Friends In the Right Places

I'd really like to open the discussion about a very common problem in the workplace. I've had several jobs now, and in talking to friends and family, it seems that this issue is widespread and not exclusive to one professional field or area of expertise.


I am referring to when administrators, or other people in power, at a workplace hire folks who are their friends despite a lack of qualification or experience.

Of course, without an advocate on the "inside", securing employment can be a daunting process. I get it. It's something that has always been there. And it's not likely to ever go away. Also, I'd be lying if I said I never got a job with the help of a friend on the inside.

In fact, given the right potential and time to grow, an under-qualified new employee can often be pushed to work harder than the average candidate. They have more to prove. Sometimes this scenario can play out very well, so that both the employee and the employer benefit from taking the chance.

Other times, the risk is not appropriate to take. An example of one such scenario is the education system. Private and charter schools (especially charter schools) are becoming more and more popular across the country. The charter schools are held to many of the same regulations under the Department of Education, but do have some exceptions available that can be a recipe for disaster.

It's happening locally, and it is surely happening elsewhere. Our youth are being educated by under qualified, inexperienced teachers. These private and charter schools have regulatory boards that oversee the inner workings. If all is quiet, the state tends to fry bigger fish and the potential for danger is missed.

Some of these school administrators have hired department heads who are less competent than their underling staff. These "directors" hide behind a title and a convenient lack of classroom involvement. They are influencing the quality and direction of education for at-risk students and the parents are none the wiser. Nevertheless, your English Language Learner, your Special Education, and your otherwise special needs student is being disenfranchised by a system that has become more invested in the business of building resumes than it is about providing quality instruction and support.

It's a win-win scenario for all parties except the students. The school will now have someone who is deeply grateful for such an opportunity that they can be saddled with all kinds of tasks and responsibilities, appropriate to their skill set or not. The under-qualified employee is less likely to complain or speak out against unfair treatment because they are lucky to even be in that position. The school benefits by having a guaranteed workhorse at a rather dramatic cost savings, because they sure aren't going to offer compensation representative of the job title. They'll just offer ten percent more than the employee had been making previously, thus saving the school money that can now be used for other corrupt expenses.

It's happening. It's true. I wish I was just paranoid, but I know it to be true.

Schools are one of many situations that are at the mercy of similar back-door deals. It is infuriating that such corruption exists in our schools, and only ignorant to assume that this will not impact your child or the children of those you know. I urge anyone with school-age children to do their homework about the schools your children attend. Ask the uncomfortable questions about qualifications, degrees, experience. Your kids cannot advocate for themselves and trusting that the nice people at the local school have your child's best interest at heart may be an ill-advised stance.

There are many great schools and devoted educators. It is important to understand, though, that these devoted educators must play by the rules of their administration. Good intentions can only go so far when job security is such a real concern.

DK