marissam
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Post by marissam on Jun 8, 2015 23:14:18 GMT -5
Long time lurker. I'm a relatively new program manager, with one year of experience, at a small non profit (approximately 30 employees). We recently interviewed a candidate for the program evaluation position. Executive Director (ED) interviewed the candidate alone for the first interview. Second interview was with ED, myself, and another program manager. Candidate's background is process improvement. During the second interview, candidate called her current colleagues "high maintenance" and boasted that she knew how to manage them because she had worked with people who were mentally ill for two years. She said that she quit one job after her employer declined to go forward with her recommendations (she openly shared that her recommendation benefited her more than the company). ED had shared with candidate during the first interview that the organization was frustrated with the current database and was looking at other alternatives. Candidate started talking extensively about building a database in Excel and when she was invited to ask questions, 95% of her questions were database focus. Keep in mind that this all occurred during the second interview. ED does not use the database and only has a basic understanding of our database needs, candidate is not familiar with the database the organization is using, does not know the organization, programs, or the population that the organization serves. And lastly, the position she is applying for is program evaluator, not database administrator. ED's impression of candidate: fearless, go getter, not afraid to jump in, and excel and database guru. My impression of candidate: unprofessional, arrogant, pushy, and overconfident. Not a good fit for the agency. Out of all the candidates we interviewed, this was the only candidate that I disliked. So ED offers her a job on the spot, at end the second interview. No background check. No reference check. Nothing. I was like WTF !!! :oThis whole experience is making me question the ED's judgment. Now she's my colleague. I'm trying to be professional but I'm really having a difficult time working with her. This is the only colleague I've disliked. Most of my colleagues, I either like them personally or am indifferent but can work along with them. Her first week, she offered suggestions that don't work (likely because she has no experience with small non profits) or contradicts commonly accepted business practices. And she continued to push the idea of building a database in Excel (none of the managers believe this will work as our current database is a relational database, plus I'm not sure where she will find the time to build this database). At this point, I'm starting to question if she even knows what she's talking about. I've gone out of my way to help her transition into this role (sent her document, files, forms, etc). I've tried to keep her in the communication loop (ED is disorganized and not great at communicating to her managers). The more I work with her, the more I find that I just don't like her. She's been with my organization a week and a half. Most likely, it's a combination of personality conflict, her approach, difference in work style, communication style (she tends to assume alot instead of ask questions), and her annoying high pitch laugh. I originally found her voice grating, but now i can usually ignore it so I call that progress. Has anyone in a similar situation approached the annoying coworker? Or their supervisor? Or is my only alternative to look for a new job?
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mmhmm
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Post by mmhmm on Jun 8, 2015 23:22:07 GMT -5
Welcome out of "lurkdom", marissam! Sounds like you've got a real PITA on your hands. She may mellow a bit with a little time. Sometimes, people come into a new job at full charge, wanting to prove themselves. Once they find out they don't know half as much as they thought they new since this is a different venue than that from which they came, they'll calm down and focus on learning instead of telling. Then, again, there are those who don't. Do you have any feelings about what others who are interfacing with this individual are thinking? It's more difficult, to me, when there are external irritations (like tone of voice, loud, shrill laugh, etc.), to hone in on what work-related matters might be bothering me. I've got to tune out the externals first. That's when others' opinions can help me sort the wheat from the chaff, so to speak.
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Tennesseer
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Post by Tennesseer on Jun 8, 2015 23:35:51 GMT -5
"During the second interview, candidate called her current colleagues "high maintenance" and boasted that she knew how to manage them because she had worked with people who were mentally ill for two years. She said that she quit one job after her employer declined to go forward with her recommendations (she openly shared that her recommendation benefited her more than the company)."
You, your boss, and your co-woerkers are now her "current colleagues. What she said about her previous colleagues will be said about all of you within a year. I expect she probably will not get along with a number of co-workers and superiors. She will be gone within 12 months and trashing you all.
As a hiring manager, I would not have hired her after what she said in her second interview. Bad form on her part trashing her current employer (at the time of the interview).
Keep your head down until she's gone.
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Shooby
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Post by Shooby on Jun 9, 2015 5:33:27 GMT -5
You don't have to like the people you work with. It helps and it is nice when you do but in reality, but you won't always. So, take this as a learning experience. Focus on why you are there. Which is to do YOUR job. Keep your nose to your grindstone. And, just treat her the way you treat any other colleague and interact with her professionally. You can be polite and cordial and keep it focused on work. And, you dont' need to go out of your way to help her do anything unless that is your job to do so.
