RE: Bad Fit?

["Le Vie, DonaldX S" <donaldx -dot- s -dot- le -dot- vie -at- intel -dot- com>]

I'm no HR work law expert, but I understand some states have "hire/fire at
will" statutes that pretty much give companies in those states carte blanche
when it comes to hiring and firing. I've never heard of anyone being let go
so soon without a real_good_reason. "Directness issues"...what the hell is
that? Is that a euphemism for being upfront and honest? Sounds like a
company full of people who march to the current political "sturm und drang"
or, if I can play Devil's Advocate, do they see something that you perhaps
don't?

I once hired a very talented and experienced writer who passed the rounds of
interviews in flying colors. Great technical, personal, and cultural fit.
After a week on the job, he drove me nuts. He kept coming in to my office
every 10 minutes to relate some problem or issue he was having (most of the
time, moot points with no apparent need for resolution). After he would make
his "point," I would turn away from him and go back to my work...yet he
would continue ranting, without any clue that it was time to leave. Finally,
I had to tell him (in the most diplomatic manner) that his frequent
interruptions not only stiffled his productivity, but mine as well. And that
I preferred receiving my "updates and "issues" in a weekly report (except
for those issues that needed immediate resolution). I also found out that
this guy did the same thing to other employees. He would walk in their
office with a legitimate question, and 45 minutes later, was still going on
about something remotely tangentially related to the original question.
Those people came to me and asked me to do something, so I had scheduled a
"course correction" with him after 30 days. When I brought up the subject of
his frequent interruptions to others during the day and "camping out" in
their offices, he was totally incredulous that he spent anywhere near that
time. This person just never caught on about when to discontinue or drop
hallway or coffee machine conversations and get back to work. He was
completely oblivious to time. 

The point here being is that as his manager, I had to deal with this problem
immediately or it would take root and become more difficult to resolve as
time went on. He disciplined himself to follow others' leads on the
chit-chat, and everything worked out fine.

Is it possible that perhaps your management perceives an issue and is
reluctant or afraid to deal with it? Either way, I think you're probably
better off.

You might want to check with your state employment agency to determine the
"fire at will" status of companies in your state to see if the matter is
worth pursuing.

Keep us posted on your progress and success.

 
Donn Le Vie




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