I am really in the mood to write today, but have been struggling with choosing a topic. I was thinking about my job search and how unprofessional companies have become over the last few years. Then I was thinking about my oldest who was just fired from her job because her boss found out she had been accepted by Americorp for a year of service and they tried to make her quit now instead of in October (when her service starts) - some very slimy biz stuff going on there. Then I was playing around with the idea of writing a book about what NOT to do in business - things I have learned along the way. I thought I could play around with a few topics from that much too long list of lessons learned!

So, what will it be? I think today I will take a peek at the way companies treat people these days. (I know, that line just made me sound old - 'kids these days...') I have never considered myself an old fashioned gal or someone who gets too caught up in formalities - but I am professional and polite and like to think that I act that way in my work life. Something has happened in business over the last few years. People have forgotten their manners and basic courtesies.

When did we stop notifying candidates that they did not get the job after an interview? When did we not reply to a direct email asking for information that we were told we would receive? When did companies stop giving a #@! about people? When did companies start intimidating young employees and trying to take advantage of them?
Does anyone care about doing the right thing anymore? Are we really that busy? That cold? Are we afraid of something?

I'm not going to go on and on here. I just want to encourage everyone to stop for a moment and think about that person on the other side - the one being interviewed or going through a performance evaluation or phoning you with a question. Think about how you would want to be treated if you were on the other side. Do you deserve a reply? An update? An explanation? It only takes a few minutes and it can make a big difference to someone. It should make you feel good too - doing the right thing always does. Let's get back to a little professional courtesy - you never know when you will meet that person again!