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Corporate Confidential
Cynthia Shapiro is a former Human Resources executive who's pulling back the curtain on the way that companies really work. In Corporate Confidential, she unmasks startling truths and what you can do about them,
* There's no right to free speech in the workplace.
*Age discrimination exists.
* Why being too smart is not too smart.
* Human Resources is not there to help you, but to protect the company from you.
* And forty-five more!
Cynthia Shapiro pulls no punches, giving readers an inside look at a secret world of hidden agendas they would never normally see. A world of insider information and insights that can save a career!
* There's no right to free speech in the workplace.
*Age discrimination exists.
* Why being too smart is not too smart.
* Human Resources is not there to help you, but to protect the company from you.
* And forty-five more!
Cynthia Shapiro pulls no punches, giving readers an inside look at a secret world of hidden agendas they would never normally see. A world of insider information and insights that can save a career!
224 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2005
158 people are currently reading
1181 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
September 16, 2019
A great outline of corporate inside. Well, a number of it is widely known but still when bluntly put in a book this makes a whole lot more impact.
Q:
'Did you know that maternity/medical leave is not really “protected?” That lawsuits are stacked against employees? That performance-review systems are inherently flawed? That expense reports hide a secret test? Or that most people make a mistake when asking for a raise or promotion that kills their chances of getting it? Now you will.' (c)
Q:
There are a number of flaws about the reasoning and advice in here, so beware. Not all advice has to be heeded no matter how true it might be at certain points. For example, 'Managers always know how their employees feel about them. It’s boss radar.' (c) - really? It's widely known principle of psychology that we feel that others know us a lot better than they actually do. We are not made of glass, that sums it. Besides, it's the unknown troublemakers that bosses should beware of.
Q:
'If you feel that everything your boss does is horrible—fabulous! You now have a perfect example of how not to do things when you become a boss. Write them down. Remember them. Knowing what you will never do when you become the boss can be extremely helpful when you move into that position. But have some compassion for the horrible bosses. They are most likely running scared.' (c) - tee hee :)
Q:
'If you do make a suggestion that improves things, be ready for your boss to take full credit. Any suggestions made on a team are for the betterment of the team, not for your personal glory. Your boss knows where it came from and is secretly in your debt—a good place to be.' (c) Yet another thing that is not always so.
Q:
'If you think you may have been labeled, or even suspected, as a gossip, you need to do two things immediately. First, distance yourself from the information-sharing group. Never let the company or its managers see you with those people, even if you are just listening and not speaking. Just being there could make management think you’re agreeing with the behavior and are not to be trusted.
Second, stop gossip whenever it reaches you. Say something like “Wow, I wouldn’t want anyone to say something like that about me.” Or, “I think the person you’re talking about would probably want that information kept private.” Say whatever you feel would work to get others to exclude you from the gossip ring. If you have to, walk out of the room. Don’t worry about being seen as an outsider or a stick-in-the-mud. Do you want to be “cool” and hear all the latest gossip or do you want to be the next one up for promotion as an employee who can be trusted?' (c) Now, that is a great point to remember at all times. 10 out of 10. Though it remains unclear as to what to do when the company chatterbox happens to be your boss who is sorely in need of audience.
Q:
'Choose your alliances carefully.' (c) Yep. 'Like it or not, those who steer clear of the employee friendship cliques tend to stand out from the crowd by appearing more dedicated, conscientious, and serious about their work. Leaders tend to be solitary. They don’t gravitate toward packs or go along with group mentalities.' Too true.
Q:
'Remember, you’re not asking or begging for a raise, you’re proving your worth to the company. There’s a big difference.' (c)
Q:
'The truth is, when you’re really ready, they’ll be running after you!' (c) Now, that's heavy on the unrealistic side.
Q:
'Many employees believe the higher you go in an organization, the more protected you are, but the opposite is actually true. The higher you go, the more exposed, and the juicier a target, you become.' (c) Yep, true-to-life.
Q:
'Return in force'. (c)
Q:
'...companies don’t care if you make mistakes or have an occasional failure.' (c) A potenrially useful POV to process.
Q:
'What you display in your office or on your desk sends a message to your company about how you think and what you really value.
