Ethics and Honor - A Rain Man Rant - Page 4

**Rain Man** · 05-02-2005, 08:49 PM

Gol'dang it, I'm ticked off.

We've implemented a very challenging and time consuming process to hire people in my firm, in an effort to get the people who are most likely to be successful. We implemented it last year, and it took us three months to find a strong candidate for a relatively quantitative position. It was a college student who was supposed to graduate in May, and we made her the offer in January, with the agreement that she would start part time in January and then go full time in May.

Well, she's been working for us part time for four months, and was supposed to start full time two weeks from today. So what does she do today? She turns in her two-week notice. Her two-week notice!

Now, if the job wasn't a fit, that's fine. But it was. She was doing good work for us, we all liked her, and she seemed to be genuinely interested in the work. She had a great future here. But get this: It turns out that she continued interviewing for jobs after she accepted our job offer, and she actually accepted a second job offer AFTER SHE WAS WORKING AT MY COMPANY. She then strung my firm along for who knows how long, letting us think that she was keeping her commitment to start full time after graduation, while knowing full well that she was going to screw us over on short notice. Now we're having a busy month, and the person that I've been working my schedule around to accommodate a part-time schedule is freaking quitting, RIGHT WHEN SHE HAD COMMITTED TO STEP UP.

It ticks me off for about a thousand reasons. Dang it. What is wrong with people today? If someone treats you well, don't slam their fingers in the car door.

Stupid people. I hate people. From here on out, I'm just hiring cats.

**Rain Man** · 05-02-2005, 09:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cheeeefs

1+1 = 2

2+2 = 4

the square root of twenty is the same as the number that if you multiply it by itself it equals twenty.

I can start in about.... two weeks.

I'm listening...

cheeeefs · 05-02-2005, 09:37 PM

I'm potty trained, can play a wicked game of fetch, and can smell a fart 100 yards off.

Anyone with those three qualities combined just has to be loyal. Admit it.

Valiant · 05-02-2005, 09:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rain Man

Actually, our company is 70 percent female and all employees of both sexes are analyst-level, so I don't think that was an issue. And I know that she was interested in the work, because she was quite engaged and had told me in the past couple of months that she was quite interested in the work.

To be honest, I'll bet anything that this is just an immature college student decision where she wanted to get the highest starting salary that she could. The other job is a boring-sounding reliability engineer job, but I'm sure as an engineering job that it pays more. I was an undergrad once, and I know that starting salary is a scorecard for people at that stage of life.

The part that ticks me off is that she shouldn't have even been interviewing. She had already accepted a job and had even started work. I remember when I was in undergrad that the career office wouldn't allow you to interview if you had already accepted a job.

From her point of view...

I interview for jobs

Job A(you) hires me...

I got a job that is part-time and promises me full-time once i complete college, other interview comes in will double my salary and start me off full-time with benefits... Will put in my two weeks, and get new job...

or

She decided she really doesnt like doing what she is doing... Just because someone works hard and diligent does not mean they like it... Hell i work my ass off and i only make 25k a year... I hate my job... But it pays the bills and I hate looking for jobs... Been there six years now... Man i need to finish school...

Raiderhater · 05-02-2005, 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevieray

I was thinking ..he's in Denver, she cut him off at the knees....this is normal behavior, isn't it?

I wonder if she told him at IHOP?

God, I have missed this place.

JOhn · 05-02-2005, 09:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by raiderhader

God, I have missed this place.

**Rain Man** · 05-02-2005, 09:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iowanian

Maybe she got to looking at
1. Student Loan Debt "its gonna take 15 years at HOW MUCH?"
2. Weddings.....photographer, $3500 Cake $1500, Ice sculptures....dinner for 300.........

I can see why a few grand would entice someone young away.

I wonder if you still have a chance to call her in, explain that you like her, think she's been doing a great job, has unlimited potential in your company, and up the ante.............?

Yeah, I'd have no problem if she had received the offers simultaneously and just gone for (presumably) more money.

Truthfully, if she had come to me in February or even March and told me that she'd already had an interview scheduled when she accepted my offer, I wouldn't have been too ticked off. I'm just ticked off that she rode the Rain Man gravy train for a few extra months instead of letting me know so I could start looking for a replacement.

FallingAlice · 05-02-2005, 09:41 PM

I can see why you'd be pissed.