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marvholly
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Post by marvholly on Jun 9, 2015 6:25:04 GMT -5
You might also want to polish up YOUR resume and see what else is out there for you. IF co-worker has the ED bamboozled it just might be time to move on of your own volition before she tarnishes you reputation at work.
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giramomma
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Post by giramomma on Jun 9, 2015 7:01:54 GMT -5
You don't have to like the people you work with. It helps and it is nice when you do but in reality, but you won't always. So, take this as a learning experience. Focus on why you are there. Which is to do YOUR job. Keep your nose to your grindstone. And, just treat her the way you treat any other colleague and interact with her professionally. You can be polite and cordial and keep it focused on work. And, you dont' need to go out of your way to help her do anything unless that is your job to do so. So this. I have a coworker that I don't like. But, it's not because I don't think she's incapable or anything. Actually, she's very capable and pleasant to be around. We just don't see eye to on work things all the time, and I think right now it's a communication style. I have to try make the best out of it, as neither of us are going anywhere. Though, I'll likely be retiring before she does.
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busymom
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Post by busymom on Jun 9, 2015 7:56:26 GMT -5
Does ED appear to like her, or has he said anything about making a mistake in hiring her? A big red flag for me that he would hire anyone without checking out references first.
I'd play "wait and see". She may implode & be gone in a matter of months. If she's still there after her first year, & still driving you crazy, then, maybe, you could consider moving on. However, wherever you work, there is always that one employee that drives everyone crazy!
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happyhoix
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Post by happyhoix on Jun 9, 2015 9:29:51 GMT -5
I agree with Tenn that I would never have hired her based on her comments about her co-workers. I had a guy interview with me once who kept making patronizing comments about his wife and about some female co-workers during his interview. And you want to work for me, a woman? Not a chance.
I also agree with playing wait and see. She sounds like she's coming out of the gate a little strong. Your ED may love this behavior and may be happy to have such an organized, forceful person on her team. Or, the ED may realize she screwed up and did not hire a team player, or the new hire may decide she is once again working with mental patients, and quit within the year.
What you don't want to do is try to mount any kind of campaign against her, because that will reflect badly on you. Continue to be a team player and work with her (but don't do anything to help her that isn't part of your job.). Don't complain to your ED about her, but do make sure ED is aware of everything the new hire is doing, or suggesting, so that the ED can form her on conclusions.
Once she's gone (and I suspect she will be, within the year) you might nicely suggest to your ED that, in the future, there should be no more 'hiring on the spot.' If you're participating in interviews, at a minimum, ED should wait to hear your opinion.
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garion2003
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Post by garion2003 on Jun 9, 2015 9:43:24 GMT -5
Give her enough rope to hang herself.
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NancysSummerSip
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Post by NancysSummerSip on Jun 9, 2015 9:46:29 GMT -5
I'm absolutely appalled at the no background check thing. Not in this day and age, folks. Waaaaay too many liars out there.
She may have trashed her former coworkers in order to make herself look better, when she was actually the problem child at the previous job. She may have been caught doing something against policy (or downright illegal) and the previous company offered to either let her quit or fire her, and she decided to quit. I've seen that happen before, when an employee at a place I used to work was caught embezzling. Rather than go to the bother of prosecution, they made her the quit-or-be-fired (and have it on your record) offer.
I'm hoping your company did the check (criminal, civil, credit and driving) after she was hired, at least.
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ArchietheDragon
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Post by ArchietheDragon on Jun 9, 2015 9:50:12 GMT -5
ED's impression of candidate: fearless, go getter, not afraid to jump in, and excel and database guru. My impressions, just based on this, is that the ED is looking for someone to make some big changes in the organization and no one internally is doing it. So the ED hired a person that can come in and make big changes. There will be waves. No one likes change. If you want to stay, don't fight the change. If you don't like the change, look to move elsewhere.
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emma1420
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Post by emma1420 on Jun 9, 2015 9:58:00 GMT -5
ED's impression of candidate: fearless, go getter, not afraid to jump in, and excel and database guru. My impressions, just based on this, is that the ED is looking for someone to make some big changes in the organization and no one internally is doing it. So the ED hired a person that can come in and make big changes. There will be waves. No one likes change. If you want to stay, don't fight the change. If you don't like the change, look to move elsewhere. This person doesn't seem like they were hired for a senior role in the organization though. Have they been empowered to make the changes they are suggesting by the ED? My boss has hired people she thought were great (and were similar to the OP's description of the new employee in her organization) and they have always either being fired or left of their own violation in less than a year. There are a lot of people who talk a good game, but can't produce results in any meaningful way. And, at least from my limited experience it's difficult to make any sort of effective change without understanding the current processes and procedures and why they do and don't work. I think it would be best if the OP smile, grit their teeth, and on the surface appear open to new suggests and change (even if they get ignored later). I suspect this person will be gone sooner rather than later.
