Office Team News and Happenings.

What do you think -- is this company going to survive and thrive? Are they looking to expand their staff, or do you think layoffs are inevitable?

How does Office Team stack up against the competition?

Each arm of the company that is widely known as Robert Half Inc. must become more service-oriented, both toward the individual applicant, and client. Overall, the company has been very good about calling me on low-paying jobs and jobs that are ill-suited to my skills and experience, but then it's also understanding when I have to reschedule an interview for one that's a better fit and has actual "direct-hire" potential.
There's a glut of staffing agencies filling an overburdened market, and many are now doing it more cheaply, or willing to hire visa-holding applicants who will work for pennies on the dollar in order to secure a client. I don't know if this is a sign of the times, but it's clearly indicative of a systemic problem with our economy and labor market: That experienced, skilled workers are outsourced, laid-off, and/or let go to make way for cheaper, less qualified applicants with no experience. Don't get too comfy in that cushy job of yours! There is truly no such thing as employment security, no matter how good you are at your job. There's always some putz one rung above you who got there by telling the big bosses that your job could be done more cheaply without you. With outsourcing, temp agencies, work force labor market degradation, it's only a matter of time before you're shown the door.

Susan Parranin Hampstead, New Hampshire said: Each arm of the company that is widely known as Robert Half Inc. must become more service-oriented, both toward the individual applicant, and client. Overall, the company has been very good about calling me on low-paying jobs and jobs that are ill-suited to my skills and experience, but then it's also understanding when I have to reschedule an interview for one that's a better fit and has actual "direct-hire" potential.
There's a glut of staffing agencies filling an overburdened market, and many are now doing it more cheaply, or willing to hire visa-holding applicants who will work for pennies on the dollar in order to secure a client. I don't know if this is a sign of the times, but it's clearly indicative of a systemic problem with our economy and labor market: That experienced, skilled workers are outsourced, laid-off, and/or let go to make way for cheaper, less qualified applicants with no experience. Don't get too comfy in that cushy job of yours! There is truly no such thing as employment security, no matter how good you are at your job. There's always some putz one rung above you who got there by telling the big bosses that your job could be done more cheaply without you. With outsourcing, temp agencies, work force labor market degradation, it's only a matter of time before you're shown the door.

Wow. That's bitter. But a depresssingly accurate picture of the state into which we have descended. There's nothing really to add, or even to do about it, really. I'm sure there must be a Kurt Vonnegut quote out there that's appropo. Anybody got one?

I agree with

Woops. I agree with Susan! While I feel she skirted the question about OfficeTeam, her comment reaches farther and addresses the issue that's at the heart of our economic downfall: Bad business practices: Feeding short term needs at the expense of long-term success.

Three friends of mine were laid off within weeks of each other in December. I was laid-off a week ago - outsourcing!

Families are losing livelihoods, and yet we're told to keep spending in order to keep the economy strong - what a LAUGH! Bottom line: Why should we spend what money we have left to keep our foreign competion afloat? And look at the products they give us in return: substandard and poisonous; their manufacturing methods bad for the environment, and their human-rights records a horror? Why should we continue to feed a corrupt system? I say stop spending altogether! Lets go back to the neighborhood monetary systems and agricultural societies of a hundred years ago - where everyone knew where their products came from and how they were made; knew their dollars were supporting a nextdoor neighbor, and not some backward regime. Charity begins at home.

Claudia mentioned that Susan's comment sounded bitter. Shouldn't it? Shouldn't we all be bitter? Afterall, we've been swallowing a bitter pill for too long. Spot-on commentary, Susan!