I think to take anything of value away from this situation, as angry as you are, try to withold judgement until you sit down with her for a heart to heart and say, "Look... I'm really disappointed in how this transpired. We valued you and we thought you were happy. We also expected you to start full time as of yadyayda. I don't want this to happen again, so I need to know if there was something specific that caused you to leave the way you have[i.e., f^ck us over].

Then, I would be honest and tell her that this answer is especially important because of your perception of what she has done. So...if she had particularly good reason to take another job then you would see this as reasonable...otherwise

You might mention that you are extremely irritated and that you will bring it up with her University/College employment office. Tell her that you intend not to take interns or graduates from this school again and that you will be contacting the college career services about the matter.

These are all reasonable things to do. They should get her attention.

cheeeefs · 05-02-2005, 09:41 PM

now that I've flexed all my employable might, I'm going to break it to you softly that I'm an English Major.

BUT

with a little imagination we could make it work. Have you ever thought of the possibilities present in the statistical analyses of subject verb agreement? How often do they agree? I mean really, enquiring minds want to know.

**Iowanian** · 05-02-2005, 09:42 PM

I can't pass your math test, but I'm a clever SOB, I won't rob you, and I won't let others. I'll get your bike back for a cash bonus.

**Rain Man** · 05-02-2005, 09:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cheeeefs

I'm potty trained, can play a wicked game of fetch, and can smell a fart 100 yards off.

Anyone with those three qualities combined just has to be loyal. Admit it.

If you can smell a fart 100 yards off, you probably wouldn't last long at my company.

**Rain Man** · 05-02-2005, 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iowanian

I can't pass your math test, but I'm a clever SOB, I won't rob you, and I won't let others. I'll get your bike back for a cash bonus.

You can get my bike back? Really?

FallingAlice · 05-02-2005, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cheeeefs

I'm potty trained, can play a wicked game of fetch, and can smell a fart 100 yards off.

Anyone with those three qualities combined just has to be loyal. Admit it.

That's maybe one of the funniest single responses I've ever read on this board.

And that's saying something.

**Iowanian** · 05-02-2005, 09:45 PM

I can chop block this broad and take HER bike for you if you'd prefer......I'm guessing hers is newer anyway. I'll even put the basket on the front and the purple streamers in your handlebars.

cheeeefs · 05-02-2005, 09:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rain Man

If you can smell a fart 100 yards off, you probably wouldn't last long at my company.

I'd be fine. I would just have to hang my head out the window to pant every few minutes.

cheeeefs · 05-02-2005, 09:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FallingAlice

That's maybe one of the funniest single responses I've ever read on this board.

And that's saying something.

AHA! I've done it. Funny has been achieved, all this effort is not for nothing. I feel so appreciated. I would like to thank God, and my mom for making it all possible.

View Poll Results: In which situations is either party being unethical or dishonorable?
A. Employer makes job offer to college student, student starts work, employer fires student within 90 days for poor job performance.	0	0%
B. Employer makes job offer to college student, student starts work, student quits within 90 days after finding 'better' job.	0	0%
C. Employer makes job offer to college student, student starts work, employer lays off student within 90 days due to slow business.	3	21.43%
D. Employer makes job offer to college student, student accepts job, employer rescinds offer before start date because a stronger candidate came available by pure happenstance	9	64.29%
E. Employer makes job offer to college student, student accepts job, employer continues to interview candidates for that position, employer rescinds offer before start date because a stronger candidate was located.	11	78.57%
F. Employer makes job offer to college student, student accepts job, employer rescinds offer before start date due to slow business.	4	28.57%
G. Employer makes job offer to college student, student accepts job, student reneges on offer before start date because another 'better' job offer arrived by pure happenstance.	3	21.43%
H. Employer makes job offer to college student, student accepts job, student continues to actively interview for other jobs, student reneges on offer before start date because another 'better' job offer was received.	9	64.29%
I. Employer makes job offer to college student, student accepts job, student reneges on offer after beginning pre-job paid training program because another 'better' job offer arrived by pure happenstance.	7	50.00%
J. Employer makes job offer to college student, student accepts job, student continues to actively interview for other jobs, student reneges on offer after beginning pre-job paid training program because another 'better' job offer was received.	11	78.57%
None of these represent unethical or dishonorable behavior.	1	7.14%
It depends on which one is me.	1	7.14%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 14. You may not vote on this poll

