New Yawkahs are a resilient bunch; very few things are a cause to stop and pause.
This article about a new job layoff reality show on Fox stopped me cold. Not much can – not the bad behaviors of recruiters and hiring manager, not the incredibly dumb things job seekers do to puncture their feet.
But a reality show “…where companies must decide whether to fire an employee” is off the charts, bat-shit crazy.
It’s hard enough that jobseekers have to be told that if they’re unemployed then they shouldn’t considering applying; those who are deemed too old, are also met with a wall of hiring bias (and I’ll also strongly acknowledge the employment challenges of our younger generations).
Now we must ready ourselves for the reality show equivalent of a corporate Weakest Link-Biggest Loser where a “dysfunctional company will task employees with deciding whether to dismiss one of their own.” Yes – you read that correctly: We’re going to see HR 360 Live in Pink-Slip Technicolor with nary a hint of training.
Where Undercover Boss is all goodwill and puppy dogs, this ridiculous reality rumpus is, as one writer put it, just another step towards televised executions. Darn – forgot to tell you that the concept was originally pitched in 2009 and a pilot was filmed. Somehow the idea was mothballed but it’s clear that the moths are flying once again. Do we really need another reality show equivalent of stopping one’s car at the scene of a traffic accident to see if someone is hurt?
I can’t help but wonder if the head of HR for Fox’s parent company, News Corp, was consulted – or even told about the concept (I know him). Somehow I doubt it…
So I’ll leave you with a final question that I’m hoping some of you will answer:
Do you think the News Corp and Fox employment brands might be impacted by the show?
Rhetorically yours,
sml
The Recruiting Inferno 
IMHO, this is very disturbing. It’s bad enough to know it and see it everyday happening to people I know and respect. I have no interest in seeing it now in high-def. I will pass.
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This is why I don’t watch “reality TV”
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@Keith yet I’ll bet you a cup of coffee that if this show picks up positive or negative speed you’re going to be talking about it. And it might make for a nice topic on #tchat – Have Companies Simply Gone Bat-Shit Crazy?
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Steve I am a master of the rhetorical answer: the answer to an unasked question or the answer to a question to which no answer is required. But this one stumps me.
Only the very stupid would believe that reality TV is not really reality but is scripted. Since stupidity abounds, this will probably not harm the employment brands of those companies for two reasons. First it will attract the gullible who will tune in and buy the concept hook line and sinker as well as the products advertised. Money talks. More importantly, I don’t think News Corp and Fox want to employ the kind of people who would fall for this crap in the first place.
The danger is that it reinforces the stereotypes that already make it difficult for those responsible for talent acquisition and people management to make a difference. The key word you used is “dysfunctional” but I wonder how many will recognize that this is not normal.
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@Cyndy but I’m sure interested – as I know are you – in how this thing will play out in the court of public HR
@Tom for certain there’s a “Newman Show” element to all reality shows; other than “Survivorman” it can’t really be reality when there are cameras and off-screen handlers everywhere. As far as brand impingement, it’s up to the public – but I’d sure like to see a question pertaining to the show asked at a Presidential debate.
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Pink slips in HD? What possible good can come from this? I’ll pass (just like I do on all “non-scripted”, drama-filled television).
Next, we’ll have a reality show called “I Want a Divorce”.
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@YouTernMark the mere fact that someone in a leadership function has given their thumbs up to such a concept speaks a great deal towards the lack of societal awareness and the amount of cultural crass that pings inside the walls of a major global corporation. First Rupert hacks into cell phones and now this.
As I first read in Jack Stack’s “The Great Game of Business”, shit rolls downhill…
Mark, as someone who in part is coaching college students on what it takes to be great professionals, how does something like this impact your message?
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Great question, Steve. And great point about leadership; I suppose that goes directly to ethics and our desire to serve as role models and leaders by example.
I tend to think of the positive… that there is something to be learned from every experience, good or bad. This is the approach we at YouTern take with our coaching/mentoring. However, I can’t imagine anything positive will come from this show. I hope they prove me/us wrong.
Another important message we deliver to young professionals: “Focus on what is important; avoid trolls, divas and drama at all costs.” This show — even the concept of this show — clearly falls into this category.
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“Avoid trolls, divas and drama at all costs” – great advice; applies in life as well. But I wonder if the younger Gens who are prone to doing most everything publicly (AKA life on Facebook) will see the negative gravity of a show like this? Trolls, divas and drama often results in a following that seems to appeal to far too many.
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Unfortunately, no, this will not impact News Corp or Fox. Television (for the most part) is a train wreck after train wreck, followed by a 10 car pile-up. Honey Boo Boo, Snoop Dog’s Fatherhood, Wife Swap, Flavor of Love, etc. However, when you look at what is getting ratings and what this show will be offering, I wonder if it will actually entertain the average viewer. I keep thinking of the movie “The Gladiator” when you mention “another step towards televised executions.” Are you not entertained?
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Steve- Great post! This will not impact News Corp anymore than reality tv has hurt any of the other major networks. While I have indulged at times in reality tv- this one is quite ridiculous. Unfortunately, the drama around us is not enough to keep everyone going. We want to see cruelty, despair and other undesirable scenarios live and in living color on t.v.
Not sure if you are aware of the other reality show that is going on. It is called “Top Recruiter” another hot mess of a show. Check it out: http://toprecruiter.tv/
I knew our job got interesting at times, but I never thought it was t.v. worthy.
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Thx Janine – oh I know about Toprecruiter; no interest… #BackStory
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