RE: [The skeletons in the web-site closet]

["Pete Sanborn" <psanborn2 -at- earthlink -dot- net>]

Actually, this is pretty funny because I have been through this at two
different companies.  At one company, the picture of the whole department
had been online for a couple of weeks when people started leaving (not a
layoff, just lack of faith in the company's future - they were right, by the
way!).  A co-worker copied the picture off the 'net and sent it to me with
the caption "The past is prologue".  Turns out, he was clairvoyant.  The
department ceased to exist as depicted in the picture and, shortly after I
left, they took the picture down; too many people gone.

At the second company, the department photos had been online for about 1
week when most of the department was laid off or transferred.  The site was
quickly taken down after paying the developer to construct it over a period
of about 6 weeks.

"Try to choose individuals who are less likely to be laid off."

The comment about just posting photos of the people least likely to be laid
off doesn't wash.  When I was laid off from the second company, I was the
Senior Developer and the second person hired into the department.  If anyone
thought they were least likely to be laid off, it was me.  Two of the people
I helped hire were retained.  Go figure.  Also, if you are hired by a
company that posts photos of those who are least likely to be laid off, what
does that say about your career potential at that company?  Are you going to
devote your life to them or keep circulating your resume in hopes of a
better position as soon as you discover the posted-photo/career-potential
connection?

Regards,
Pete Sanborn

-----Original Message-----
From: bounce-techwr-l-81537 -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
[mailto:bounce-techwr-l-81537 -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com]On Behalf Of Hannah
Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2001 9:35 AM
To: TECHWR-L
Subject: Re: [The skeletons in the web-site closet]


KMcLauchlan -at- chrysalis-its -dot- com wrote:
> So, um, what do you folks feel about having faces of
> employees decoratively slapped all over a company
> web site, when about half of the faces belong to people
> who have since been laid off?
>
> Is it as tacky as I think it is?

I think it depends on how these pics are displayed. Some responses assume
these are head shots with some sort of text saying "Bob Smith processes our
post-sales accounts", while others assume these pics are of workers doing
their job (i.e., a group of professionally dressed individuals obviously
working on a piece of equipment). The two are very different.

I would take the advice of obtaining "professional" pics. There are no
issues
with royalties/complaints/law suits. However, you do lose some of the
personal
edge some companies desire. An alternative is to replace these pics with new
ones (of employees who work there) and update them when necessary. To cover
the royalty/complaints/law suit angle, have them sign a release. Try to
choose
individuals who are less likely to be laid off. If they are head shots
though,
they need to be changed. It could be embarrassing to a potential client if
he
looks on the website and sees that Bob Smith is the post sales rep, calls
up,
and is told Bob Smith no longer works there.

On the intranet side of things, my company has an employee directory where
employees upload their own picture (if they want), can enter skills they
possess, and have a bio area. We're spread out over several states and this
helps to make us more cohesive. You can even look up those who are no longer
with the company.

I remember going to a website of a company I used to work for and there was
a
picture of two guys who still work there. The difference is at the time the
pic was taken they were mechanics (it's a car dealership). Now one of the
brothers is in upper management, yet they still have his pic of him in his
mechanic's coveralls. Most people just find it amusing. It is a bit
different
from those that have been fired/laid off, but still amusing.

hannah bissell
to -dot- hannah -at- usa -dot- net

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