WORKING FOR A LIVING CAN BE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH
No, I don’t mean the mortal dangers of sky-diving, kickboxing, or being a race car driver. Those risks are relatively obvious. I’m thinking of the more insidious moral dangers of signing up for something unlikely and then being bored, disappointed, or otherwise professionally wrong-footed. One way to avoid this is to watch out for hyperbole.
Sure, these days, exaggeration lurks everywhere. But your warning light should start flashing when you discover it in a company’s mission statement. Here are a few examples:
"To be the best company in the universe."
This statement is unrealistic and lacks focus. What does "best" even mean in this context?
"We will revolutionize the [industry] with our groundbreaking technology!"
While innovation is important, this statement is vague and lacks specifics. It sounds impressive but doesn't offer concrete details about how the revolution will be achieved.
"Our goal is to make the world a better place for everyone."
This is a noble aspiration, but it's too broad to be a meaningful mission statement. How will the company achieve this lofty goal?
"We will dominate our market and crush our competition."
This is a confrontational and aggressive statement that doesn't focus on customer value.
"To be the most successful [industry] company in the world."
This statement is vague and doesn't specify how success will be measured or achieved.
This is an overused and meaningless phrase that has no impact on anyone as stated by a blog about education.
[By the way, these examples are all courtesy of a Google search for “examples of hyperbolic mission statements.”]
One aspect of risky hyperbole revolves around the company having an unrealistic view of its potential which may then require fanatic if illogical support from its employees and associates. I remember, for example, the CEO of one company I worked for telling a major business magazine in a high profile interview that every morning when he looked in the mirror he asked himself “How am I going to beat Procter & Gamble today.” This is the kind of hyperbolic fanaticism that you might want to avoid if you wish to retain a grip on your moral underpinnings. Sure, it was mainly eyewash for the stock market, but it was still harmful to the culture of the company—at least in my view.
Another side of the same coin is whether the executives at any given company actually believe what they promote as a mission statement, or whether it was just the product of the corporate communications people drinking too much coffee and proposing extreme exaggeration that the board never bothered to read before it went public. In this case, you can be forgiven for asking, is that the kind of company you want to work for?
Still, if you can’t choose an employer based on published hyperbole, then what criteria should you really apply when making the decision to join, stay, or leave an employer?
My suggestion is to really reflect on your moral compass. Simply put, ask your stomach. How does the company or the role make you feel? Does it help people live better lives? Do you feel proud of the task?
If you find yourself answering “no” to questions like these, then you may want to take another look at your career path. Professional experience can be applied in so many intriguing ways beyond your current industry, so, remember: you are not really trapped.
Alternatively, sometimes you have to bite the bullet and do the work even if it does not truly conincide with the dictates of your moral compass. Then, at the very least you will need alternative activities in your like to refresh your purpose and reenergize your soul. Some people choose sports. Others employ art, dance, hiking… anything that helps you balance the compromise you have entered into at work—temporarily.
But in the long term, if you do not achieve a certain comfort level with what you do for a living then, indeed, working may be hazardous to your health.
Let me know if you would like to explore alternatives.
INTERVIEWED BY A MACHINE, BUT WILL IT HIRE ME?
After seven years I stepped down from my last professional role in April, and I recently started applying for interesting opportunities to keep myself active and engaged. One of them has to do with change management, the kind of puzzle that I am experienced in solving.
In this case, shortly after I applied, I received a text and a phone message from “Alex”, who identified “herself” as a virtual recruiter screening candidates for that job.
I called “her” back. “She” immediately picked up and recognized me, plunging right into the interview screening process so fluently that for a moment it was not obvious that she was a machine. Her English was unaccented and very fluent, the inflection more or less perfect.
She asked me a number of specific and relevant questions related to my experience with change management. I answered, sometimes at length. In reply, she summarized portions of my answers intelligently and commented on their relevance. She seemed to progress in the course of the 20 minute “discussion” from more general questions to more specific ones, for example asking about my experience with change management software, stakeholder acceptance, gaining participants’ buy-in, and ensuring that changes stick after the initial process.
All in all, except for the total lack of small talk, she was one of the more competent interviewers I have experienced over the years. In fact, the process was so smooth that I was intrigued and did a little digging. Now the following information is specific to the recruiter, whose name I will not divulge, and is the result of an AI-supported internet query, so please take it with a grain of salt, but here’s what that research unearthed:
[The unnamed recruiter] utilizes a combination of AI-powered software to enhance their candidate interview process. Specifically, they use Glider.ai for technical skill assessments and VoiceAI agents for candidate interactions. Additionally, they leverage Staffing Engine GPT, a generative AI tool integrated with their Bullhorn system, to assist recruiters and sales reps.
Here's a breakdown:
Glider.ai:
This platform tailors assessments to match specific client needs, helping [The unnamed recruiter] evaluate technical skills effectively.
VoiceAI Agents:
These AI agents handle candidate interactions, potentially for screening, scheduling, or providing information.
Staffing Engine GPT:
This tool, integrated with Bullhorn, provides generative AI capabilities to support recruiters and sales teams in various tasks.
At one level, this sophisticated system is similar in its impact to an ATS (applicant tracking) system that winnows out the interesting resumes from those less relevant. On the other hand, the implications for staffing at executive recruiting firms seem rather obvious. I remember years ago a somewhat apologetic airline employee explaining the then new automatic ticketing kiosks at the Vienna airport saying, “I know I am putting myself out of a job, but this is the future.” On the other hand, we are continuously told that automation always creates new employment opportunities elsewhere in the long run. We’ll see.
Another answer is, of course, to fight fire with fire, i.e., put AI to work on behalf of the candidate, too, for example by reducing the labor involved in applying for multiple positions. At the moment I’m exploring that angle, too (so far with moderate success) though there is a huge time savings for me.
In any case, the question on my mind remains, will the machine hire me?
At the end of the interview, Alex asked me if I had any questions. Of course, I asked, “What happens next?” She said something like, “Great question. I will summarize the content of our discussion for the recruiters and they will be back in touch depending on how relevant your candidacy seems based on the information provided.”
In other words, it seems that the machine will only handle the pre-selection and screening at this stage but the actual hiring decision will still be made by a human being… for now.
If you are considering making a change and want to better understand your options, why not ask someone with a lot of experience. You’ll find me at www.personalalternativeslab.com.
Good luck!
UP IN THE AIR ABOUT TRIBAL WARFARE AT WORK?
A pedestrian walking through his home town suddenly hears a call from overhead. He looks up and sees a man waving to him from a balloon.
“Hey, where am I?” calls the man in the balloon.
“You are sixty feet in the air, drifting southwest at about 5 miles per hour,” responds the pedestrian.
“You’re an engineer, aren’t you?” shouts the man in the balloon.
“Yes, how did you know?” replies the pedestrian, scratching his head.
“Everything you told me is factually correct but perfectly useless,” calls the man in the air.
“Ha! You’re a senior manager, aren’t you?” shoots back the man on the street.
“Well, yes, but how did you know?” queries the man in the balloon.
“You are up in the air, completely lost and without a clue where you are but you want to blame me,” concludes the man on the ground.
And there you have it. Tribes. Sales versus marketing. Customer service versus sales. Operations versus customer service. And everybody versus senior management.