Today's "Let's See How We Can Fuck Over the American Worker" Thread

[Jacob]

You have more luxury to pick and choose than somebody hiring for dull business applications.

I don't think so, to be honest.

Though I think it's more that tech people are expected to be offensive without meaning to, due to social awkwardness.

There's plenty of social awkwardness that doesn't involve crossing social boundaries and displaying excessive bitterness. That's a bad bad combination right there. How's he going to hold up if things get stressful on the job? The answer is very likely "terribly".

[Neil]

Yeah, people who can't be professional generally relegate themselves to bottom of most hiring lists.

[Tonitrus]

By reading this thread, I have come to the cuntclussion I am unhireable.

You're right where you're supposed to be, Kosher Kitten.

Yeah, but I'm getting old and tired.
I'm not sure I'm gonna be able to complete my 20 years.

Go be a 1st Sgt somewhere.

[Caliga]

Did he? I thought he just said that they hired him because he had good DBA skills. I don't remember anything about how he was as a worker.

He was a very good worker.  But we made sure to not put him on contracts where he'd report to a female.

[The Brain]

Did he? I thought he just said that they hired him because he had good DBA skills. I don't remember anything about how he was as a worker.

He was a very good worker.  But we made sure to not put him on contracts where he'd report to a female.

He said "I'm an excellent worker" and you hired him based on that?

[Caliga]

Yeah, people who can't be professional generally relegate themselves to bottom of most hiring lists.

That's probably why he didn't have a permanent job and thus came to us looking for contract work.

[Caliga]

He said "I'm an excellent worker" and you hired him based on that?

I'm an excellent driver.

[Caliga]

Personally, and a more practical level, I've found that hiring for team fit and culture (assuming team culture includes getting shit done) provides the best results. And generally constructive team cultures don't benefit from having someone introduced to them who is overflowing with bitterness to the point that they don't respect common social boundaries. I'm much more concerned with that aspect of it than the use of the word "cunt" - it's a fine word provided it's used in the right context; a job interview, however, is not the right context.

As an aside (I'm not saying this applies to Cal's hire) - I don't buy into the whole "being socially offensive is acceptable in tech staff" thing. In my experience, nine times out of ten tech guys who are billed as being super smart to the point that it excuses being actively offensive are actually mediocre or worse when you look at what they bring to the overall project (and frequently even when you look just at their own tasks in isolation). I'd much rather take a chance on keen, bright new guy with little experience than on a crusty experienced fucker who thinks his skills excuse being dicks to his colleagues.

I agree with you on both of these points.  However, at the time we needed someone with specific skills and the guy in question was the only one we could find.  It's easy for the usual goofs in the peanut gallery here with a) no hiring/management experience and b) no experience managing client relationships to criticize me, of course.

[merithyn]

I agree with you on both of these points.  However, at the time we needed someone with specific skills and the guy in question was the only one we could find.  It's easy for the usual goofs in the peanut gallery here with a) no hiring/management experience and b) no experience managing client relationships to criticize me, of course.

You had to limit him to male-dominated contracts, but we're "goofs" for criticizing your hiring of him?

[CountDeMoney]

It's easy for the usual goofs in the peanut gallery here with a) no hiring/management experience and b) no experience managing client relationships to criticize me, of course.

Of course.

[CountDeMoney]

I agree with you on both of these points.  However, at the time we needed someone with specific skills and the guy in question was the only one we could find.  It's easy for the usual goofs in the peanut gallery here with a) no hiring/management experience and b) no experience managing client relationships to criticize me, of course.

You had to limit him to male-dominated contracts, but we're "goofs" for criticizing your hiring of him?

That's OK, meri.  Us goofs with a) hiring/management experience and b) experience managing client relationships can do it.

[Caliga]

It's neat how it's cool for everyone to mock me nonstop but the second I try a bit of turnabout, it isn't fair play.

..and Money, I was going to append something to my post about how you didn't meet those qualifications but I realized there was no point in proactively extending you an olive branch because you'd still find a way to kick me in the balls.

[CountDeMoney]

..and Money, I was going to append something to my post about how you didn't meet those qualifications but I realized there was no point in proactively extending you an olive branch because you'd still find a way to kick me in the balls.

That's the best management decision you've made yet.

[merithyn]

It's neat how it's cool for everyone to mock me nonstop but the second I try a bit of turnabout, it isn't fair play.

..and Money, I was going to append something to my post about how you didn't meet those qualifications but I realized there was no point in proactively extending you an olive branch because you'd still find a way to kick me in the balls.

Cal, I have never mocked you, except maybe once or twice joking about the HR thing. I think the rest is pure silliness.

I do, however, say that I can't imagine ever hiring someone who thinks that it's okay to refer to his ex-wife during an interview as a cunt. That just raises far too many red flags for me to even consider it. You did what you felt you had to do, which apparently worked out for you. I would not have done so.

[crazy canuck]

This thread reminds me of the first time I did a labour arbitration as a wee baby lawyer in a camp up in the wilds of British Columbia.

The amount of swearing going on in that room would have made some of the people here swoon (based on the comments in this thread).  At one of the breaks I asked the arbitrator (an old grisled vet of such things) whether this kind of conduct was usual in these sorts of hearings.

He gave me one of those kindly smiles experienced people give to people who are well of of their depth and explained this was just the way the people in the camps spoke.  Its when they stop swearing and start acting politely that you know something is up and you need to be on guard.