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justabob

(3,069 posts)
34. your number 3 works for all levels
Thu Jul 5, 2012, 11:57 AM
Jul 2012

The team sports thing is interesting. Many moons ago, I was working in a busy corporate chain restaurant. We had a huge wait staff- 50-60 waiters, including a core of really good ones and other not so good ones. I got it my head one day to do a very informal, completely unscientific survey.... I asked everyone if they had played team sports growing up. Almost to a man, the people you wanted to work with, the ones who actually did their share of the work and helped out if you got in a bind played team sports. The lazy, whiner, "do I have to?" people did not. It was fascinating. That may or may not hold up in a larger sample, but it was interesting in that time and at that place.

Having a chit-chat with the receptionist will tell you a lot. They know everything...LOL..n/t monmouth Jul 2012 #1
+1 intheflow Jul 2012 #2
No shit. It's like Carl in "Breakfast Club" said, "I am the eyes and ears of this institution." HopeHoops Jul 2012 #3
It pays to be careful what you ask the receptionist, or maybe just HOW you ask. KurtNYC Jul 2012 #10
I think the parking lot tells all. Junk cars means poor overall pay 1-Old-Man Jul 2012 #4
Good point 1-Old-Man fasttense Jul 2012 #6
People also hold on to their beaters longer when they're not confident of their economic situation. Gidney N Cloyd Jul 2012 #77
Good tips Joanie Baloney Jul 2012 #5
Bathrooms and elevators are great places to listen KurtNYC Jul 2012 #11
To quote Eddie from "Christmas Vacation" rock Jul 2012 #7
I'm self-employed now, but I temped for three years all over the Twin Cities in the 1980s, and Lydia Leftcoast Jul 2012 #8
one of the jobs I had in a manufacturing entity KurtNYC Jul 2012 #16
Great to work with a mix of cultures Mopar151 Jul 2012 #59
Women: Check out the restrooms Demeter Jul 2012 #9
How? In what manner is restroom upkeep gender specific? RadiationTherapy Jul 2012 #13
When I worked at IBM... eggplant Jul 2012 #20
Is it clean (both genders), xmas74 Jul 2012 #29
I figured it had to do with access to and appropriate disposal of hygeine products, RadiationTherapy Jul 2012 #31
Having never seen the men's room, I cannot speculate Demeter Jul 2012 #18
No tampon machines in the men's rooms where I've worked ... zbdent Jul 2012 #84
tag Why Syzygy Jul 2012 #12
KurtNYC, did you author this? Gold Metal Flake Jul 2012 #14
I wrote it. This is the only place it is published so far. KurtNYC Jul 2012 #17
A terrific list. Thank you! tilsammans Jul 2012 #47
The next-to-last company that I worked for had management consultants come in to run a seminar. Ikonoklast Jul 2012 #15
That is rare. I have been on teams that told management that they were wrong KurtNYC Jul 2012 #25
Worked for a failing grocery company that was decades behing the competition MattBaggins Jul 2012 #38
If they would have just paired you guys up and blindfolded one out of each pair KurtNYC Jul 2012 #43
The ownership believed that the regurgitated pablum fed back to them by upper management was Ikonoklast Jul 2012 #39
I hope those consultants got paid well KurtNYC Jul 2012 #44
Just like on "Undercover Boss" EC Jul 2012 #63
The order of events I've seen FloridaJudy Jul 2012 #65
I work for a successful food coop... druidity33 Jul 2012 #85
... and before you know it, you're fighting a war in Iraq. davidwparker Jul 2012 #74
Sounds like the multi-national that I worked for up until last year. blackspade Jul 2012 #33
I've got to know, which firm was this? It sounds very familiar to me. n/t Egalitarian Thug Jul 2012 #50
Owners like this tell themselves this: CrispyQ Jul 2012 #62
Damm Straight....... n./t Mopar151 Jul 2012 #80
good to know nt Deep13 Jul 2012 #19