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ArchietheDragon
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Post by ArchietheDragon on Jun 9, 2015 10:00:32 GMT -5
My impressions, just based on this, is that the ED is looking for someone to make some big changes in the organization and no one internally is doing it. So the ED hired a person that can come in and make big changes. There will be waves. No one likes change. If you want to stay, don't fight the change. If you don't like the change, look to move elsewhere. This person doesn't seem like they were hired for a senior role in the organization though. Have they been empowered to make the changes they are suggesting by the ED? My boss has hired people she thought were great (and were similar to the OP's description of the new employee in her organization) and they have always either being fired or left of their own violation in less than a year. There are a lot of people who talk a good game, but can't produce results in any meaningful way. And, at least from my limited experience it's difficult to make any sort of effective change without understanding the current processes and procedures and why they do and don't work. I think it would be best if the OP smile, grit their teeth, and on the surface appear open to new suggests and change (even if they get ignored later). I suspect this person will be gone sooner rather than later. There are only 30 people in the organization. The ED likes her willingness to jump in and get involved and her database knowledge(real or not). She will have the ability to make change regardless of her title.
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happyhoix
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Post by happyhoix on Jun 9, 2015 10:01:38 GMT -5
Exactly, and when their plans fail to work, they blame their co-workers or the company. It's never their fault.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 9, 2015 10:06:06 GMT -5
I would ask ED why he/she included others in the interview process and then made an autonomous hiring decision. That is disrespectful of staff unless ED told you that you would not weigh in on the decision. If what you say is accurate, I would never hire someone spewing that much negativity. Sometimes candidates present themselves differently to hiring manager than peers (and don't show the same face to hiring manager) which is why you have multiple levels in the interview process.
You need to decide if you want to stay and outlast the newbie you don't like. If she throws co-workers under the bus, then you must be more careful documenting what you do for CYA since she may turn on you. ED has a vested interest in the success of the new hire since it is his pick. It would make no sense to make Excel databases when you already have a relational database, so maybe you need to ask her that question - why does she suggest you go backwards?
It is unusual to so intensely dislike someone out of an interview and a week of working. Is there anything in the ethnicity or cultural background of this person that is influencing your feelings? If so look for cultural sensitivity training that can help you better understand this person's approach and behavior. With understanding it might take the edge off the irritation.
In a very small office of 30, you have an ED you are questioning and a new team member that you really dislike. You can't escape either, so you have to make a decision on how you can change to accept this, otherwise look for a new job.
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Lizard Queen
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Post by Lizard Queen on Jun 9, 2015 10:08:27 GMT -5
This person doesn't seem like they were hired for a senior role in the organization though. Have they been empowered to make the changes they are suggesting by the ED? My boss has hired people she thought were great (and were similar to the OP's description of the new employee in her organization) and they have always either being fired or left of their own violation in less than a year. There are a lot of people who talk a good game, but can't produce results in any meaningful way. And, at least from my limited experience it's difficult to make any sort of effective change without understanding the current processes and procedures and why they do and don't work. I think it would be best if the OP smile, grit their teeth, and on the surface appear open to new suggests and change (even if they get ignored later). I suspect this person will be gone sooner rather than later. There are only 30 people in the organization. The ED likes her willingness to jump in and get involved and her database knowledge(real or not). She will have the ability to make change regardless of her title. Yeah, it doesn't sound like she has real database knowledge. When all you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail, KWIM? They probably need a screwdriver instead... There was someone kind of like this hired at my old job. I'm all for making things faster and more efficient, but sometimes things are done the slower way for a reason. If they don't consider those reasons first, they're going to crash and burn.