The messy office: a messy thinker. “God, don’t give that project to him,… he’ll lose it or spill coffee on it, we’ll never see it again.” (c) :))))))))))
Q:
The overly neat office with nothing in it: “This is just a job to him. He doesn’t care about being here.” And my favorite: “He must not have enough to do.” If it doesn’t look like you are working there, why would they be inspired to support your career goals?
I actually came across an employee who was very proud to have created a paperless office. She had no files, nothing in her file drawers, and almost nothing on her desk. It was creepy. A paperless office sounds like the wave of the future, and she probably thought she was being very “earth friendly.” But her company was not ready for it by any stretch of the imagination. What was more disturbing was a discovery made while she was on vacation. An executive went looking for an important document he had entrusted in her care and found rows of empty file drawers. It looked as if there was no work being done—or had ever been done. The truth is that paper makes people feel secure. It makes your boss feel secure. Have some.' (c) True and hilarious!
Q:
'To move up, you must appear underwhelmed.' (c) Gosh, I hate this. The most underwhelmed people are people who do nothing except for well-placed ass-licking.
Q:
'There’s a famous quote from J. Harold Wilkens:The world of achievement has always belonged to the optimist. The short route to sabotaging any innovation is to listen to a new idea and say: ‘it will never work.’ If history teaches us anything it is that the dreamers, the visionaries, the optimists are the ones who got things done. Whether it was building the pyramids, sailing into uncharted seas, overthrowing monarchies, or inventing a microchip, idealists and enthusiasts got the job done.
Successful people project optimism. Notice I didn’t say they were optimists. There’s a difference.' (c)
Q:
'The Winner’s Circle' (c)
Q:
'Did you know that maternity/medical leave is not really “protected?” That lawsuits are stacked against employees? That performance-review systems are inherently flawed? That expense reports hide a secret test? Or that most people make a mistake when asking for a raise or promotion that kills their chances of getting it? Now you will.' (c)
Q:
There are a number of flaws about the reasoning and advice in here, so beware. Not all advice has to be heeded no matter how true it might be at certain points. For example, 'Managers always know how their employees feel about them. It’s boss radar.' (c) - really? It's widely known principle of psychology that we feel that others know us a lot better than they actually do. We are not made of glass, that sums it. Besides, it's the unknown troublemakers that bosses should beware of.
Q:
'If you feel that everything your boss does is horrible—fabulous! You now have a perfect example of how not to do things when you become a boss. Write them down. Remember them. Knowing what you will never do when you become the boss can be extremely helpful when you move into that position. But have some compassion for the horrible bosses. They are most likely running scared.' (c) - tee hee :)
Q:
'If you do make a suggestion that improves things, be ready for your boss to take full credit. Any suggestions made on a team are for the betterment of the team, not for your personal glory. Your boss knows where it came from and is secretly in your debt—a good place to be.' (c) Yet another thing that is not always so.
Q:
'If you think you may have been labeled, or even suspected, as a gossip, you need to do two things immediately. First, distance yourself from the information-sharing group. Never let the company or its managers see you with those people, even if you are just listening and not speaking. Just being there could make management think you’re agreeing with the behavior and are not to be trusted.
Second, stop gossip whenever it reaches you. Say something like “Wow, I wouldn’t want anyone to say something like that about me.” Or, “I think the person you’re talking about would probably want that information kept private.” Say whatever you feel would work to get others to exclude you from the gossip ring. If you have to, walk out of the room. Don’t worry about being seen as an outsider or a stick-in-the-mud. Do you want to be “cool” and hear all the latest gossip or do you want to be the next one up for promotion as an employee who can be trusted?' (c) Now, that is a great point to remember at all times. 10 out of 10. Though it remains unclear as to what to do when the company chatterbox happens to be your boss who is sorely in need of audience.
Q:
'Choose your alliances carefully.' (c) Yep. 'Like it or not, those who steer clear of the employee friendship cliques tend to stand out from the crowd by appearing more dedicated, conscientious, and serious about their work. Leaders tend to be solitary. They don’t gravitate toward packs or go along with group mentalities.' Too true.
Q:
'Remember, you’re not asking or begging for a raise, you’re proving your worth to the company. There’s a big difference.' (c)
Q:
'The truth is, when you’re really ready, they’ll be running after you!' (c) Now, that's heavy on the unrealistic side.
