Member-only story
When Can Work Just Be Work?
I don’t want to be part of your dysfunctional work ‘family’
Nowadays, companies of all sizes want to find a candidate who not only meets their long and redundant list of requirements, but who is the ‘right fit.’
They want someone passionate about their passion, invested beyond a professional capacity, ready and willing to get the company logo tattooed on their soul.
In short, there’s a greater barrier to getting hired than qualifications: Emotional commitment.
In a few of my last interviews, I felt very qualified for the job. However, I was pretty uncomfortable with what was being asked of me as a potential employee. One interviewer told me her company was a family. If she had a flat tire at 2 am she could call anyone on her team, and they’d come running. Was she insinuating that I, too, would need to be available at 2 am in the event of her car troubles? Why is she up so late? Doesn’t she have a thriving real estate business to run?
On top of being on call for the boss’s flat tire, new hires are expected to work in the office for the requisite nine hours, even for jobs that can be performed remotely with ease. The desire is for everyone to be a part of the ‘family,’ working in their windowless offices with that glorious fluorescent lighting. Who can’t get…