05-02-2005, 08:49 PM
Rain Man NFL's #1 Ermines Fan Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: My house Casino cash: $3058491 VARSITY	Ethics and Honor - A Rain Man Rant Gol'dang it, I'm ticked off. We've implemented a very challenging and time consuming process to hire people in my firm, in an effort to get the people who are most likely to be successful. We implemented it last year, and it took us three months to find a strong candidate for a relatively quantitative position. It was a college student who was supposed to graduate in May, and we made her the offer in January, with the agreement that she would start part time in January and then go full time in May. Well, she's been working for us part time for four months, and was supposed to start full time two weeks from today. So what does she do today? She turns in her two-week notice. Her two-week notice! Now, if the job wasn't a fit, that's fine. But it was. She was doing good work for us, we all liked her, and she seemed to be genuinely interested in the work. She had a great future here. But get this: It turns out that she continued interviewing for jobs after she accepted our job offer, and she actually accepted a second job offer AFTER SHE WAS WORKING AT MY COMPANY. She then strung my firm along for who knows how long, letting us think that she was keeping her commitment to start full time after graduation, while knowing full well that she was going to screw us over on short notice. Now we're having a busy month, and the person that I've been working my schedule around to accommodate a part-time schedule is freaking quitting, RIGHT WHEN SHE HAD COMMITTED TO STEP UP. It ticks me off for about a thousand reasons. Dang it. What is wrong with people today? If someone treats you well, don't slam their fingers in the car door. Stupid people. I hate people. From here on out, I'm just hiring cats.
Posts: 141,661

05-02-2005, 09:37 PM	#47
cheeeefs Aishwarya Rai Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Baltimore Casino cash: $10004900	I'm potty trained, can play a wicked game of fetch, and can smell a fart 100 yards off. Anyone with those three qualities combined just has to be loyal. Admit it. __________________ "Yeah, I could do it. We both know you wouldn't stop me. Let's think about the logic. You create man, man suffers enormous amounts of pain, man dies. They say you rested on the seventh day, well maybe you should have spent that day on compassion."
Posts: 3,028

05-02-2005, 09:41 PM	#52
FallingAlice Starter Join Date: Sep 2002 Casino cash: $10004900	I can see why you'd be pissed. I think to take anything of value away from this situation, as angry as you are, try to withold judgement until you sit down with her for a heart to heart and say, "Look... I'm really disappointed in how this transpired. We valued you and we thought you were happy. We also expected you to start full time as of yadyayda. I don't want this to happen again, so I need to know if there was something specific that caused you to leave the way you have[i.e., f^ck us over]. Then, I would be honest and tell her that this answer is especially important because of your perception of what she has done. So...if she had particularly good reason to take another job then you would see this as reasonable...otherwise You might mention that you are extremely irritated and that you will bring it up with her University/College employment office. Tell her that you intend not to take interns or graduates from this school again and that you will be contacting the college career services about the matter. These are all reasonable things to do. They should get her attention. __________________ What would Brian Boitano do?
Posts: 254

05-02-2005, 09:41 PM	#53
cheeeefs Aishwarya Rai Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Baltimore Casino cash: $10004900	now that I've flexed all my employable might, I'm going to break it to you softly that I'm an English Major. BUT with a little imagination we could make it work. Have you ever thought of the possibilities present in the statistical analyses of subject verb agreement? How often do they agree? I mean really, enquiring minds want to know. __________________ "Yeah, I could do it. We both know you wouldn't stop me. Let's think about the logic. You create man, man suffers enormous amounts of pain, man dies. They say you rested on the seventh day, well maybe you should have spent that day on compassion."
Posts: 3,028

05-02-2005, 09:42 PM	#54
Iowanian Supporter Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Utopia Casino cash: $4638454	I can't pass your math test, but I'm a clever SOB, I won't rob you, and I won't let others. I'll get your bike back for a cash bonus.
Posts: 61,556

05-02-2005, 09:45 PM	#58
Iowanian Supporter Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Utopia Casino cash: $4638454	I can chop block this broad and take HER bike for you if you'd prefer......I'm guessing hers is newer anyway. I'll even put the basket on the front and the purple streamers in your handlebars.
Posts: 61,556