Q:
'Many employees believe the higher you go in an organization, the more protected you are, but the opposite is actually true. The higher you go, the more exposed, and the juicier a target, you become.' (c) Yep, true-to-life.
Q:
'Return in force'. (c)
Q:
'...companies don’t care if you make mistakes or have an occasional failure.' (c) A potenrially useful POV to process.
Q:
'What you display in your office or on your desk sends a message to your company about how you think and what you really value.
The messy office: a messy thinker. “God, don’t give that project to him,… he’ll lose it or spill coffee on it, we’ll never see it again.” (c) :))))))))))
Q:
The overly neat office with nothing in it: “This is just a job to him. He doesn’t care about being here.” And my favorite: “He must not have enough to do.” If it doesn’t look like you are working there, why would they be inspired to support your career goals?
I actually came across an employee who was very proud to have created a paperless office. She had no files, nothing in her file drawers, and almost nothing on her desk. It was creepy. A paperless office sounds like the wave of the future, and she probably thought she was being very “earth friendly.” But her company was not ready for it by any stretch of the imagination. What was more disturbing was a discovery made while she was on vacation. An executive went looking for an important document he had entrusted in her care and found rows of empty file drawers. It looked as if there was no work being done—or had ever been done. The truth is that paper makes people feel secure. It makes your boss feel secure. Have some.' (c) True and hilarious!
Q:
'To move up, you must appear underwhelmed.' (c) Gosh, I hate this. The most underwhelmed people are people who do nothing except for well-placed ass-licking.
Q:
'There’s a famous quote from J. Harold Wilkens:The world of achievement has always belonged to the optimist. The short route to sabotaging any innovation is to listen to a new idea and say: ‘it will never work.’ If history teaches us anything it is that the dreamers, the visionaries, the optimists are the ones who got things done. Whether it was building the pyramids, sailing into uncharted seas, overthrowing monarchies, or inventing a microchip, idealists and enthusiasts got the job done.
Successful people project optimism. Notice I didn’t say they were optimists. There’s a difference.' (c)
Q:
'The Winner’s Circle' (c)
December 25, 2015
I read this book on the recommendation of my goodreads friend Rod Hilton. Rod states that the book basically confirms the worst suspicions about corporations. It does a little bit more than that. The book explains how to use and exploit that knowledge you have about these terrible dictatorships to your advantage (i.e. getting to the top and making the changes you want to see; aka working within the system). The book is marketed to those cynics who refuse to play the corporate game, to encourage them to be the change they want to see. I'll spare the audience reading this review the obvious criticism about how morality, ethics, and ideals become perverted under institutional pressures. The more I read books about surviving and thriving in the corporate world is the more I become convinced that monastic life or a medieval patronage system is a perfect fit for me.
March 25, 2011
So the game DOES have rules. I just thought they were evil for the sport of it. What if I don't want to play the game?" What if I want to change the rules?
This is a great manual for finally understanding how corporate culture works. And it does have prescriptions for what ails you. The problem is that finding out that all your paranoia is justified really turns your stomach against wanting to play this game anymore. A lot of this stuff won't work for me because I've already been branded but what if it did? Great! Now, I'm part of the machine that perpetuates this evil.
The comfort of knowing my fears were justified didn't last long before despair set in.
Shapiro does give advice for fixing your mistakes and reclaiming your place as a trusted employee. But it's a lot of work. Your paycheck may or may not justify humiliating and overworking yourself on a daily basis until your slighted boss trusts you again. But then if you do get promoted, she gives you the opposite advice that she just gave you when you were an employee. Now you have to earn your employees respect and loyalty, give credit where credit is due, and make sure your employees are motivated - things that you had no right to expect in the employee advice section.
There's just got to be a better way.
This is a great manual for finally understanding how corporate culture works. And it does have prescriptions for what ails you. The problem is that finding out that all your paranoia is justified really turns your stomach against wanting to play this game anymore. A lot of this stuff won't work for me because I've already been branded but what if it did? Great! Now, I'm part of the machine that perpetuates this evil.
The comfort of knowing my fears were justified didn't last long before despair set in.
