Take This Job and Shove It

[Rare White Ape]

I personally don't see the difference between merit vs best-suited. If you were the boss and you need to cut staff, who would you keep? The guy with the most 'merit' or the guy who's 'best suited' for the job at hand? Shouldn't the 2 go hand in hand? Maybe I'm missing some nuance between the two?

It's sometimes hard to differentiate, and I haven't had formal training in either hiring practice either so It's hard for me to explain it. But here goes:

Usually when hiring, there will be a score alloted to various categories for a candidate based on various factors, and when comapred against the other candidates you get an order of merit. Those factors can be how well they scored in their education, their qualifications, the length of time in previous positions, what roles they held previously, any additional positions like being an employee liaison or health and safety representative, etc. The person highest in the order of merit will be the one offered the job. It's very black-and-white with all the evidence laid out. In the situation that Godson posted about, he says "they decided to keep the lazier person because of experience." As I said in my previous post, that on-paper experience is what comes under that person's merit-based performance.

When you come to looking at the best-suited ranking, it places less emphasis on merit and more on seeing how well the candidate will fit in the position. This way you can potentially select a younger, less experienced candidate over a more experienced one becasue they can show that they will work harder or be a better team player or be able to learn faster. It can also potentially filter out possible trobule makers that you don't want disrupting the vibe of the workplace. As Godson says, "I told them my request, which was to eliminate one of the lazier travellers who has been pretty passive-aggressive, even though it would reduce our overall staff by 1 experienced person by nearly a month. It would have given us a better environment to harber hard work, teamwork, and a much more cohesive team."

So yeah he's upset that his request was ignored. Maybe the employer's hands were tied and couldn't justify keeping the other staff member because it has an inflexible hiring policy.

That's about as well as I can explain it.

[Crazed_Insanity]

Ha! Thanks for the explanation, that kinda make sense I suppose.

HR and typical corporate America surely have their reasons for firing/hiring/promoting people. Most of the time it’s works and some of the times you end up like Boeing.

As an employee, we either try to make the best of it or we can leave. We probably shouldn’t take upper level management decisions too personally. Not worth it…

[Rare White Ape]

As an employee, we either try to make the best of it or we can leave. We probably shouldn’t take upper level management decisions too personally. Not worth it…

We have different opinions here. I'm in a union and I actually care about how people are treated at work.

[Crazed_Insanity]

I’m in an union too. When the company chose to keep the lazier employee and overruled your input, what can the union do about that?

[FaultyMario]

[Crazed_Insanity]

Dang! So obtuse that I’m getting close to flatlining?!?!?

[FaultyMario]

so he spoketh.

[dodint]

I talked to the hiring manager. They are extending me an offer but HR is futzing around. Which is fine. I have a good job, just waiting to see if this one is better.

I was selected on March 26th. HR still hasn't made me an offer. I gave them my income verification on April 10th. I know the government is painfully slow but this is going from an exciting situation to an irritation.

[Cam]

Helped the old boss do one last install yesterday, one that was planned before I quit. It went well. He gave me a replacement check and assured me it is good this time. He even added some extra for my trouble and help with the last install.

[sandydandy]

Been posting a lot of negative shit recently, (ie. my stolen car). At the risk of sounding like a headcase, here's some more.

I am seriously considering getting the fuck out of the powder coating business.

We own our own building (2400 sqft unit) which has appreciated considerably since we bought it way back in 2001. We have several neighbors who have expressed interest in buying it from us, and talks have started becoming serious with real numbers being thrown around. Numbers are a little low compared to what a commercial broker told me is the real value of the unit, but after tax it's still enough for me to close this chapter of my life and do something else. Unloading the powder coating system is proving to be a challenge. I've reached out to customers and competitors alike, but we've only had really preliminary discussions.

A little history...we started this business in 1997. My dad worked in the paint shop for a large lighting manufacturer who had this in-house powder coating system. After many months of delays, the plant confirmed it was finally closing down in late 1996 and merging with their main big plant in another part of the city. Everybody got laid off and their in-house operations and equipment were being sold to the highest bidders. The paint shop was one of them. They invited the employees to make bids on the equipment, with the promise that the company would outsource the work to the winner. My dad ended up outbidding another guy so the equipment was ours. By early 1997 we found a rental unit and set up shop and business started flowing.

