Companies develop their reputations not just by showcasing their products or services, but also touting how many jobs they create and how happy their employees are. They talk about their benefits programs, diversity and inclusion, flexible schedules, advancement opportunities, etc, etc…

All of this is meant to get you to feel good about spending your money. But is this really the whole picture?

On December 1^st 2021, now former CEO of Better.com, Vishal Garg, displayed horrendous leadership skills when he laid off 900 company employees in a 1-way Zoom call. Since then, numerous company executives have voluntarily resigned, as a way of distancing themselves from the fallout.

Better.com is certainly not the first company to cause scandal and controversy when laying off or firing employees.

During the pandemic, plenty of large-scale companies who posted profits, still laid off employees. Berkshire Hathaway reported $56 billion in profits within the first six months of the pandemic, yet one of their subsidiaries laid off more than 13,000 workers. In that same time, CEOs from PayPal, Salesforce, and Cisco vowed not to lay anyone off, then soon backtracked. Between the three companies, 5,700 employees lost their jobs despite being assured of job security. Walmart has earned their spot on this list, too. While Walmart’s right hand was distributing more than $10 billion to its investors, its left hand was permanently laying off over 1,200 corporate office employees. Again, all these companies posted considerable profits during the shakiest financial market America has seen since WWII.

These are the stories companies won’t tell you when they want you to spend your money. Shiny products, groundbreaking services, dynamic HR policies…these are all wonderful and important. But just as important is how the company treats the employees letting them go, and why they let them go.

The world is watching.

A gutsy question…

When I’m coaching a client for an in-person job interview, I strongly encourage the candidate to ask, “May I have a tour of the office (or work site)?” It’s a gutsy question that enables the candidate to assess the work place and employees during the decision-making stage. It also gives the candidate a little extra face time with the interviewer to make a great impression. This question is intimidating to most candidates. You’ll stand out in a good way.

Flipping the Script…

Because of COVID-19, we all know that in-person interviews aren’t happening as much, while zoom interviews or remote interviews are booming. And so is the work! It’s projected that hundreds of thousands of jobs are transitioning to remote – something that was impossible to predict not that long ago. Because of this, it seems that employers have flipped the script. I’m hearing from job seekers and other coaches that employers are asking, during online interviews, to see the candidate’s home office. This means the employer expects, without warning, the candidate to turn their laptop around and literally give their potential employer a digital tour.

Most job seekers and career coaches in my network think this is horribly invasive. But is it really? I have a few thoughts on this subject.

A New Way of Thinking…

Every new thing in employment is awful, until it’s no longer new or awful. Here are few examples: I can’t tell you how many people I personally interacted with over the years who rejected LinkedIn until they simply couldn’t anymore. It’s undeniable that LinkedIn is an incredibly useful tool for job seekers and eschewing it means lost opportunities. On the employer side, there was a time that employers would have laughed at the notion of offering benefits beyond health insurance and a 401k. Today, employers pay for services such as on-site daycare; gyms; chefs; pet insurance; ID theft security services; genetic testing; fertility treatments; concert/event tickets and more. Why the change? ‘Vanity perks’ attract and retain talented employees. (Proven fact.) Employers have accepted and adjusted, albeit some more than others. Anything can be normalized if it happens enough, which is why I believe home office tours will become the norm during online interviews.

Who Owns the View?

During work hours, whose office is it? Is it yours, or your employer’s? In reality, it’s both. Because of that, doesn’t the employer have a right to ensure an appropriate environment for the work that’s to be done there? It’s acceptable that your employer requires an organized, tidy, and productive space. It’s unacceptable to require a specific design aesthetic.

Be Better Than Your Competition

The main reason I chose to explore this topic isn’t to deem it right or wrong. It’s merely to put the word out there. Candidates would be smart to prepare for this type of inspection. Before your next Zoom interview, tidy up your work area. Organize it and add a few touches that show a little personality. Create an area that you’re proud to show off, because you might have to do just that!

Save Some Time for Fun

I recently found a twitter page that has become one of my favorite guilty pleasures – Room Rater, or @RateMySkypeRoom. (Only look this up if you have time to spare. You’ve been warned.) The admins of the site scour the web for zoom/skype/remote interviews with politicians, celebrities and other VIPs. They score the interview subject’s background as the audience sees it on a scale from 1 to 10. And the politicians, celebrities and VIPs respond! Many of them, after getting a poor score (primarily for a lackluster background) will add a few touches and then respond as to when their next interview will be, so they can be re-rated. Most everyone takes it for what it is – a lot of fun and a much-needed diversion in an unusually tough time. There’s a good lesson here. Our new normal means that a lot of people will get a peek into our homes in a way that never happened before 2020. Take time to create a productive space that leaves a positive impression. It could mean all the difference in your job search. Cheers to a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2021!

To improve YOUR interview skills, contact us today at ResuMAYDAY.

Join me for this free employment webinar on Tuesday, 4/28 at 9:30AM (CST), hosted by the St. Charles Library (St. Charles, IL). If you saw me on WGN Morning News on 4/23, I’ll build off of the few tips I shared during that segment.

Our topics will include:
Suggestions for identifying your transferable  skills and then adding them to your resume.

What to do if you’re in an industry that has completely shut down (entertainment, hospitality, travel, etc…).

Other things to keep in mind when updating your resume, and other job search tips.

We’ll leave plenty of room for Q&A. Click HERE to access the library’s event page, with more details.

Hope to see you there! Let’s all turn ourselves into potatoes!