Good points. A couple more if you are being hired as an executive. AnotherMcIntosh Jul 2012 #21
your number 3 works for all levels justabob Jul 2012 #34
I would take that with a grain fo salt MattBaggins Jul 2012 #42
absolutely justabob Jul 2012 #49
Perhaps you would consider non-sports group activities for your list. amandabeech Jul 2012 #55
that actually came up at the time justabob Jul 2012 #60
Yes, I played first violin in high school orchestra. Manifestor_of_Light Jul 2012 #70
Might be more instructive to see who has participated in any team or group activity since high scho Mopar151 Jul 2012 #51
And some of us were female in the distant dark ages SheilaT Jul 2012 #69
Bookmarked BrendaBrick Jul 2012 #22
What's a job? 99Forever Jul 2012 #23
#5 struck a note Courtesy Flush Jul 2012 #24
#5 isn't necessarily an indication of a bad company. Arkana Jul 2012 #26
I agree, #5 seems anti-small business. DaveJ Jul 2012 #32
What I was trying to get at was more in the vein of "do people stay" or "does the company KurtNYC Jul 2012 #75
Re: Cubes fauxpas Jul 2012 #27
It probably depends a lot on the type of company, too Posteritatis Jul 2012 #67
excellent summary LittleGirl Jul 2012 #28
Employers try to hide everything about them. DaveJ Jul 2012 #30
Another - If possible, meet with who will be co-workers or those working for you. Ruby the Liberal Jul 2012 #35
This one is the biggest red flag of all... madaboutharry Jul 2012 #36
Or groups of people in the company that are family members, Lars39 Jul 2012 #40
So true! tilsammans Jul 2012 #45
Robert Wood Johnson, Co-Founder of Johnson & Johnson Yavin4 Jul 2012 #46
My Aunt was secretary to Col. Johnson...n/t monmouth Jul 2012 #78
True. Dawson Leery Jul 2012 #52
In my experience you can wind up in the middle of a family fight, daily. KurtNYC Jul 2012 #91
This happened to my cousin a few years back. Dawson Leery Jul 2012 #94
You're not wrong......... Mopar151 Jul 2012 #54
This is a MUST for everyone especially the unemployed. Cars in the Parking lot are KEY!! swayne Jul 2012 #37
Good tips KurtNYC. PotatoChip Jul 2012 #41
As for #5, I Call Those Companies, "Logan's Run Shops" Yavin4 Jul 2012 #48
I feel fortunate that I have an awesome boss, right now. Odin2005 Jul 2012 #53
I had the good fortune to work for some employee-friendly firms tilsammans Jul 2012 #56
I like those companies too KurtNYC Jul 2012 #92
So right! tilsammans Jul 2012 #93
#3A Mopar151 Jul 2012 #57
a couple of these sabbat hunter Jul 2012 #58
Kurt - great article! Patiod Jul 2012 #61
good tips. Liberal_in_LA Jul 2012 #64
6. If the interviewer cries when you ask if they get depressed in their windowless office Matariki Jul 2012 #66
#4's definitely a big one Posteritatis Jul 2012 #68
I really like to see my potential coworkers felix_numinous Jul 2012 #71
And those "trust exercises"? Manifestor_of_Light Jul 2012 #72
Great post. Thanks for the insight. I've worked for a company for almost 20 years davidwparker Jul 2012 #73
The worst place I ever worked checked out under the above 5 criteria. leveymg Jul 2012 #76
Chat up the employees Capt. Obvious Jul 2012 #79
There is a sewing circle in every company Curmudgeoness Jul 2012 #82
The company I worked for had a seminar that just made everybody read "Who Moved My Cheese?" thelordofhell Jul 2012 #81
In tech, look for older people Taverner Jul 2012 #83
+1! uponit7771 Jul 2012 #89
60 and Out Riverman Jul 2012 #86
My company just put in a cereal bar and gave us all personal bowls and spoons. Kablooie Jul 2012 #87
That sounds like a good idea that would benefit the company Incitatus Jul 2012 #88
6 - If you see a copy of the Republican's Creed, run like the wind nxylas Jul 2012 #90
Question about #1 BlueCheese Jul 2012 #95
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