I was beside myself with raised eyebrows and ‘wow’ wandering for space in my cheeks. One question after the other, the interview came to an end in about 25 to 30 minutes. By that time, I had already formed my impressions about her and I couldn’t wait to get out of there gasping for some fresh air. My observations would later turn out true. I’ll be quick to add that I wasn’t intimidated by her mean demeanour neither did I fail the interview.
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Dear employers, we know we’re replaceable & jobs are indeed hard to come by (Pulse Contributor)
“Who is Jacqueline?” Slowly raising my hand, I responded, I am, please. Looking in my direction she said, follow me. I stood up and walked behind her into a conference room and while with one foot still out and before anything else, she blurted, shut my door. I froze for a second and proceeded to shut ‘her’ door wondering why she had frowned. I remained standing until she whispered through her nostrils that I should sit.
Nigeria’s job crisis is far worse than what the unemployment rate shows — World Bank report
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We were three ladies who had applied for the position but somehow, I was confident I would make the cut. I did.
When I received the call notifying me of my appointment, I wasn’t excited. I dreaded leaving my workplace at the time, a good boss with good benefits, and an environment I looked forward to going to each day. Who doesn’t want any of these benefits? The only difference was this new offer was giving me a shot to garner professional experience in another field. So, I accepted the offer regardless.
However, after two weeks at my new job, I was ready to resign. I sent in my letter and she was disappointed and requested a meeting. At the meeting, I met a different personality than what I had encountered in the past few days. What changed?
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She asked me why the sudden decision and I laid down all my concerns without mincing my words. I can’t work in a hostile environment, her disrespect towards us, (staff) verbal abuse, and sheer disregard for people including me. It felt as if I was walking on eggshells at work and it affected my productivity. At the end of the meeting, she appealed to me to stay because she was already impressed with my work and try to disregard her attitude. She admitted she could be rough sometimes so I should manage. Yes, manage.
Meanwhile, my former boss was waiting to accept me back with open arms.
To some people, this may be the pettiest reason ever to resign from a job, that’s ok.
I’ve been to several interviews where candidates are treated with so much regard as the human beings we are. And I’ve been to some places where candidates are disrespected and looked down on.
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The idea that jobs are hard to come by and so people will settle for anything thrown at them is what motivates some business owners and heads of institutions to treat job seekers as pieces of worthless things and you’re expected to ‘manage’ or be emotionally intelligent.
While acknowledging that, embracing the nuances of human emotion in the workplace can have pragmatic benefits, such as better collaboration among employees and building a happier workplace, it is also imperative to ensure that, people at work are looked after.
We leave our emotions at the door when work begins and this has devastating effects not only on businesses but also on employees from the cleaner to the CEO.
Inasmuch as employees and prospective employees should take time in self-assessment to become better at managing their emotions, i.e listening to and accepting constructive criticism, resolving conflicts, or making better decisions, employers shouldn’t also make excuses for their shortcomings in managing people. Thomas Carlyle once said, “A great man shows his greatness by the way he treats little men.”
Dear Employers, we know we are replaceable and jobs are indeed hard to come by. We are desperate and would do anything to get or stay employed even if we are mistreated and unappreciated but please be nice. Thank you.
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Contributor: Jackie Hanson
Pulse Contributors is an initiative to highlight diverse journalistic voices. Pulse Contributors do not represent the company Pulse and contribute on their own behalf.
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