Question about office management

[Anglewannabe]

I have another thread where I posted about an issue I have with a co-worker.

However, I have a different question and I did not want to derail my own thread

Me and 2 other people were hired for a six month contract. We were told ‘after the 6 months are up, we will definitely be hiring 1 of you full time and depending on company growth, there is a possibility of making another position full time but there is no guarantee there will be another position’

I was talking to a friend today, and she said ‘Well that is not good management, they never should have told you that’

So I am wondering what others think? Is it really that wrong what they told us?

Angie

 

[1ke]

I’m not really sure what your friend thinks is “wrong” with a contractor being told about the possibility of one and possibly two full time positions becoming available at the end of their contract period.

I do question why anyone would say at the beginning that they will “definitely” hire one of you, because as a boss I would want to leave my options open. I wouldn’t *guarantee *anything to anyone for several reasons:

• not having seen the work product of any of the contractors, I would reserve judgment on hiring ANY of them
• not being able to predict growth or future budget numbers, I would not want to give misinformation or set up expectations I couldn’t meet
• not wanting to run into trouble with employment law, I would not keep someone I intend to hire full time for the same job in contractor status 6 months
• not wanting an unhealthy work environment, I would not set three people up in competition with each other for 6 months in hopes of getting 1 position

 

[Xantippe]

It does sound a lot like the “First prize is a car, second prize is a set of steak knives, third prize is you’re fired,” speech that Alec Baldwin gives to three low-performing salespeople in Glengarry Glenn Ross.

I agree with your friend that phrasing it that way was not a good way to get you guys to work effectively with each other.

 

[Anglewannabe]

I’m not really sure what your friend thinks is “wrong” with a contractor being told about the possibility of one and possibly two full time positions becoming available at the end of their contract period.

I do question why anyone would say at the beginning that they will “definitely” hire one of you, because as a boss I would want to leave my options open. I wouldn’t *guarantee *anything to anyone for several reasons:

• not having seen the work product of any of the contractors, I would reserve judgment on hiring ANY of them
• not being able to predict growth or future budget numbers, I would not want to give misinformation or set up expectations I couldn’t meet
• not wanting to run into trouble with employment law, I would not keep someone I intend to hire full time for the same job in contractor status 6 months
• not wanting an unhealthy work environment, I would not set three people up in competition with each other for 6 months in hopes of getting 1 position

I suspect the reasons you mention are why my friend thinks it was bad management

 

[Catholic1954]

I have another thread where I posted about an issue I have with a co-worker.

However, I have a different question and I did not want to derail my own thread

Me and 2 other people were hired for a six month contract. We were told ‘after the 6 months are up, we will definitely be hiring 1 of you full time and depending on company growth, there is a possibility of making another position full time but there is no guarantee there will be another position’

I was talking to a friend today, and she said ‘Well that is not good management, they never should have told you that’

So I am wondering what others think? Is it really that wrong what they told us?

Angie

They probably told you that hoping that it would inspire both of you to work harder in hopes of being the one selected; however, it doesn’t do much for teamwork.

 

[Anglewannabe]

I agree with your friend that phrasing it that way was not a good way to get you guys to work effectively with each other.

Oddly enough, we have managed to get the job as a team quite well given we were told straight from the beginning only one would get the job. I think that speaks volumes about the three of us.

 

[oldgraymare2]

Hi Angelwannabe,

Personally, I don’t think that it is that unusual to be told any of this kind of information when you are working under a contract, or even a temporary kind of job.

Your boss may simply be passing along information from their boss, too, regarding the other position possibly opening up or not.

Did you actually sign a contract, or receive a letter of employment when you started working at this company? If you did, it should probably state somewhere in this letter/information that they are under no obligation to hire you either, when your six months of employment is up with them.