Shapiro does give advice for fixing your mistakes and reclaiming your place as a trusted employee. But it's a lot of work. Your paycheck may or may not justify humiliating and overworking yourself on a daily basis until your slighted boss trusts you again. But then if you do get promoted, she gives you the opposite advice that she just gave you when you were an employee. Now you have to earn your employees respect and loyalty, give credit where credit is due, and make sure your employees are motivated - things that you had no right to expect in the employee advice section.
There's just got to be a better way.
November 10, 2022
What in the boomer did I just read?? This book was published in 2005 and boy, it didn't age well.
There's quite a bit of good advice in this book (i.e. "don't say bad stuff at work", "public speaking skills are important"), but it's completely overshadowed by ridiculous and outdated stuff that makes it very, very hard to take career advice from the author.
Some of the Greatest Hits:
🤦♀️Never take more than one week of vacation & only every 6 months!
🤦♀️Keep in touch w/ work during vacation!
🤦♀️If you're older, don't take sick days so they don't think you're going to keel over and die! (seriously this is a real suggestion!)
🤦♀️Women with long hair look too sexy to be promoted!
🤦♀️There's a whole screed about how women should look at work. The corresponding section for men is merely that should iron their shirts.
🤦♀️"Don't make a sexual harassment claim". That's a direct quote.
There's so much bias baked in that I can't even handle the idea of going to work in 2005 if this is what it was like.
Anyway, I'm glad that HR at my company in 2022 doesn't view the world like this.
There's quite a bit of good advice in this book (i.e. "don't say bad stuff at work", "public speaking skills are important"), but it's completely overshadowed by ridiculous and outdated stuff that makes it very, very hard to take career advice from the author.
Some of the Greatest Hits:
🤦♀️Never take more than one week of vacation & only every 6 months!
🤦♀️Keep in touch w/ work during vacation!
🤦♀️If you're older, don't take sick days so they don't think you're going to keel over and die! (seriously this is a real suggestion!)
🤦♀️Women with long hair look too sexy to be promoted!
🤦♀️There's a whole screed about how women should look at work. The corresponding section for men is merely that should iron their shirts.
🤦♀️"Don't make a sexual harassment claim". That's a direct quote.
There's so much bias baked in that I can't even handle the idea of going to work in 2005 if this is what it was like.
Anyway, I'm glad that HR at my company in 2022 doesn't view the world like this.
April 21, 2017
This is a must read book for those working in the corporate world.
Basically the gist of it is that just because you work in a good company does not mean everyone will want you to succeed. The way you dress, the way you talk, the way you behave within your office is all seen by someone. The HR is not there to protect you but rather is there to protect the company. You can file a grievance of some sort and they will listen to you but as soon as you do, you will be put on a special list that says "collect enough evidence on this poor sap and fire him/her immediately". If you file a sexual complain you'll pretty much be a goner in a very short time. Companies hate to associate themselves with you and will work up a case to protect their back from a potential lawsuit they might get when they fire you. This has a lot to do with them putting more and more work on you and not giving you honest performance review scores. That is their evidence to can you ASAP.
Other things mentioned in the book is how to observe your terrible boss and learn from their mistakes, be ready for your boss to take credit for something you did, distance yourself from gossip loving groups immediately, you do not beg or ask for raise but are proving your worthiness to the company, what you have on your desk shows what you value in a company (less is better but you need to have something), managers know how you feel about them (how??) and don't take vacations that are over 2 weeks.
There are plenty of other examples but each one of these is outlined in a page (sometimes less). You don't have to listen to everything it is said in this book but always remember that even though you don't feel like you are observed, you are always on somebody's radar. The higher you move up, the juicer target you become.
Recommended for everybody in an office space that wonders time after time why they never get that promotion they so deserve.
Basically the gist of it is that just because you work in a good company does not mean everyone will want you to succeed. The way you dress, the way you talk, the way you behave within your office is all seen by someone. The HR is not there to protect you but rather is there to protect the company. You can file a grievance of some sort and they will listen to you but as soon as you do, you will be put on a special list that says "collect enough evidence on this poor sap and fire him/her immediately". If you file a sexual complain you'll pretty much be a goner in a very short time. Companies hate to associate themselves with you and will work up a case to protect their back from a potential lawsuit they might get when they fire you. This has a lot to do with them putting more and more work on you and not giving you honest performance review scores. That is their evidence to can you ASAP.
