Monday, January 24, 2011

We're Fully Staffed

Today, if he shows, we're finally fully staffed at work. I'm assuming the new guy will show since he called me yesterday, while I was at work, to confirm what time he should show up today. He was actually hired a few weeks ago but couldn't start until today. He wanted to give his old employer a two weeks notice then wanted a week to move here.

The hiring process where I work is oddly complex and amusing to me. Amusing to me due to how my boss approaches it anyway. He strives to keep new people away from me as long as possible. The new guy will go through a two week training process and I'll have little to no contact with him. It's kind of weird and makes sense at the same time.

He's a young guy, fresh out of college. Apparently he's good looking based on the opinions of all the girls who work in the mall and saw him when he was in for his interview. I know a number of them have bugged the hell out me over the last couple of weeks for information about him. They were less than pleased to find out that the only things I know about him is his first name and that he already has a girlfriend here who he is/has moved in with. I'm pretty sure a couple of them are scheming to break him up and try to devour him themselves.

We had a decent conversation and my hopes for another "Worthless Co-Worker" aren't looking too good for the blog, based on our conversation. Here's a snippet of our conversation:

New Guy: Is (store manager) in?
Me: Nope. He's gone for the day.
New Guy: I was wondering what time I should come in tomorrow.
Me: He didn't tell you?
New Guy: He said to call in today and he'd let me know.
Me: Oh. Well you'll be working his schedule for the first two weeks. Come in at 9:30 tomorrow morning.
New Guy: Do you think I should call him at home to confirm this?
Me: You can if you want.
New Guy: I thought he was going to be at work all day today.
Me: He was but the Steelers are playing, so he left early because he's a big fan of them.
New Guy: He's a Steeler fan? In Wisconsin?
Me: Yeah, there's no accounting for taste.
New Guy: I'm looking forward to meeting you. I've heard a lot about you.
Me: I'm sure you have.
New Guy: You know I've stopped in the store a couple of times wanting to meet you the last few weeks but you were never there.
Me: We'll meet tomorrow.
New Guy: (Store manager) says you're a good guy and that we'll gt along well.
Me: I'm sure we will.
New Guy: Will you be training me at all? (Store manager) says you're one of the top sales people in the company.
Me: Nope.
New Guy: No?
Me: (Store manager) does all the training. You'll be fine, he does a good job with the training.
New Guy: I was hoping I'd learn from the best.
Me: I'm not the best.
New Guy: Well, he says you are.
Me: He's a nice guy, and he's also a good friend. He'll train you well and you won't pick up on my bad habits.
New Guy: Your bad habits?
Me: Yes.
New Guy: He never mentioned anything about your bad habits.
Me: He will.
New Guy: That's weird.
Me: I used to think so too.
New Guy: But not any more?
Me: Nope. I do have bad habits.
New Guy: So he's okay with your bad habits?
Me: Yes.
New Guy: So he puts up with your bad habits?
Me: Yes. Let me explain a bit here. He wants you to learn the sales process by the book. It's a good process and everything you learn, and the order of the sales process, is important. I kind of do my own thing and it's effective. About the only thing the boss would want you to pay attention to, that I do, would be closing a sale. 
New Guy: So you don't follow the sales process?
Me: Yes and no.
New Guy: You're not a lot of help.
Me: That's why I'm not training you. You'll be just fine.
New Guy: So (store manager) doesn't get upset with how you do things?
Me: Rarely. For everything he'd get irritated with, I do many more things he's happy with.
New Guy: Well, okay. I won't tell him we had this talk.
Me: Feel free to share it with him.
New Guy: Seriously?
Me: Yup. (Store manager) and I have a good working relationship and we're pretty open here. He's going to tell you the same thing over the next two weeks anyway.
New Guy: You know I worked in sales before. It's kind of dog eat dog.
Me: That won't work here. 
New Guy: (Store manager) said the same thing. I'm hoping that's true.
Me: Here's the one thing I'll tell you that the boss will agree with. If you put the store sales goal ahead of your own personal sales goal you'll be just fine. What I've learned is that if the store is doing well, generally everyone is doing well. If you only concentrate on your own personal goal with no regard to the other people you work with, over the long run you'll end up with less sales, and less income. We work with each other and help each other out. We don't begrudge anyone else doing well. It's a team effort.
New Guy: Boy I hope that's true.
Me: It is true. You're the only one who can screw that up because the boss and I are on the same page with this concept.
New Guy: So no backstabbing, no stealing sales, sales leads, none of that stuff?
Me: None.
New Guy: Man , that's great!
Me: It is. Anything else you need to know?
New Guy: I don't think so.
Me: Okay then, I'll see you tomorrow afternoon.

I'm thinking he's going to work out just fine. He was articulate and friendly on the phone. I'm also sure he's going to have a few bad habits of his own. He just doesn't need to pick up any from me.

14 comments:

Dazee Dreamer said...

I just know there is going to be some good stories. you can't fool me.

JustRex said...

You'll find something about him to write about, I'm sure. I gots faith in you.

Diabolical Me said...

You had me hooked with the series on the "Worthless Co-Worker." Here's to the start of another...maybe the "Naïve Newbie?" :D

SY said...

Hmm to be honest this new kid sounds a little annoying.. He's inquisitive in the most annoying of ways- the-know-it-all kind of inquisitive....

Good luck... maybe he's not as bad as I think

- Sy

crazy ramblings of a tired mom said...

You have been awarded :)
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ChiTown Girl said...

Ok, this guys sounds too good to be true already. I'm looking forward to the upcoming stories. You know, from when all his training with Boss Man is finished, and he's finally in the trenches with you. :)

Sparkling Red said...

Sounds promising so far. You can never know for sure until you've put some time in with a new hire. I've hired quite a few people who interviewed like superstars and turned out to be crap on the job. However, those are the minority. Anyway, that's what probation is for.

BB said...

I used to hate training new people and waiting for them to get up to speed. It's tiring. But it's just as bad being the new guy too. I didn't blog then so maybe I'd have looked at it differently!! haha

Gail said...

Sounds hopeful...you have tell us tales of terrible customers since you now have a responsible co-worker.

Liz Mays said...

I hope it works out as well as it seems like it will!

Sarahf said...

Is it bad that I'm a little disappointed that he's not weird?

knancy said...

New Guy: Well, okay. I won't tell him we had this talk.

WARNING! WARNING!I so want you to have a good experience with a new co-worker, but I am so cynical (and for good reasons). Already he is showing signs of deception. Some people never get the essence of team work. I worked for a company whose motto was based on team work, but I very rarely saw it practiced. In fact, I saw quite the opposite. Good luck. Looking forward to some good tales. Howevr, I have to say my best memories are from a three person team I was part of in a hospital lab setting that worked flawlessly. Each of us was so different in personality and technique and yet it SO worked. Hope this happens for you. Stress kills and you get enough of that with customers!

kimmyschemy said...

hmmm.. that was interesting..

Charlene said...

One note: watch your back. :o)