to be nice to ALL OF THE EMPLOYEES because word gets around!! The email is as follows:

Dear America's Work Stories,

I've applied for the Recruiting Manager position that was posted on Careerbuilder.com and received a phone call from Northwestern University from Susan Zemmelman who was doing the phone screens. I have NEVER EVER talked to such an ARROGANT person in my life with all my experience in recruiting. Her tone was HORRIBLE & CONDESCENDING and I reflected on all the phone screens that I've done with the applicants and I've NEVER talked to anyone like that over the phone. She asked all the phone screen questions about my background and experience and after the call I re-read all the requirements in the job description and I thought that I was a great fit for the position. During her phone call Susan was thinking outloud as to whether she was going to send me to the next step in the recruiting process WHICH IS SUCH A NO NO AND UNPROFESSIONAL. She was snippy in her tone and had a huge chip on her shoulder. In my recruiting experience, you don't sell the organization to the candidate in this manner. A week later, I saw the position posted AGAIN on careerbuilder.com and thought "You have got to be kidding me". (Note from America's Work Stories: This behavior of passing up seasoned and qualified people is happening all over the country and is indicative of what type of recruiting is transpiring. The educated and seasoned candidates are just being passed over who would make OUTSTANDING employees. A huge PATHOLOGY THAT MUST BE ADDRESSED!!!!)


I've also heard from PEOPLE INSIDE THE UNIVERSITY that they don't have the first clue as to how to manage people and this was someone from inside of Kellogg which is the Graduate School of Business and specifically from the Marketing Department. In addition the people that they are retaining have a low work ethic and are not supervised properly. This was SHOCKING since Kellogg is such a reputable B School. For a University that's supposedly so elite, I was SHOCKED to experience this treatement and to hear from someone inside the University about how ill functioning it is as an organization.

This is such a reinforcement as to how important it is to be nice to everyone over the phone, listen to your tone and remember that you're also selling an organization.

I went to Hewitt in Lincolnshire, IL and dropped 2 copies of my resume. I have more than 6 years of Recruiting experience and a Masters Degree in Human Resources. This is absolutely APPALLING. If they're not interested, the least they can do is just send a thank you letter stating that I'm not qualified. I attended an Ivy League school and have placed Executives in CEO, CFO, CIO positions. THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS. WHAT IS GOING ON IN THIS COUNTRY???????????????????????

One of the most devestaing events in the workplace is the underdeveloped and incompetent supervisors who have their jobs. With NO REGULATION being the rule and not the exception in the last 4 years, alot of people in the management level are incredibly incompetent or have been promoted without the right skill set. If you don't know how to manage other people, the company doesn't function properly and thus the product or service doesn't get delivered. However, for alot of companies, that's a VERY VERY DIFFICULT concept to grasp.

What type of experiences have you had with a supervisor?