Other things mentioned in the book is how to observe your terrible boss and learn from their mistakes, be ready for your boss to take credit for something you did, distance yourself from gossip loving groups immediately, you do not beg or ask for raise but are proving your worthiness to the company, what you have on your desk shows what you value in a company (less is better but you need to have something), managers know how you feel about them (how??) and don't take vacations that are over 2 weeks.
There are plenty of other examples but each one of these is outlined in a page (sometimes less). You don't have to listen to everything it is said in this book but always remember that even though you don't feel like you are observed, you are always on somebody's radar. The higher you move up, the juicer target you become.
Recommended for everybody in an office space that wonders time after time why they never get that promotion they so deserve.
December 30, 2008
Biggest take home message: Your job is to keep your job. Coming from an HR background, I was intrigued by this book. The advice is truly valuable to anyone who wants to thrive in the job they've got or move on to bigger and better things. If you people are passing you on the way up the ladder and you think you're doing everything right, you should read this book.
March 24, 2009
This book is essential if you work in a traditional office environment. It will help you avoid the landmines of office politics and stay sane in the workplace. Highly recommend!
October 15, 2020
A no-frills book, to be read especially by those who are at the start of their career.
Since the author is a former human resources executive and vice president, it has been written from an insider's perspective on the inner workings of the Corporate (HR) machinery.
Key insights:
• One of a human-resource department’s secret objectives is to remove these unwanted employees while legally protecting the company. And most are very good at it. There are ways a company can remove you so you never know what hit you or what you did that cost you your job! Companies don’t say “you’re fired” anymore; it’s too risky. The removal process is now much more subtle. You need to know what those subtleties are so you can tell when your career might be in jeopardy.
• Myth of “performance improvement” – employees are sent to improvement programs; it is a smokescreen to throw people out
• Layoffs, reorg, downsizing are like a “cleaning house”; a safe forum without the fear of legal exposure
• Companies are compelled to surround themselves with people who act and appear successful. If you are expressing negativity, pessimism, or a downtrodden persona, you will be replaced by someone the company feels can help generate a more positive atmosphere. Companies fear pessimism and negativity more than any other behavior in an employee because it erodes the environment of success they are constantly working to create.
• Talking to the HR can cost you your job
• HR’s primary function is not to help employees, it is to protect the company from its employees. And that edict will override every other responsibility.
• Most employees believe it’s safe to reveal personal information to HR because it’s all in confidence. In truth, there is no such thing as true confidentiality in HR. When you’re speaking to HR, no matter how friendly they may seem, you’re speaking to an agent of the corporation, with all that this implies. The very fact that you’ve chosen to give the information to an agent of the company means the information belongs to the company. An HR person won’t broadcast your confidential information to the workplace, or share it with your colleagues, but that’s all their confidentiality binds them to. They will share it with key decision makers: your boss, executives, the CEO. HR is required, sometimes legally, to disclose to the corporate decision makers many things you believe you are telling in confidence.
• Don’t ever talk to the HR About the following:
o Never file a sexual harassment claim
o Never go to HR to resolve a conflict
o Don’t file a workers’ compensation claim
o Never complain to HR
• Age discrimination is alive and well – avoid appearance of youth and immaturity, be overly responsible
• Older employees -watch the appearance of health, never talk about personal health issues,
• Companies are not like democracies; they are like dictatorships
• More often than not, speaking out tends toward the negative. Employees are more likely to speak out publicly on issues they’re unhappy with rather than the things that please them. What most employees don’t realize is, expressing any negativity can make all your hard work and talent irrelevant. It’s negativity most companies are truly afraid of, not the free speech. You can speak out all you want on positive things. You can shout your public support of your company from the rooftops. But the moment you publicly complain, disagree, or express a negative view, you are in trouble.
• Tips – in public, always support companies’ policies and actions; if any concerns, keep it private and positive
• Don’t alienate your gatekeeper (your boss); in the eyes of the company; you are your boss’ opinion of you
• Pitting yourself against a boss is a losing battle because companies always side with their managers. They have to. A company will almost always take the manager’s word over yours. That’s just the way it works. It works that way so managers know they are supported while they work to meet the company’s goals.
