Yeah.
Just exactly how is someone supposed to feel when they are being interviewed by someone whose goal is to replace you?
The company I work for periodically hires a consulting firm to review our operations and to recommend changes that would improve it. This has happened at least 4 times (maybe more that I'm not aware of) since I've worked here. Let's review their performance. When I started this company had @40 facilities and we were the 2nd largest textile firm in the world. Today we have 1 production facility and 4 distribution centers (domestic) and 1 facility overseas. I guess I shouldn't blame the shift of manufacturing in the US to off-shore totally on them, but I am not in the mood to be fair. Anyway, this round of consulting resulted in the recommendation that we (the collective "we", i.e. this company) should review the Finance, Customer Service, and IT areas.
So, the implementation of this recommendation is to hire the company that we have already outsourced our A/P function to to study these areas - ostensibly to prepare an objective recommendation of how to cut costs in these areas. This same company that provides services in these additional areas.
Yeah.
So, any doubts as to whether our company will implement the recommendations that we've paid so much for?
Yeah.
So I was interviewed two weeks ago now by someone from this outsourcing company. He asked all of about 6 questions, with a few variations on the theme of those questions. No searching questions about my day to day responsibilities, no deeply analytical questions about the system I support and it's role in the running of the company. No questions about who uses the system and their role in this company.
Yeah.
Today I am to complete a list of (currently) outstanding tasks, their scope, and the time it would take to complete the work.
Yeah.
Any guesses as to my next writing project? My resume.
Yeah.
11 deeply creased, dogeared comment(s):
Uh oh!
Those bastards!
I don't know how you're supposed to feel.
It pretty much runs the gamut, I know, but I hope that after you've felt it all, you'll settle on capable and forward-looking.
I for one think it sucks, even if it is fairly common. Meno's right, they are bastards.
i'm taking it a step further. forgive me bob, but they are colossal fuckwads. (delete if you must for profanity, but i stand by it.)
and, listen, i'll be on call for the writing project any time.
(hugs) and (hugs) to L, too.
Crap.
THe place I did my internship just went through all that interviewing, what's next, how will the "restructuring" work?
Crap.
Oh my.
I wonder if any of these assessments nowadays ever yield other results than the expected. I have a feeling that all consulting firms repeat the same phrases over and over.
I hope everything will be well for you.
meno - they are that, among other things.
De - I guess I'll decide that once I know what my future holds.
Maggie - thanks, I think it sucks too.
liv - I long for your ability to turn a phrase.
amusing - crap, indeed.
susanne - somehow business decides that if they don't implement the recommendations, then they've wasted their money. and who wants to explain to the board of directors why they wasted money.
My list of outstanding tasks would included lots of potty breaks, porn surfing, and long lunches. Good luck Bob. That totally sucks.
Lee - there are certain "givens" in any job - incidentals - that don't need to be enumerated.
What Maggie and meno said...majorly. Sorry they don't appreciate you and all your hard work, especially after suffering being away from your family so long working for them.
Hope you find something better and people who value you and your assets. You have a fabulous resume and skills.
Bob, just coming into this. I hope you are wrong. If you are right, that totally sucks.
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