Jack Smythe, branch manager for a large computer manufacturer, had been told by his marketing manager, Linda Sprague, that Otis Brown had just given two weeks’ notice. When Jack had interviewed Otis, he had been convinced of his tremendous potential in sales. Otis was bright and personable, an MIT honors graduate in electrical engineering who had the qualifications the company looked for in computer sales. Now he was leaving after only two months with the company. Jack called Otis into his office for an exit interview.
Jack: Come in, Otis, I really want to talk to you. I hope I can change your mind about leaving.
Otis: I don’t think so.
Jack: Well, tell me why you want to go. Has some other company offered you more money? Otis: No. In fact, I don’t have another job; I’m just starting to look. Jack: You’ve given us notice without having another job?
Otis: Well, I just don’t think this is the place for me! Jack: What do you mean?
Otis: Let me see if I can explain. On my first day at work, I was told that formal classroom training in computers would not begin for a month. I was given a sales manual and told to read and study it for the rest of the day.
The next day, I was told that the technical library, where all the manuals on computers are kept, was in a mess and needed to be organized. That was to be my responsibility for the next three weeks. The day before I was to begin computer school, my boss told me that the course had been delayed for another month. He said not to worry, however, because he was going to have James Crane, the branch’s leading salesperson, give me some on-the-job training. I was told to accompany James on his calls. I’m supposed to start the school in two weeks, but I’ve just made up my mind that this place is not for me. Jack: Hold on a minute, Otis. That’s the way it is for everyone in the first couple of months of employment in our industry. Any place you go will be the same. In fact, you had it better than I did. You should have seen what I did in my first couple of months.
Question
1. What do you think about the philosophy of this company pertaining to a new employee’s first few weeks on the job?
2. What suggestions do you have for Jack to help his company avoid similar problems of employee turnover in the future?