• Don’t gossip; beware of what you email – emails are not private, secure; they last forever & are being monitored by companies
• Your company takes personal calls personally – ensure not more than 2 personal calls per day, out of earshot & only for 5-10 minutes per call
• If you are interested in higher role, start preparing now – read books, develop skills
• Most internal promotions fail (due to the operation of The Peter Principle); carefully analyze promotions as if you were accepting a new job offer – the responsibilities etc.
• Build alliances (for new managers) - The best way to defuse this tendency is to go to them first, offering yourself and your team in service to them. Opening the door in service to other departments you depend on will inspire them to provide excellent service for you. You will be able to ask for favors, rely on them, and you will have created the most powerful alliance base in the company to get any objective achieved. Meet with the head of each team and find out how you and your department could best be of service. Find out what you could do to make their work lives easier and more productive. Are there any changes that need to be made in your department to help theirs run more smoothly? Make sure you do it—quickly. Follow up with each of them to be sure it was helpful and as expected. Let them know if they ever need anything, you are ready to help.
Since the author is a former human resources executive and vice president, it has been written from an insider's perspective on the inner workings of the Corporate (HR) machinery.
Key insights:
• One of a human-resource department’s secret objectives is to remove these unwanted employees while legally protecting the company. And most are very good at it. There are ways a company can remove you so you never know what hit you or what you did that cost you your job! Companies don’t say “you’re fired” anymore; it’s too risky. The removal process is now much more subtle. You need to know what those subtleties are so you can tell when your career might be in jeopardy.
• Myth of “performance improvement” – employees are sent to improvement programs; it is a smokescreen to throw people out
• Layoffs, reorg, downsizing are like a “cleaning house”; a safe forum without the fear of legal exposure
• Companies are compelled to surround themselves with people who act and appear successful. If you are expressing negativity, pessimism, or a downtrodden persona, you will be replaced by someone the company feels can help generate a more positive atmosphere. Companies fear pessimism and negativity more than any other behavior in an employee because it erodes the environment of success they are constantly working to create.
• Talking to the HR can cost you your job
• HR’s primary function is not to help employees, it is to protect the company from its employees. And that edict will override every other responsibility.
• Most employees believe it’s safe to reveal personal information to HR because it’s all in confidence. In truth, there is no such thing as true confidentiality in HR. When you’re speaking to HR, no matter how friendly they may seem, you’re speaking to an agent of the corporation, with all that this implies. The very fact that you’ve chosen to give the information to an agent of the company means the information belongs to the company. An HR person won’t broadcast your confidential information to the workplace, or share it with your colleagues, but that’s all their confidentiality binds them to. They will share it with key decision makers: your boss, executives, the CEO. HR is required, sometimes legally, to disclose to the corporate decision makers many things you believe you are telling in confidence.
• Don’t ever talk to the HR About the following:
o Never file a sexual harassment claim
o Never go to HR to resolve a conflict
o Don’t file a workers’ compensation claim
o Never complain to HR
• Age discrimination is alive and well – avoid appearance of youth and immaturity, be overly responsible
• Older employees -watch the appearance of health, never talk about personal health issues,
• Companies are not like democracies; they are like dictatorships
• More often than not, speaking out tends toward the negative. Employees are more likely to speak out publicly on issues they’re unhappy with rather than the things that please them. What most employees don’t realize is, expressing any negativity can make all your hard work and talent irrelevant. It’s negativity most companies are truly afraid of, not the free speech. You can speak out all you want on positive things. You can shout your public support of your company from the rooftops. But the moment you publicly complain, disagree, or express a negative view, you are in trouble.
• Tips – in public, always support companies’ policies and actions; if any concerns, keep it private and positive
• Don’t alienate your gatekeeper (your boss); in the eyes of the company; you are your boss’ opinion of you
• Pitting yourself against a boss is a losing battle because companies always side with their managers. They have to. A company will almost always take the manager’s word over yours. That’s just the way it works. It works that way so managers know they are supported while they work to meet the company’s goals.
• Don’t gossip; beware of what you email – emails are not private, secure; they last forever & are being monitored by companies
• Your company takes personal calls personally – ensure not more than 2 personal calls per day, out of earshot & only for 5-10 minutes per call
• If you are interested in higher role, start preparing now – read books, develop skills
• Most internal promotions fail (due to the operation of The Peter Principle); carefully analyze promotions as if you were accepting a new job offer – the responsibilities etc.
