General Discussion

KurtNYC

(14,549 posts)

10. It pays to be careful what you ask the receptionist, or maybe just HOW you ask.

Thu Jul 5, 2012, 09:23 AM

Jul 2012

They are usually part of HR and they will share their evaluation of you after you leave if not sooner. I wouldn't ask the receptionist about drug tests or the owner's politics but I would ask them an open question like "have you been with the company a long time?" Just assume that the receptionist will tell HR everything that happens or is discussed.

Also sometimes an employer will use the receptionist in a test -- they make you wait extra time in the lobby and see how you react. Even if it isn't intentional on their part, how you handle that situation is huge. If you are too pushy and aggressive that is bad but if you are too much of a push over then you may seem unsuited to jobs which require you to be able to put polite pressure on co-workers or vendors.

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5 Ways to Tell How Well a Potential Employer Would Treat You as an Employee [View all] KurtNYC Jul 2012 OP

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