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I watch Undercover Boss whenever I can. I like how owners and CEO's. often discover people that keep their companies successful that they never knew about and see problems that companies have ignored. They see what the management team wants them to see.
I hope it is a legit show, not just a "made for TV" kind of thing. I like the concept and I know from years of working in various companies that management often doesn't see what is in plain sight. I think this is something that most owners and executives could do, with some effort.
Does anyone have "inside knowledge" about the show or have you seen some version of it in your workplace? The closest I saw to it was a person from corporate coming for a day or 2 to sit with a rank & file person to see what they did every day. Thing is, that person's phone calls were redirected during that time, all needed files were usually already pulled, messy cases reassigned, etc. The visitor got a totally sanitized experience. Value: zip, zilch and zero.
I didn't know that show was still on. Thought it was interesting but the gimmicky costumes they used were, silly. I think quite a few got figured out.
Never seen that in real world. In most cases it's like you said -- they get a sanitized, everything is puppies and roses, view of things. I've often wish I could be the VIP visitor and go off the tour plan. Let's see what's behind this door kind of thing.
I watch Undercover Boss whenever I can. I like how owners and CEO's. often discover people that keep their companies successful that they never knew about and see problems that companies have ignored. They see what the management team wants them to see.
I hope it is a legit show, not just a "made for TV" kind of thing. I like the concept and I know from years of working in various companies that management often doesn't see what is in plain sight. I think this is something that most owners and executives could do, with some effort.
Does anyone have "inside knowledge" about the show or have you seen some version of it in your workplace? The closest I saw to it was a person from corporate coming for a day or 2 to sit with a rank & file person to see what they did every day. Thing is, that person's phone calls were redirected during that time, all needed files were usually already pulled, messy cases reassigned, etc. The visitor got a totally sanitized experience. Value: zip, zilch and zero.
I googled to see if it's scripted or not, it doesn't seem like anyone knows.
The show has been on since 2010. You'd think that most people have heard about it. It makes you wonder how someone would be told they have a new employee for one day, who happens to have a film crew with them, you have to show him the ropes and tell him something that changed your life or some how impacted it. The new person was doing a show about working new jobs which is why there is a camera crew.
I watched it many years ago, thought it was a decent show. I don't see how they can continue the show after all of these years.
The first couple of years I thought it was somewhat genuine. Then after a while it became very formula. Funny how every "coworker" had a sob story to tell. While everyone has a story or some pain/problem somewhere in their past, it was just funny how these particular coworkers needed money/car/house/something very specific and got it. Like no one ever lived a normal life satisfied with what they have the way most of the people I've known do.
And what about the other workers in that company? Did anything improve for them? Higher wages? Better working conditions? Don't they have problems too? Or just the lucky ones chosen to be on camera?
I quit watching after one particularly egregious show where the owner of a company that made sound systems tricked the employees in question then screwed them over after the cameras left. He found out employees were leaving for a better job and so convinced them to stay on camera with offers of higher pay, and promotion, and such. Made himself look like a nice guy. Then a few weeks after the cameras left, laid them off.
I didn't know that show was still on. Thought it was interesting but the gimmicky costumes they used were, silly. I think quite a few got figured out.
Never seen that in real world. In most cases it's like you said -- they get a sanitized, everything is puppies and roses, view of things. I've often wish I could be the VIP visitor and go off the tour plan. Let's see what's behind this door kind of thing.
Haha, open that door in our office & a huge stack of mail & files would fall out.
The one corporate office where I worked, we once used lots of temps from all the major temp companies at the time. Manpower, Western, Kelly, Olsten and a few others. The best subtle way in would be to sign on with one of those firms and ask to be assigned there when possible. May not happen overnight but it would probably get you there. We had so many people coming and going, you wouldn't be noticed. Rank & file people wouldn't know you from Adam. The VP's and some managers would know your face from corporate literature, so you might have to disguise a bit. Dying hair would probably do it. Beards would usually be too noticeable, most men were clean shaven there. Mustache would be OK. A woman could die her hair, cut it short, different style, etc. Have a good cover story; you've just moved from another state, your last company closed or downsized, etc. Match the lingo and grammar of the folks you work with, show common sense but not any specialized knowledge they don't generally have. That would be a dead giveaway. Do good work but slip up here and there in small ways, like you're learning the system, which you may already know or may not.
The first couple of years I thought it was somewhat genuine. Then after a while it became very formula. Funny how every "coworker" had a sob story to tell. While everyone has a story or some pain/problem somewhere in their past, it was just funny how these particular coworkers needed money/car/house/something very specific and got it. Like no one ever lived a normal life satisfied with what they have the way most of the people I've known do.
Many people working those lower wage and staff jobs have a so-called "sob" story to tell if you get to know them a little. It is unlikely to meet someone who is working stocking shelves in a grocery store who comes across as satisfied like those working jobs making a good wage with decent benefits. That's the point of the show, to show these people are not just employees. They are people and everyone has some sort of struggle. Maybe they won't share that with you, but that's the job of the producers on the show to get them to talk about it. Another reason not to give people who interface with the public a hard time, because some of them are just barely keeping it together.
I watch Undercover Boss whenever I can. I like how owners and CEO's. often discover people that keep their companies successful that they never knew about and see problems that companies have ignored. They see what the management team wants them to see.
Many corporate environments as based on agreeing with upper management and not presenting them with problems, because it makes the lower ranks come across like they are always complaining and can't handle their job. So they omit problems to upper management. But this is the fault of the upper management that creates an atmosphere where they only want to be told good news. Many times in company meetings where someone in upper management wants to implement a terrible idea, but people just show support for it, but privately talk about it being a disaster. In that TV show, the CEOs who have discovered seemingly for the first time there are serious problems at the lower levels they didn't know about, that's all on them. They created and managed an environment where complaints are not welcome or taken seriously to be corrected. And they don't look to improve those situations because they are focused on other things.
Many corporate environments as based on agreeing with upper management and not presenting them with problems, because it makes the lower ranks come across like they are always complaining and can't handle their job. So they omit problems to upper management. But this is the fault of the upper management that creates an atmosphere where they only want to be told good news. Many times in company meetings where someone in upper management wants to implement a terrible idea, but people just show support for it, but privately talk about it being a disaster. In that TV show, the CEOs who have discovered seemingly for the first time there are serious problems at the lower levels they didn't know about, that's all on them. They created and managed an environment where complaints are not welcome or taken seriously to be corrected. And they don't look to improve those situations because they are focused on other things.
Did we work in the same place? You know the scene well.
Many people working those lower wage and staff jobs have a so-called "sob" story to tell if you get to know them a little. It is unlikely to meet someone who is working stocking shelves in a grocery store who comes across as satisfied like those working jobs making a good wage with decent benefits. That's the point of the show, to show these people are not just employees. They are people and everyone has some sort of struggle. Maybe they won't share that with you, but that's the job of the producers on the show to get them to talk about it. Another reason not to give people who interface with the public a hard time, because some of them are just barely keeping it together.
But the whole 'feel good' schtick about improving the life of that ONE employee the show focuses on is a crock. It makes for good PR but it doesn't do squat for actually improving anything at the workplace. I watched this show off and on for a while but had to quit because the self congratulatory back pats of the 'bosses' just got to be too much for me. The whole "look what a good guy I am, I really care" pack of lies while the other employees still get left in the same old cesspool.
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