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emma1420
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Post by emma1420 on Jun 9, 2015 10:11:47 GMT -5
This person doesn't seem like they were hired for a senior role in the organization though. Have they been empowered to make the changes they are suggesting by the ED? My boss has hired people she thought were great (and were similar to the OP's description of the new employee in her organization) and they have always either being fired or left of their own violation in less than a year. There are a lot of people who talk a good game, but can't produce results in any meaningful way. And, at least from my limited experience it's difficult to make any sort of effective change without understanding the current processes and procedures and why they do and don't work. I think it would be best if the OP smile, grit their teeth, and on the surface appear open to new suggests and change (even if they get ignored later). I suspect this person will be gone sooner rather than later. There are only 30 people in the organization. The ED likes her willingness to jump in and get involved and her database knowledge(real or not). She will have the ability to make change regardless of her title. I work for an organization of a similar size, and unless this person was in charge of the database they wouldn't be able to make those sorts of changes. Not without ED specifically empowering to make those changes. But, if the ED doesn't care if this person makes a whole host of changes, then I think the OP would be best served looking for another position. Because if that happens, it says more about the ED's poor leadership than it does about the new employee.
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Angel!
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Post by Angel! on Jun 9, 2015 10:58:48 GMT -5
Keep your head down and just do your work.
We have someone like this. A co-worker tried to approach the problem employee and that pretty much backfired. Employee went to boss and made up a ton of stuff that co-worker and the rest of us supposedly said. I got drug in the whole thing and got accused of being a mean girl and rallying everyone to hate the employee.
Boss is aware of the issues, but is stuck in an awkward position of being defensive of the employee that he hired without anyone's input. So boss both defends the guy and sees that he is a problem. In the mean time we were told to suck it up and be nice, but nothing has actually changed. I think the only thing to come out of the whole ordeal is the boss realizes if this guy get a put into a leadership role over any of us, then half the office plans to quit.
IMO it is almost certain nothing good will come of discussing this with anyone. Let the employee sink themselves with their lack of knowledge and if it get a really bad consider looking for a new job.
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shanendoah
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Post by shanendoah on Jun 9, 2015 12:02:52 GMT -5
This is what is sounds like to me - she took one off hand comment the ED made and ran with it, showing the ED how she would approach the problem. Her background is in process improvement, so she used her time to ask questions to demonstrate how she would go about improving your database. The problem being, she does not know about databases. I LOVE Excel. I use Excel all the time. But when I was trying to use Excel as a database, it was killing me. I spent 6 months working to convince my ED to let me turn her Excel spreadsheet into a proper database (using Access in that case). But no, if you have a relational database, then going to Excel is not going to make anything better or easier.
As I have some process improvement background, next time she starts going off about the database, I might try saying something like "Jane, we're thrilled that you want to use your process improvement skills to help us with our database issues. Right now, we're not at the point where we can consider a technology solution, so we have to focus on our actual processes."
I might have been a little off put by her lack of tact in describing former coworkers, but without knowing the question she was asked and the overall tenor of the interview, I don't know that I would have written her off because of the interview. I work with faculty. At my interview for my position, I was asked specifically how I might handle high maintenance people (and this was asked of me by the faculty member present, and I've let interview teams with other faculty members where we has asked candidates this same type of question). I responded with - well, I've spent most of my career working with medical doctors... It was a more tactful way of saying I've worked with high maintenance people, but that's exactly what I was saying. However, I am in a role where tact matters. I don't know if this person is or not.
You are in a small organization. You can't avoid the new person. But try to keep your interactions with her focused on work, and on what you actually need in your work. I am biased, as I do sell one of my major skill sets as being process improvement, but I do think its an incredibly valuable asset. You just need to learn how to focus her on the work that can be done instead of the work everyone hopes could be done.
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muttleynfelix
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Post by muttleynfelix on Jun 9, 2015 14:59:08 GMT -5
Why would anyone that has any knowledge of databases want to take an existing database and put it in excel? I am pretty ignorant about databases, but my company uses them and a big part of my current job is to track things in databases. We are in the process of developing them right now. Another engineer and I mock them up in excel and then turn them over to someone who specializes in creating databases. Basically, I can't understand why someone would think excel was a step forward for a database.
That said, I would keep my head down and do my job the best I could. The hiring would peave me though. My old boss did something similar. He told me and the other fulltime guy he wouldn't hire anyone without having us sit in on the interview. Then he poached a tech from a competitor and hired him without talking to us (we didn't know he was trying to recruit this guy). We were a little peaved. T worked out fine, but it was uncomfortable. Worse because he started the next day.
