by Evil HR Lady on September 18, 2017
I haven’t looked for a traditional job for years–I’ve been self-employed for the past 8. But, yesterday a recruiter sent me a job description for a job that actually fit my talents, was in my local area, and that I was qualified for. This never happens. I get lots of info from recruiters in Connecticut (I live almost 4,000 miles from Connecticut, but some database somewhere has me with a Connecticut zip code), and lots of recruiters asking if I’d be interested in jobs that I wouldn’t be remotely qualified for, so this was a bit of a shock.
In considering whether or not to consider the position, I took a look at few “top job interview questions” articles and decided that nope, I could never get through a typical job interview anymore. Here are some of the questions I found and the answers I’d give.
From Monster.
- How many times do a clock’s hands overlap in a day? I don’t know, I look at the time on my phone like everyone else, even though I wear a watch.
- Tell me 10 ways to use a pencil other than writing. Pulling my hair back, murder, and 8 other things.
- Sell me this pencil. Psst, buddy, wanna buy a pencil? You can use it for 10 different things other than writing.
To keep reading, click here: Why I Would Make a Terrible Traditional Candidate
Also, for fun, give me an interview question in the comments and the way you wish you could answer it.
by Evil HR Lady on September 15, 2017
LuLaRoe Consultant, Samantha Langston, had enough about two weeks ago. She had joined LuLaRoe in June 2016 and believed it was her path to financial success. The company, she says, encouraged her to take out loans to not only buy stock to sell, but an iPhone which was necessary to use LuLaRoe software for sales. As a result, she currently has about $15,000 in debt due to her LuLaRoe career. After finding out about the accusations of LuLaRoe stealing artist Micklyn Le Feuvre’s designs, she sent her resignation letter.
She received “permission” to go out of business (GOOB in LuLaRoe parlance). This is a lengthy process that involves checklists and, most importantly, returning unsold merchandise. When Langston sent her resignation letter, LuLaRoe policy was to give a 100 percent refund on unsold merchandise and pay for return shipping. Langston has $16,000 worth of returns–just enough to pay off her debt.
So, on Wednesday night she was ready to sit down and enter the merchandise in order to ship it back and found out that, without warning, LuLaRoe policy had changed that day. Now she was only eligible for a 90 percent refund, had to pay her own shipping, and would be subject to strict scrutiny on returns.
To keep reading, click here: LuLaRoe Changes Return Policy, Costing Consultants Thousands
by Evil HR Lady on September 14, 2017
Everyone knows you need a mentor to help you succeed in business, right? Especially if you’re a woman–you need someone in the know (preferably a senior executive) who can help you get there. Well, a recent study published at BCG, written by an all women team of Marjolein Cuellar, Andrea Ostby, Kate Protextor, Katie Abouzahr and Nicole Bennett, found a few surprising things when they studied ways to help women succeed in the workplace, including things that don’t help.
Mentoring Isn’t Helping
In a mentoring program, generally junior level women are matched up with a senior level person who can help coach the junior person through the business and give her support that will help her climb the ladder to the top. In reality, Cuellar et. al. found that
To keep reading, click here: Mentoring and 3 Other Things That Don’t Help Women Break the Glass Ceiling
by Evil HR Lady on September 13, 2017
We are a small company. We have no HR department, but we do have a jerk. A jerk who is a director and has decided that he is the voice of HR. Nobody appointed him to this role.
He frequently dips snuff at his desk, which is a shared table with eight coworkers. He throws temper tantrums exactly like a three-year-old, ranting and cursing at employees and vendors alike. He’s a serious liability to the team.
His behavior needs to be curtailed ASAP. He does not report to me, so my hands are tied. He is wise enough to change his tune when senior management is in the office. Do you have any helpful suggestions? If only we could hire an HR person!
To read the answer, click here: My Coworker Thinks He’s the Voice of HR
by Evil HR Lady on September 12, 2017
Social media is a key to a lot of things in today’s modern life. So, if you’ve built up a big group on Facebook, you’d want to nurture and grow that group, right? Well, Naomi Hattaway, founder of I Am A Triangle, grew her Facebook group to over 16,000 people who were living or had lived outside of their native culture, and then shut it all down and moved to a new platform.
Why on earth leave a platform that had been so successful? Hattaway explained:
- Search sucked. One of her major goals was to help people, but in order to help people out, Hattaway needed a good search function. “There was no way to search ‘my husband just took my children and I’m in a country with no rights,'” she said by example. She wanted her members to find that information quickly.
- Vetting was difficult. It all had to be done by hand.
