Signs of a Dysfunctional Workplace
Dear Deb:
I went to a job interview for a customer service supervisor position. It is a sales office in which I would oversee 6 customer service reps who support the clients of 6 sales reps. I was interviewed by the branch manager and the 3 sales reps. One rep asked me how old I was and that I looked too young to be able to handle a management job. The next person chimed in that I “look too sweet to be tough” and “these gals need to be kept in line.” Back to the first rep who said, “If these gals screw up, that’s my commission!” The manager said, “Hey guys, come on give her a chance to answer.”
I gave examples of my past experience managing people and felt like I proved myself during the interview. I just got the call for the second interview. Here’s my issue. I think this is a really dysfunctional and sexist office in which the all-male sales reps treat these all-female service reps like their “gals” that need to be kept in line. Am I overreacting? Or, is this a red flag?
Thanks,
Judith
Dear Judith:
It may be a red flag that this is an environment in which you may not be happy. The fact that two of the six reps interviewing you felt comfortable enough to say that to you – and in front of the manager is not a good sign.
Here’s my advice. Take the second interview and ask if you can sit in the office and watch operations for a couple of hours. Observe the interactions. Also, in your second interview ask the manager to define the reporting structure between the service reps, you, and the sales reps. Lastly, mention to the manager that you were surprised by the comments by the sales team. Ask if there is an issue in the office with the dynamics between the sales and service staff. If the manager acknowledges an issue, maybe this is an issue the two of you can work on together. If the manager did not recognize those comments as a problem, it is definitely a red flag that this is the established culture and it is not likely to change.
Good luck, Judith!
If you have a question for Deb, please email debra@careersdonewrite.com. The Ask Deb column appears every Friday on our blog at the Careers Done Write website.