I am still steadily applying for jobs, filling in applications and so on. Maybe it is my own paranoia but I wonder if I am employable? Forever languishing on the dole. Is my name on a list somewhere saying, “Don’t employ EVER”…?!!!! But of course there’s an economic crisis and thousands of people are chasing too few jobs where employers can be fussy and inflexible. I mean, some of the job descriptions for some jobs are literally…how shall I phrase this? Taking the piss. Employers now people are desperate for a wage so I am sure they are increasing tasks at a lousy rate of pay. And don’t start me on the person specification… one organisation (who will remain anonymous though they claim to champion of the rights of people labelled with mental distress) had one surreal question I couldn’t make head nor tail of (asked others who too couldn’t make head nor tail of it either) and what was funny (ha ha) is the question above asked:
Excellent communication skills – verbal and written
Shame about the author of the person spec where conveying easy-to-understand and unvarnished language must have been an arduous task so “management speak” was written instead. ‘Afraid it doesn’t exist in my lexicon.
Another thing I mull over while reading these job descriptions/person specs is a lot of this “management speak” hides a multitude of sins. And I certainly wonder whether I should be choosy as it gets depressing jumping into one job out of sheer desperation and discovering the painful realities. Frankly potential employees should be able to create their own job applications passing them onto potential employers (“How people have left your department in the last year”? “What’s the interaction between staff like”? “What’s your bullying policy”? “Do you recognise trade unions”? How many industrial tribunals have you had”? “How many claims re discrimination and bullying”… Oh, and Mr/Ms Boss NO lying on the forms).
What I also ponder about is whether there is such a thing as a good manager? I don’t think I have experienced one over the last 20-odd years. Do they exist? Or have I been very unlucky? Or are they rare as hens teeth? So I have devised a quick poll (see below). It closes in a week. If you have experienced a good boss then well done and if you haven’t….then join me in commiserations.
I’ve had some rubbish managers in my time, but also some great ones. I’m blessed with a really good one at the moment and that does make a big difference to my enjoyment of the job and my own capacity to do it well.
That’s important because I’m also a manager myself. I don’t always get it right, I know, but I would be really disappointed if a large number of the people who work in my teams thought I was a poor one.
I watch and learn from the managers around me (both the good ones and the weak ones) and reflect quite a lot on my impact on my teams. It’s become harder to stay good now that the cuts mean there are more demands on my time. And I’m having to ask more of other people too. Mmmm. Off to muse….what would the teams say….?
“I’ve had some rubbish managers in my time, but also some great ones. I’m blessed with a really good one at the moment and that does make a big difference to my enjoyment of the job and my own capacity to do it well”
That’s very true that if you have a good manager it makes such a difference. Can I work for you??
I’m in my late 30s and never had a proper job. So when/if I’m booted onto JSA, I’m doomed. I wanted to work for a Deaf organisation because I find it too stressful and frustrating trying to understand people who don’t speak clearly. I’m pretty sure I would just burn out pretty quickly.
THE Deaf organisation, RNID, however, mostly employ hearing people – only 10% of their staff are Deaf or hoh with none on their Senior Management Team. Pretty depressing.
Why don’t employers realise that happy employees are good for business?
“THE Deaf organisation, RNID, however, mostly employ hearing people – only 10% of their staff are Deaf or hoh with none on their Senior Management Team. Pretty depressing.”
That’s a shocking stat. So much for involvement of deaf people!! I agree happy employees are good for business.
Thanks, Harpy; RNID have often blamed me for pointing out THEIR failure.
I have two university degrees, including a Masters, and many years of experience in software development. In my forties I was made redundant from a company I was employed by for over four years and subsequently was diagnosed as suffering from hypertension and angina pectoris.
With treatment, although I have an ailment, mentally, I am pretty much as sharp as ever, although I can’t do vigorous physical work for hours at a time. I have now been unemployed for nearly a year, despite all of my best efforts and countless job applications. Since I was made redundant I have only be interviewed by employers twice and was unsuccessful on both occasions.
Like you I am wondering whether I am seen by employers as being a worthwhile candidate for any position: I seem to be regarded these days as overqualified, too experienced, too old, not in a good enough state of health – infinitely many reasons actually – to be worth giving employment to however junior, poorly paid, or menial.
I am now on the Work Programme and have been told I should consider “opportunities” for minimum wage positions with companies like Subway or Burger King. Even if I was willing to server fast food to customers in establishments like this the managers of these outfits would never, ever in a million years dress a man like me, not in the best of health and pushing fifty, in one of their uniforms and pay me a pittance to say “Have a nice day” to strangers as I hand over their cholesterol laden junk food to them over the counter.
The Coalition brutalises the unemployed pretending that they could work if they were willing and are not working by choice. This isn’t true. Employers refuse vacancies to all manner of people for reasons beyond their control, e.g., minor health problems of a gap in their work history because of joblessness, or whatever.
You’re not alone, Louise.
There are millions of people suffering the same misery.
Management is a cost to society, sometimes it is a necessary evil but under capitalism management costs are massive. Socialism should see these costs reduce significantly and the oppressive culture of hierachy along with it.
The idea of manager as bringing the best out of people is bull imho. Managers can only have a negative affect, the question is degrees. The better managers have lower negative affects than bad ones!
Only when workers are able to manage themselves collectively can qualitative progress be made.
[...] I asked the good readers of this blog whether there’s such thing as a good manager….? [...]