| Let's face it - while we go to work to WORK, no | | | | to be a significant difference of opinion on what |
| one is expected to keep their head down the entire | | | | "people oriented" means, depending on who you ask: |
| time they're at the office, not speak to anyone else, | | | | senior management, staff, customers, or other |
| and forego the occasional cigarette break if they're a | | | | businesses with whom they interact; depending on |
| smoker. Yet companies expect, and have a right to | | | | whether they like their job; depending on what kind |
| expect, productivity out of their employees - that's | | | | of day they're having.....or depending on if they have |
| why they're paying you! | | | | to put on a face to interview you. |
| No talking or socializing at all is one extreme, while | | | | You've probably had a boss or a co-worker who has |
| the other one is that you can talk to whomever you | | | | considered himself people oriented, yet perhaps the |
| want, whenever you want, about whatever you | | | | person is rather aloof. Maybe you've had a boss who |
| want, even if you never quite manage to make it to | | | | moves through the halls waving a cheery hello to his |
| your desk until 11:00 a.m. Both examples are equally | | | | employees, but when you go looking for him, he's |
| unrealistic! | | | | never available -- or you've worked for a company |
| So first we have the entire gray area in between | | | | that rarely promotes from the inside, but it's because |
| those two, and that's just during office time. Some | | | | they want "new blood" in the organization. |
| companies have outside-the-office events or | | | | Or the CEO who is jovial with his employees, knows |
| activities in which to participate - and of those, | | | | everyone by name, but through policies and |
| companies will differ in their definition of voluntary | | | | procedures, makes life miserable for those who work |
| and mandatory, depending on the company and the | | | | there. One of my previous bosses at one of the |
| event. | | | | recruiting firms for which I worked was a happy, |
| Then you take into account management styles; the | | | | friendly guy with a great sense of humor. And then |
| self perception of an individual - erroneous or | | | | he started messing with our commission checks. |
| otherwise; a company's philosophy and style, which in | | | | Each of these individuals might claim to be people |
| small to medium companies is usually pervasive of the | | | | oriented, but in reality, what might seem to that |
| CEO; or in a large company, the varying philosophies | | | | person as people oriented, looks to others like a lack |
| of Vice Presidents or personality characteristics of | | | | of awareness and unwillingness to look inwardly at |
| different functions (accounting vs. sales) which can | | | | the truth. |
| result in multiple departments each with a different | | | | So what do you mean by "people oriented"? |
| personality. | | | | - do you want a company that promotes from |
| You begin to see the various influences that define | | | | within? |
| "people oriented." | | | | - doesn't frown on gathering at the water cooler? |
| The phrase is generally used to convey something | | | | - a company that has routine company parties and |
| vaguely like a company where everyone is pleasant | | | | other office-wide gatherings? |
| and happy and people smile at each other when they | | | | - one where management makes a practice of being |
| pass in the halls. It's fun to work there, everyone | | | | accessible? |
| likes their job, and each employee is treated well and | | | | - customers are of paramount importance both in |
| fairly. Know any companies like that? | | | | philosophy and actuality? |
| "People oriented" is another ambiguous phrase that | | | | - a company that is involved in its community and |
| needs defining to make sure your definition is the | | | | requires each employee to join or participate in a |
| same as the company's definition - and that you can | | | | specific event once or twice each year? |
| spot a difference if there is one. | | | | When you take the time to look closer at what this |
| But additionally, saying you want a "people oriented" | | | | phrase means to you, you'll discover that some |
| company assumes, by contrast, that there are | | | | aspects of being "people-oriented" are more |
| companies which are NOT people oriented. | | | | important to you than others. A company that |
| What does a company that is NOT people oriented | | | | requires silence in its halls but has employee softball |
| behave like? Is there such a thing? Probably, yes. But | | | | games is not the same "people oriented" as a |
| do they know it? High turnover is usually a clue, but | | | | company that permits casual chit chat of the |
| an amazing number of companies never identify that | | | | employees in the hallways and visiting in cubicles, but |
| as a problem, much less one worth looking at. | | | | doesn't have a company Christmas party. |
| Most companies consider themselves people oriented. | | | | Knowing what you mean by this phrase gives you |
| Most PEOPLE consider themselves "people oriented"! | | | | the power to discover if the company's definition is |
| So in many of those same companies, there's likely | | | | the same as yours. |