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Lizard Queen
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Post by Lizard Queen on Jun 9, 2015 15:09:47 GMT -5
Why Access is preferable to Excel for databases: www.gcflearnfree.org/access2013/3.2"...A database is capable of understanding that the "Dad" and "Oatmeal" cookies in the "Batches" list are the same things as the "Dad" and "Oatmeal" in the first two lists. This relationship seems obvious, and a person would understand it right away. However, an Excel workbook wouldn’t. Excel would treat all of these things as distinct and unrelated pieces of information. In Excel, you'd have to enter every single piece of information about a person or type of cookie all over again each time you mentioned it because that database wouldn't be relational like an Access database is. Simply put, relational databases can recognize what a human can: If the same words appear in multiple lists, they refer to the same thing. The fact that relational databases can handle information this way allows you to enter, search for, and analyze data in more than one table at a time. All of these things would be difficult to accomplish in Excel, but in Access even complicated tasks can be simplified and made fairly user friendly."
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ArchietheDragon
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Post by ArchietheDragon on Jun 9, 2015 15:12:20 GMT -5
Hopefully the ED has been reading this thread.
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grumpyhermit
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Post by grumpyhermit on Jun 9, 2015 15:26:57 GMT -5
The fact that she thinks Excel is a great tool for designing databases, is problematic. The fact that your boss thinks she knows what she is talking about, and hired her on the spot, is even more so. That being said, pointing out that your boss is an idiot, with questionable decision making skills, is rarely advised.
The person will either crash and burn, or if your boss really is impressed with her "skills", get promoted. Either way, avoid her as much as possible, and say nothing. There is nothing to be gained by pointing out your bosses mistake. Depending on what her trajectory is from this point on, I would either bide my time, or look for a new job.
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Angel!
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Post by Angel! on Jun 9, 2015 15:27:21 GMT -5
Why would anyone that has any knowledge of databases want to take an existing database and put it in excel? I am pretty ignorant about databases, but my company uses them and a big part of my current job is to track things in databases. We are in the process of developing them right now. Another engineer and I mock them up in excel and then turn them over to someone who specializes in creating databases. Basically, I can't understand why someone would think excel was a step forward for a database. I was wondering the same thing. The only advantage I see in Excel over an existing relational database is that more people know excel. I've used excel for databases simply because I don't know Access and we were building them from scratch. It makes no sense to go backwards for a database that already exists though. Next time she mentions going to excel I would pointedly ask what advantage excel would have over your current database. I bet she doesn't have an answer.
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Tiny
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Post by Tiny on Jun 9, 2015 15:37:02 GMT -5
You don't have to like the people you work with. It helps and it is nice when you do but in reality, but you won't always. So, take this as a learning experience. Focus on why you are there. Which is to do YOUR job. Keep your nose to your grindstone. And, just treat her the way you treat any other colleague and interact with her professionally. You can be polite and cordial and keep it focused on work. And, you dont' need to go out of your way to help her do anything unless that is your job to do so. but, this is complicated by the immediate dislike you took to this person. You may need to do some soul searching and figure out why this person 'pushes your buttons'. It is a good opportunity to work on some self improvement You need to find/learn other behavior/thought patterns when she pushes a button. It's not easy. But it is worth while. Otherwise, you will be taking this person (figuratively) home with you every night after work AND on the weekends. The 'anger' or 'dislike' will creep into your private life. Work on it now.
I suspect there were will be some 'shake up' and change that happens because of this person. If she is incompetent how long she stays will depend on how well she bamboozles her boss.
I'd work on finding a way to change the "I dislike this person" to a more neutral sentiment. I'd work on that because if she does turn into someone who is Teflon Coated (meaning when things go bad she's going to blame everyone and everything around her AND THE BOSS WILL BELIEVE HER!!) you need to not be in the mental place of "I dislike this person" to be able to defuse the situation and to manipulate/convince the boss that it's also NOT your fault for the failure.
I've worked with an incompetent Teflon Coated person - she was an incompetent 'senior developer' who felt she should be a 'team lead' because her developer skills were so good (in her own mind) she had plenty of time to oversee everyone else (tell them how they should do their job). She didn't push any of my buttons, and while I didn't particularly like her, I could manage her and her backstabbing (oh, the project failed because the staff is so incompetent! If only they would have done what I told them to do! - um, we did mostly do what she told us to do except when it was out and out wrong!) so that I (or my other coworkers) didn't look bad. Management never did a thing about her - even though she was often a major roadblock on projects. She was Teflon Coated. Finally quit of her own choice - to a collective huge sigh of relief.
