The Assistant (2019) Review
“So, let me ask, do you want to keep this job?”
I used to consider myself a film enthusiast until I realized I didn’t see enough independent films. For one night I tagged along with a true cinephile to witness writer/director Kitty Green’s The Assistant.
At the time I didn’t really think much of the movie starring Netflix’s Ozark, Julia Garner, joined by HBO’s Succession Matthew Macfadyen. (They also never explained Patrick Wilson’s involvement which served more as a distraction than anything else.)
Macfadyen’s involvmenet elevated the movie but shortly thereafter it was over. That’s not to say the movie was meaningless, but it did little to advance the conversation. Perhaps I felt that way because several companies and their respective HR departments had broken my heart by then.
As you may know, 2020 brought with it a global pandemic and the only positive thing to come out of it is the employee’s market — where people finally learned to value their skillset and twisted the arm of corporations to meet their demands.
I haven’t been fortunate to be at the negotiating table nor do I know how to conduct a successful one, it comes with a learning curve which is quite exciting for me.
Unfortunately, the terms presented by the recruiter for which I agreed upon, did not reflect the terms expressed at orientation. It was concerning to say the least. I had accepted a floating position, which meant that I would be required to drive often to different branches. Which, if you’ve been pumping gas or watching the news, you’d know it wasn’t a good opportunity.
I was now realizing that they had not been forthcoming with the finer details of the opportunity, since I was at their training facility I thought a one-on-one conversation would be more appropriate than an email that can distort tone.
Their answer?
Unfortunately this is something we are not able to offer. We are sorry you misunderstood the mileage reimbursement but this is the process for everyone in the Staff Resource Pool department.
Please let us know if this changes anything with your decision to come onboard.
As I previously mentioned, this comes with a learning curve and I am learning that I need to be more meticulous about the exploration of an opportunity and ask more questions.
Yet again, another company and their respective HR department was effortlessly showing me they did not care about me and could easily replace me (so much for claiming to care about its people and the belief that it takes a happy, healthy and hard-working team to be an industry leader. I don’t understand how it garners the votes for BEST Place to Work in the San Diego’s BEST Union-Tribune Readers Poll) but I digress…
You know which film I thought of?
Kitty Green’s The Assistant.
Because as much as they like to claim they care, the Human Resources deparment is just a disguise for corporations to pretend they care — they don’t protect the employees, they protect the assets and the bottom line of every company it serves. We should be pushing for unions but I suppose that dream died with Jimmy Hoffa.
COVID 19 is wrecking havoc, but the one thing I hope is never restored is the value employees are garnering in the workplace.
If you watch Kitty Green’s The Assistant, maybe you’ll recall your repressed memories, but I hope you are never in her place or mine. Cheers to future endeavors!
