A friend asked me to review a PowerPoint presentation he created for a potential employer. The person asked him to “present a plan” on how he would grow the department…and maybe they would use it and hire him. He’s been through this before and never gets an offer.
Does he create bad plans? Are his presentation skills poor? Does he not have expertise?
NO!
Unfortunately, some companies use these opportunities to find out information and get leads. They don’t intend on hiring the people at all – unless they are walking in the door with a big contract deal.
And so, once again, my friend is faced with this situation. He made the comment:
“I don’t know why I’m even doing this, he’s just going to use me.”
I’m not saying that everyone that presents an idea should be rewarded, but I am saying that there are good ways to “use” people and there are bad ways.
Have you rewarded someone that has shared something with you? A lunch on you? Public kudos? Actual money? More projects? A referral to someone else?
If not, maybe now is the time. In the recession the goods seem to becoming greater and the bads, in this case, become bandits. Where I live, that is called “beltway bandit.” Bad news travels fast around beltways.
Best to behave well and reward openly.