On the flip side, whenever I've worked for or with someone who 'pushed my buttons' it never worked out well for me. They would unknowingly push a button and I would have a very negative knee jerk reaction. It was stressful all around. Took a lot of introspection and work to change my responses. (I had a bunch of 'hot buttons' thanks to my mother. I still struggle with a few responses I'm not proud of to some situations.... )
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Abby Normal
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Post by Abby Normal on Jun 9, 2015 16:25:42 GMT -5
I would question whether I wanted to work for someone like the ED. You just don't have a panel interview then hire someone on the spot. There are so many things wrong with that.
As to the individual hired- sometimes you just have to sit back, keep your head down, and watch what happens. We hired someone as a data entry person. Due to circumstances, they moved her into a different department. They did ask me about her abilities before they moved her. I told them honestly that she was great at data entry and pushing paper, but she wasn't a problem solver. Well, when she was moved she said all the right things and convinced management and her new boss that she was all that and a bag of chips and they started changing her duties. I have to clean up her messes. She's great at hiding them/ covering things up and I can't say anything without making myself look bad (for throwing her under the bus). It's got to the point where I can barely speak to her because I so sick of her nonsense- and they just can't see through it.
Until recently. They assigned her something new and she's in way over her head and she has no place to hide/ no one else to blame. Things are starting to come apart at the seems for her. And I just sit back and watch.
And for those of you keeping score- she's the same one I was arguing with about why we didn't ship 14 units in the math fails thread.
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andi9899
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Joined: Dec 6, 2011 10:22:29 GMT -5
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Post by andi9899 on Jun 9, 2015 16:34:43 GMT -5
I had a coworker like that. I was in underwriting, which is a very detail oriented job. She was nice, just seemed to do marginal work at best. She was a temp, so I just wrote it off as not my problem as she was not my direct report. When she left all the stuff she screwed up and covered up came to the surface. I had to clean it up and was still expected to maintain my workload and train new people because my manager didn't know how to do what we did. I was not happy.
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marissam
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Joined: Jun 8, 2015 22:02:32 GMT -5
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Post by marissam on Jun 9, 2015 20:37:11 GMT -5
Welcome out of "lurkdom", marissam! Sounds like you've got a real PITA on your hands. She may mellow a bit with a little time. Sometimes, people come into a new job at full charge, wanting to prove themselves. Once they find out they don't know half as much as they thought they new since this is a different venue than that from which they came, they'll calm down and focus on learning instead of telling. Then, again, there are those who don't. Do you have any feelings about what others who are interfacing with this individual are thinking? It's more difficult, to me, when there are external irritations (like tone of voice, loud, shrill laugh, etc.), to hone in on what work-related matters might be bothering me. I've got to tune out the externals first. That's when others' opinions can help me sort the wheat from the chaff, so to speak. Out of everyone in the agency, maybe with the exception of the ED, I've had the most contact with her. And she's only been there a little over a week so I'm not sure of other opinions toward her.
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marissam
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Post by marissam on Jun 9, 2015 20:40:26 GMT -5
Does ED appear to like her, or has he said anything about making a mistake in hiring her? A big red flag for me that he would hire anyone without checking out references first.
I'd play "wait and see". She may implode & be gone in a matter of months. If she's still there after her first year, & still driving you crazy, then, maybe, you could consider moving on. However, wherever you work, there is always that one employee that drives everyone crazy! I'm not sure if ED has regrets hiring her and that's why I've been keeping my thoughts to myself at this time. I have shared with ED what I have done to help new colleague transition into her role.
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marissam
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Joined: Jun 8, 2015 22:02:32 GMT -5
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Post by marissam on Jun 9, 2015 20:56:36 GMT -5
It would make no sense to make Excel databases when you already have a relational database, so maybe you need to ask her that question - why does she suggest you go backwards? It is unusual to so intensely dislike someone out of an interview and a week of working. Is there anything in the ethnicity or cultural background of this person that is influencing your feelings? If so look for cultural sensitivity training that can help you better understand this person's approach and behavior. With understanding it might take the edge off the irritation. In a very small office of 30, you have an ED you are questioning and a new team member that you really dislike. You can't escape either, so you have to make a decision on how you can change to accept this, otherwise look for a new job. Her explanation is that she loves excel and believes that she can build it in house and save the organization money. There's nothing in her cultural background or ethnicity. It was her approach. She's marketing herself as an experienced, competent business analyst/process improvement specialist. But her approach contradicts generally accepted business practices. I find it difficult to believe that an experienced analyst would begin pushing suggestions before she gets the lay of the land. She's either totally clueless or extremely arrogant.
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