Things were great for the first few years. We painted all lighting products that my dad was familiar with and that I became familiar with as well. Then another division of that same company began overloading us with work and suddenly we were flush with cash, and my parents were able to pay off their mortgage in full by 1999. We even attracted new customers, some of whom are still with us. I was still in college at the time and only worked at the company part-time, and never really committed to it until 2001 when we bought this unit.

Things remained steady over the next few years. I quit my accounting job somewhere else and committed to the business full-time. We had employees, (up to five at one point), doing most of the work, and my parents were younger and had more energy, so things ran smoothly. I did a bit of everything - working in the back painting, and in the office with accounting/bookkeeping and also sales. It was tough but still felt satisfying and fulfilling, as it felt like we were growing and really building something.

Then in 2005 things changed when our main customer, (large lighting company), decided to eliminate all of their Canadian manufacturing. Within a year all work ceased from them and we had to downsize as we scrambled to find new business, and strengthen our relationships with existing customers. It really felt like we were blind-sided. Over the next few months we had to let almost all of our employees go and my wife began working with us. From 2007 to 2010 things were really difficult. The great recession of 2008 didn't help matters much. Things sort of picked up again in the next couple of years, but it wasn't like before. Customers expected more of us, (delivery and buying most of the powder inventory), and we had no choice but to comply.

I think we peaked too soon. 1997-2006 was the time to really focus on growth and expansion, but we didn't have the vision and rested on our laurels. Instead of hiring salespeople we were content with the volume of repeat orders our customers were giving us. One could say it's never too late to try to expand, but financing is so expensive now and I have no extra energy left to put into this place. I'm in exit mode, and have been for the past few years.

Today my wife and I run the place. My parents are old now but they still come in a few days a week to help out part-time but don't get paid, and my son comes in a few days a week as well, (he gets paid). It's not about growth anymore, now it's just about survival. We simply can't afford to hire anyone new. My parents should be enjoying their retirement years relaxing, and my son should be focusing on starting his own career, and I feel bad because it feels like we're holding him back. We've been stuck trying to hold onto this fucking place with the hope that things will recover one day, but it's looking highly unlikely that that will happen. I haven't taken a vacation in ten years.

Covid hurt us very deeply, even despite the government help, I still had to reach into my own pocket (debt) several times to fund the business to help keep it going. I'm now at the point of wondering why bother anymore? Financially it doesn't make sense. Business did rebound a bit since 2022, (our worst year ever), but it's moving too slow and it's going to be a very long road back to consistent profitability. The equipment is getting old and in constant need of repairs, and some customers are grating on my nerves with their endless demands and bullshit. I'm beyond taxed being deep in debt and at the point of not caring about this business anymore.

The only thing of value we have is the building, and selling it off, (as well as the equipment), is the only thing that makes sense. My share will be a windfall that can allow me to breathe again. I'm 48 now so starting over is a bit scary, but paying off most of my mortgage and debts will mean I won't require that large of an income to live day-to-day, and I'll have extra cash in the bank. I have a few ideas of what I want to do. I have an accounting diploma plus I love to trade.

I've felt this way for a long time. People have been offering to buy our place for a while, but I've never really committed. Always on the fence and always scared. What I've needed is a push to make a decision.

What really prompted me to talk about it this week is the behavior of one of my customers. We've had a long and rocky history with this company. Dropping them, getting dropped, getting back into business with them. The company is run by a trio of brothers, and I primarily deal with the youngest. A guy who as far as I can tell sorely needs to get the shit kicked out of him, as he's been a brat his whole life being protected by two big brothers. Even my son doesn't like him. The first time he met he thought he was an asshole. Picture a skinnier Andrew Tate, with the twatish attitude intact, and you'll understand what I mean. In fact, he's the primary reason why I can't stand Tate. Anyway, over the years this fucker has been nothing but verbally abusive. Never hesitating to remind me that I'm "begging" for his work, that I "crawled back" to him after he let us go and always threatening to pull the work. I used to take all that shit personally but I've calmed down over the years and have allowed his bullshit words to just roll off my back, as the practicality of the volume of business was more important. I would comply like a bitch, all the while wondering why nobody - NOBODY - else in business talked to me like this, whether they had a legitimate complaint or not. Ultimately, this guy is a little rat bastard who needs to belittle others in order to feel good about himself, which is simply pathetic. Unfortunately for us, his volume represents about 40% of our revenue. Recently he went on an unhinged tirade about quality, (something nobody else does), and once again threatening to take his business elsewhere.

I'm at the point of telling him to just go fuck himself, and then focusing all of my energy on selling this unit and saying goodbye to these cockroaches forever.