• Build alliances (for new managers) - The best way to defuse this tendency is to go to them first, offering yourself and your team in service to them. Opening the door in service to other departments you depend on will inspire them to provide excellent service for you. You will be able to ask for favors, rely on them, and you will have created the most powerful alliance base in the company to get any objective achieved. Meet with the head of each team and find out how you and your department could best be of service. Find out what you could do to make their work lives easier and more productive. Are there any changes that need to be made in your department to help theirs run more smoothly? Make sure you do it—quickly. Follow up with each of them to be sure it was helpful and as expected. Let them know if they ever need anything, you are ready to help.
October 25, 2022
Harsh truth
September 19, 2019
The book is sort of a legal case study summary of what not to do or do within a corporation according to the author. The crux of the book is that corporations are much more like dictatorships than democracies. HR is there to protect the "bottom line" & the company not the workers. She brings up some really great points in re to all of this. A lot of it is common sense. As an employee you have to worry about yourself. I don't agree with all of the author's views. She is definitely an anti-lawyer conservative extremely pro-business type. But the book has its moments. Many companies routinely spy on their employees mainly via email & are paranoid against lawsuits. I learned a lot about all of this in law school. I would only recommend this book if you are really into corporate HR books or corporate lawsuit books. It's very dry in some parts. Overall, it's a decent book.
August 12, 2011
A very easy and quick read. Overall an ok book with some good suggestions for people at all stages of employment, from people entering a first or new job to seasoned workers and management. I read this to get an idea of what to expect in a corporate environment, and realized that it has a decidedly negative or even cynical twist to it. The author worked in HR for 20 or so years and I would like to know what companies she worked at, because although much of this is probably true in terms of doing well in such an environment, getting promotions, etc., I don't think it's all so black and white. Good to read with a grain of salt. Also, there were a handful of typos that should have been caught during editing stages.
May 13, 2017
Well this book is a real hoot! As enjoyable as the gossip you are not supposed to be indulging in around the water cooler. The advice is directed to people just starting out in the work world. Most of it is stuff I've figured out along the way, thankfully, but it's still a fun and useful read. I would give this to any young person at the beginning of his/her career, especially those who are unrealistically idealistic, or those who tend to be unaware of what is going on, but unspoken, around them. The book needs to be read alongside something else that focuses on inspiration and connection, to balance out what could be perceived as a lot of negativity, but I think a balanced and thoughtful reading of this book could spare some folks a painful learning-the-hard-way.
June 8, 2018
I know HR professionals aren’t perfect and many are poorly trained and ineffective, creating only administrative burdens and no real gains for organizations. But there are many business-minded, strategically-oriented HR professionals. This author writes only of the former and intimates that all HR people are out to get you - the worker. Being a professor or HR, I hoped this book would provide some good, realistic, and objective perspectives on HR I could share in my teaching. Instead, it’s a one-sided rant that lacks credibility. In all fairness, I didn’t finish it, but stopped when I picked up the gist.
December 26, 2010
A former human resource executive at an unnamed corporation tells what it takes to succeed in the corporate world. You should bend over to your boss, never complain to the HR, never bring your personal life to work, and demonstrate your loyalty to the company every which way. Demonstrating superior skills is not necessary: anyone can be trained in the skills, but not everyone is loyal to his employer.
December 17, 2019
Inspiring book to help you on your career path
After reading this book you will have gained the proper tools and mindset to be a good employee, without the overhead of unwanted behaviour. It’s actually a work-with-yourself kind of book where you strip all the waste of bad character and enforce what really means to be a professional.
I highly recommend this book.
After reading this book you will have gained the proper tools and mindset to be a good employee, without the overhead of unwanted behaviour. It’s actually a work-with-yourself kind of book where you strip all the waste of bad character and enforce what really means to be a professional.
I highly recommend this book.
April 21, 2008
this's a really good source to find out the secrets your company doesn't want you to know.
i read the books in a week and well... it really inspired my style of working in a giant company..
never trust your HRD people!
i read the books in a week and well... it really inspired my style of working in a giant company..
never trust your HRD people!
March 19, 2012
This is the sort of book that those just entering the workforce should have to read! Wish I'd known some of these things without having figured them out the hard way. Valuable information for those who want to know what it takes to really move up at work.
