RE: Swaggin' for Dollars

["Giordano, Connie" <Connie -dot- Giordano -at- FMR -dot- COM>]

Mary,

-Someone mentioned in another thread that you should keep an eye on how
often a company posts job openings.  That's a good start.  
-Check their D&B rating, lousy D&B's usually mean they can't pay their bills
and you'd end up in a sweatshop with many promises for those that stick it
out (been there, done that, actually have the T-shirt to prove it).  
-Ask probing questions in interviews about the corporate culture and the
business plan for the next 2 to 5 years.  Is an IPO in the works? (If so,
chaos will ensue).  How many times have they revamped their website in the
last 12 months? (too many times, it probably means the power structure is in
flux, and the current egos are likely to change). Ask about the management
structure.  Ask how previous reorgs were handled and perceived.  If they
can't or won't answer, you'll have about the best indicator available.
-Talk to people who work there.  Do they have a sense of humor, a sense of
teamwork, and a sense of pride in their jobs? Even if they can't tell you
why they're frustrated, it's really easy to tell IF they're frustrated.  And
that usually means no career paths, no loyalty, no challenge, no fun.  To
which I'd reply no thanks.

Every company has its absurdities, and every one of us morons from time to
time just can't stand at least one of them.  Over the years I've learned two
important lessons: 1)pick your battles very carefully, because some of them
just aren't worth fighting, and the others you just can't win.  2) only you
can make your own choices about what you can and can't tolerate. And if you
get back stabbed or merely caught in the crossfire of the corporate
political wars, only you can choose to go elsewhere and do other things or
stay and hope that purple heart is worth something.  

MTC

Connie Giordano

-----Original Message-----
From: Paliotta, Mary 

[snip]

So I guess, let me ask:  How can a writer to measure the good/poor
management of an organization when job hunting?  Especially when these
industries are all going through such frequent reorganizations, mergers,
etc. (practically each year some major event is taking place)?!  Companies
get away with a lot in all this 'activity' because there's no way to predict
how things will eventually settle down at these places (or where you already
are).  Really, how is it possible to identify places that have just typical
work/industry problems vs. wacked out and out-of-control places that
practically create 5x as many problems as they manage to control in a day?

Just curious, Mary