Mar
29
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Simple Tabber Example
Response to an Employer who’s recent hire, decided she did not want to return……… Feelings, Thoughts, Comments?
 
 
Your Initial InterviewYou could have had xxxxxx back, at least for the next couple of weeks. With kind words and comments expressing her value and your appreciation. Instead, you attacked and threatened. Weather by innuendo or actual verbiage. You acted in a similar way with me. I’m trying to advise, not criticize. I hope you realize this. Domestic/Household Staff is an employee group, unique and unlike any other. Their “pride & self-esteem,” is all they have. In most cases, they’ve came to the US with little else….except for a suitcase, the clothes on their backs and maybe a relative or friend’s room, waiting for them. When people like xxxxxx; basically honest, hard working immigrants feel they are loosing this “pride & self-esteem,” they clam up and your up against a brick wall. It took me many years to understand this. Again, this is only due to the nature of the Domestic/Household Staffing industry, because of the coming together (and mutual need for each other) of the two distinct Social Classes….. the “rich/well heeled/highly educated” and this “lower Socioeconomic but desirous to work group.”

 

Thanks,
Glenn
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Glenn Greenhouse
Glenn began in the “family business” more than 30 years ago, by coming to work for his Father, Martin Greenhouse. He often recounts how nervous he was, when at 19 years old his Father forced him to pick up the phone and speak with David Suskind. This was to be the first of dozens of phone calls and meetings to come for Glenn……with Celebrity Clientele. Glenn considers himself very fortunate to have spent his life working at a job he truly loves and as he puts it: “earn a comfortable living at the same time.”
Glenn Greenhouse

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  • Avatar Maria says:

    We all come from a different background unique in its own way.  When any given situation arises we react, but then no one has the right to attack and threaten an individual or any group.  Regardless of what seems to be an impossible scenario we go to work equipped with honesty, patience, courage and into a situation where we don’t know what is stored for us.  We do our best to achieve the assigned tasks and at the end of the day we want to be respected for our labor – not only in monetary ways but also in kind words that lift our spirits to be inspired to go on for another day.

    • Glenn Glenn says:

      So you don’t think the e-mail I sent to my client was “improper” or “offensive?”
      Maria, please go to our LinkedIn page.  We have a “poll” running, which relates to the uniqueness of the Employer/Employee relationship, in the “residential work environment.”
      Thank you for participating and following Greenhouse!!
       
      Glenn Greenhouse

      • Avatar Maria says:

        Hi Glen,
         
        No, I don’t think it was “improper or offensive”.  Instead it was highly necessary because you are sending out a very strong and proper message that just because some people are “rich/well heeled/highly educated” they do not have the right to demean or verbally attack/insult/threaten anyone, especially the “lower Socioeconomic but desirous to work group”(as quoted).  All we have is “self-esteem”.  We are proud of our work and deserve to be respected – especially after a hard, honest earned work on any given day.  Your statement wasn’t “offensive ” because it was constructively well expressed.

        Kind words always give the best on us and everyone, no matter what social class, should always be treated with respect.
         

        • Thank you Maria for your comments!  As an Agency owner, I nevertheless “call it the way I see it.” I have two groups or equally important clients…… the “Candidate” and the “Employer.”  Without one, I would not have the other. 
          Sometimes I get “flack” from my own colleagues, who tell me not to write this or that.  That I’m going to offend this group or that group and hurt business.  I’ve found there’s good and bad in all of “Society.”
          Most of the “Employers” I’ve dealt with are good caring people, who do treat their staffs well. Occasionally you come across an Employer who can’t understand why someone does not want to work for them.  This was the situation here and I felt it necessary to let her know why.
          On the other hand, we come across Candidates who are out of work for many months, constantly calling and pleading for any job.  We come up with something, maybe a nice live-out Housekeeper job paying $1,000.00 per week…… but the job requires one late night a week. In total it’s a 50 hour week.  This same Candidate who’s been out of work, with bills piling up, then demands we get her O/T for 10 hours.  The Employer is firm on $1,000.00 as a starting salary. The Candidate tells us she’ll wait for something else.  Of course everyone has the right to choose….. but here’s a young lady who’s been literally begging for a job for months, doesn’t realize there’s competition for every job and her resume is getting stale!
          I would write about this situation. Nothing is perfect in life.  Seldom is our “wish list,” completely met. The economy is much worse than most believe……and you can’t cry about your troubles, then turn down an opportunity that’s truly not so bad.  Not to mention the work we (the Agency) put into getting this lady the job offer. 
          The funny thing is, we’ll recommend five more Candidates to the Employer and continue to work with this Candidate.

      • Avatar Nathalie says:

        The first question could be peeecivrd as aggressive / interrogatory, but personally I think there’s nothing wrong with showing a Sherlock-like investigation quality, especially when it’s about a full time position where you’ll spend most of your waking hours! It’s a great way? to show potential employer that you care about not making the same mistake as the last guy, or that you want to ensure it’s a good fit.

    • Avatar Fatih says:

      Many times, it isn’t HR who actually cuncodts all your interviews. Therefore, the chances of them knowing the answer to why did the last person leave are probably? slim to none. Also, this question is completely irrelevant if you are interviewing for an internship or entry-level position. I feel like there are better questions out there that can get you the same information. You can ask about the company atmosphere or structure to try and get that same insight.

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