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The Interview

       The Desk went up to interview for another job the other day.
       It drove for an hour to the campus type place where they were looking for something labeled Assistant Foodservice Director. OK, fine. No problem. The posted job was well within the Desk's abilities, it was two pay grades above what it is now, and there were varied enough duties to at least be interesting.

       As the interview started, the panel asked all the right institutional type foodservice questions, and except for a couple of particulars about their on site operation that nobody would know unless they worked there, the Desk answered them.

       Then, forty-five minutes into the interview, the Boss dropped a Daisy-Cutter grade bomb.

       This position is much more than Production Supervisor, which was essentially what was posted.
       This bunch was looking for Saint George to lead them against a monstrosity they themselves had created.

       Part of the problem stems from the fact that for the last dozen or so years, employees have recommended, and the Administration has hired, everybody's relatives. The majority of the cooks and staff are all kin. Some of them are related to various Directors and Managers of the facility. Even the few unrelated people are so far into the 'good old home boy' network they might as well be cousins. They have had such free reign for so long they saw nothing wrong with threatening the last manager, calling off in mass sick outs, and even sabotaging meals, equipment, or even personal property if somebody torque's them off.

       Add to that heartwarming scenario the fact that for the last several months they have been averaging somewhere in the range of five hundred hours per month of overtime when their meal production count has dropped dramatically. Fewer clients to feed requires MORE man-hours? Go figure.

       Then try to figure out why that while that drop in meal count due to fewer people to feed has occurred, food usage has only declined slightly, and in a couple of cases, has either stayed the same or has gone up.

       Then consider as well that there is no existing paper trail as far as disciplinary action is concerned. Nobody has been written up for ages, no regular performance evaluations have taken place for a long time. The management team has tried to adjust the operating procedures, but nothing is final and, in fact, some of the changes may not even be permissible under various codes and regulations.

       As liaison, you will report to... well... almost everybody. You will be a State Employee, but you will answer to the Contracted Operator who manages the foodservice here. You will also answer to the Facility Director, the State Contract Manager, the Dietician, and...well... almost everybody.

       Couple this with an aging facility, lousy morale, multiple bosses, and no real clear battle plan for pulling it all off.

       PLUS, you will work ten to twelve hours a day, while being paid for eight. (Since you are management, no overtime for you.) Working Every Other Weekend Is Required. You are ON CALL. And we can assign other duties as we see fit.

       That and it is still going to be an Hour Drive into Rush Hour both ways.

       Guess what?

       Even if they offered the Desk this job... which it doubts... At maybe even Five pay grades above what it is making now, with a signing bonus and a State Car to drive... it wouldn't take it.

       Thank you.... No thank you.

       At least they didn't paint it all rosy colors and tell you about how great it was going to be. For that the Desk is grateful. Really... it is. Thank you.

       And, oh, by the way... This job has been vacant for over a year now.
              Nobody seems to want it.

       Oh Gee... Really.

selah

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