To keep reading, click here: This Woman Built a Successful Facebook Community and then Shut It Down. Here’s Why.
by Evil HR Lady on September 12, 2017
When deciding whether to hire someone directly or to offer someone contractor employment, there is more to consider than you might realize. You may think that it’s simply your decision—do you want this person to be a regular “W-2” employee or do you want this person to be a “1099” contractor? The reality is, it’s not all your choice. The IRS strongly regulates whether someone is a contractor or an employee. Here’s what you need to know.
Control Freaks Shouldn’t Hire Contractors
Is it important to you that your contractor works set hours in your office and uses specific tools that you provide? Well, then, you want an employee, not a contractor employee. A contractor needs the freedom to work how they choose. They generally need to provide their own equipment and set their own schedules. You can specify the work that needs to be done, but you don’t get to choose how they do it. If the very idea of an employee with such freedom makes you nervous, remember, a contractor isn’t an employee. That’s the whole point.
To keep reading, click here: Hiring a Contractor vs Hiring an Employee
by Evil HR Lady on September 11, 2017
Restaurants are known for having a high staff turnover rate. However, there are certain ways to limit this so your restaurant can run smoothly. With a little effort, you can reduce your restaurant’s turnover and retain quality employees. Here are some tips to help guide you.
Treat Your Employees Well
The best way to handle turnover is to reduce it, and there are a number of things you can do to make everyone happy. First, pay your employees well. Don’t try to skimp by paying bottom wages if you want employees to stick around. You should also make sure you’re posting schedules consistently and in advance. This allows your staff to plan their lives outside of work, and is especially critical for people who need to arrange child care.
To keep reading, click here: How to Handle and Reduce Staff Turnover
by Evil HR Lady on September 11, 2017
Recently my dept hired a new manager, my first interaction with her happened when I broke a tooth and had to go to the dentist on an emergency work in basis.
I sent an email to my new manager letting her know that I would be leaving for the emergency appointment and giving full details; then coming back after. I also explained that my calendar was free for the afternoon with no pending obligations and notified my coworkers of my whereabouts. She was unavailable for instant messaging or phone calls at this time. I did, however, inform my Director that morning of my pending appointment.
Upon my return, I received an email asking if I had approved this through another manager (none were available) and that in the future she had to approve time off for doctor/dentist appointments – period.
I was adamant that I did my due diligence under the circumstances and do not believe I need approval to go to doctor’s appointments other than giving as much notice as I am able to and have consistently done. This is the first emergency visit to a doctor/dentist in my entire work history.
For informational purposes, I am salaried, have an exemplary work record, have taken 1 sick day in the last 12 months, and schedule minimal doctor’s appointments.
I would appreciate your advice, applicable laws on this subject and any other information/advice you might be able to offer before I take this to HR.
To read the answer, click here: Does an Exempt Employee Need Permission to Leave the Office?
by Evil HR Lady on September 8, 2017
Probably the most famous song from Broadway’s Avenue Q was, Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist, where puppets sing about how everyone has tendencies towards racism in one way or another. If this is the case, you’d think that most people would suffer from discrimination in one way or another, but a new study suggests that it isn’t universal. Don’t make a mistake--we still have a long way to go, but this study suggests discrimination isn’t inevitable.
Professor Brian B. Boutwell, a professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice led a study that surveyed 14,000 Americans about their personal experiences with racism.
The study asked the following question,”In your day to day life, how often do you feel you have been treated with less respect or courtesy than other people?” and respondents could answer Never, Sometimes, or Often. When respondents answered Sometimes or Often, researchers followed up with, this question: “What do you think was the main reason for these experiences?” The respondents could choose from one of the following reasons: 1) race/ancestry/skin color; 2) gender; 3) age; 4) religion; 5) height or weight; 6) sexual orientation; 7) education or income; 8) physical disability; and 9) other.
To keep reading and find out the results, click here: Study: Most People (Minorities Included) Rarely or Never Face Discrimination
by Evil HR Lady on September 8, 2017
Running a restaurant successfully requires more than just having great food; it’s also about having great staff and following the law. Minimum wage laws require that you pay your employees at a certain level, but even that can vary depending on whether an employee receives tips or not. Here’s what you need to know when you set pay rates for your employees.
Knowing the Laws
First and foremost, when paying your employees, you have to make sure you follow the law. Federal law requires that all workers earn a minimum wage in each state. But don’t tipped employees have a different rate? Yes and no. In most states, employees who receive tips can be paid a lower wage of $2.13 per hour, but their tips must be enough to make their total compensation meet the minimum wage, which is $7.25 per hour (the federal minimum) in a number of states. If it’s a slow night, it’s up to the boss to make up the difference.
To keep reading, click here: Minimum Wage: Basics You Should Know