January 25, 2008
Read this before you talk to HR!
April 23, 2008
You’ve got to read this book if want to accelerate your career in the company, at least didn’t fired without know the reason….
April 30, 2011
Pretty cynical, but honest
September 4, 2017
Before you sign the employment contract, read this book, first and foremost. Take it from me, it'll save you a boatload of needless headaches.
Giving this one: 5 stars
Giving this one: 5 stars
August 25, 2020
This book was definitely interesting in having me think about the corporate job from a different perspective, but I found a lot of the content to be so cynical to the point of almost-paranoia. Undoubtedly with writing a book aimed at exposing what you shouldn't know, it makes sense that the points would err on the pessimistic side. It's quality food for thought in understanding how your actions can appear in the workplace -- I just don't know if I agree to the extent of what Shapiro advocates. For example, she says that those who succeed most are often the loners who keep to themselves and work. While this may be true, it's not what I would personally use as a guiding principle as I think some of these "not as great behaviors" such as making friends at work are highly valuable. Not sure if I'll still think the same 10 years down the line when I'm less naive to the working world, but I guess that's something I'll just have to find out.
July 16, 2017
This is very leveled and cool headed description of corporate America. From the point of view of employers. How they view themselves, how they view their employees and what do they want from their employees.
The book describes common traps and pitfalls. Dos, donts, tricks and shortcuts. This is MUST read for all millennials out there who view themselves as innovators and d'Artagnans that gonna fix corporate life.
And man I wish they've attached this book as a required reading to get a work permit. I had very hard time understanding why HR department behaves the way it behaves in States. It all makes sense now.
The last 10 chapters are actually dedicated to how to be a good manager. Not sure why they were included . Seems to be irrelevant. But was interested read anyway.
The book describes common traps and pitfalls. Dos, donts, tricks and shortcuts. This is MUST read for all millennials out there who view themselves as innovators and d'Artagnans that gonna fix corporate life.
And man I wish they've attached this book as a required reading to get a work permit. I had very hard time understanding why HR department behaves the way it behaves in States. It all makes sense now.
The last 10 chapters are actually dedicated to how to be a good manager. Not sure why they were included . Seems to be irrelevant. But was interested read anyway.
March 14, 2022
I'll give this an "okay."
Some stuff was interesting, most was kinda obvious. I kept getting distracted because the book is billed as being an HR person spilling the secrets to gaming the corporate system for non-robots, but then it kept looking a lot like "Management's wet dream for a perfect employee." Not in how to look like the model employee, but how to actually be one. One example is how it recommended against going to HR for anything (valid, they protect the company not you) but then would have an example that looked more like how to make issues not an issue for management.
It wasn't condescending, and I read it off and on so my memory is foggy, but there did seem to be some mixed motivations in the writing.
Some stuff was interesting, most was kinda obvious. I kept getting distracted because the book is billed as being an HR person spilling the secrets to gaming the corporate system for non-robots, but then it kept looking a lot like "Management's wet dream for a perfect employee." Not in how to look like the model employee, but how to actually be one. One example is how it recommended against going to HR for anything (valid, they protect the company not you) but then would have an example that looked more like how to make issues not an issue for management.
It wasn't condescending, and I read it off and on so my memory is foggy, but there did seem to be some mixed motivations in the writing.
March 24, 2024
Within just a few years of corporate life, I have come to see and realize many of the topics and events covered within this book. What is relieving is the confirmation of my point of view, and to be given advice and approaches on what to do within these boundaries. It comes as a surprise to nobody that much of the corporate world can be illusory, and that the themes and motifs that underlie humanity also underlie corporations. Loyalty to the collective and the objective. Focus on the people and projects which will advance your goals. How you present outwardly is how people perceive you inwardly. All of these lessons and many more are covered, not so much as a shocking jolt to the head, but as a soothing consolation to the soul.
April 4, 2018
Excellent book that gives advice that cuts away the niceties of polite society and talks about how things really work. This is the morpheus red pill of how companies and HR departments actually operate. It allows you to step into their psychological frame work and see why they make the decisions they do on which employees to fast track and which to relegate to toiling obscurity. Worth a read for any young adult moving into the corporate environment of capitalist America.
March 7, 2021
This was a hard book for me to read, mostly because I saw a lot of the things I've done wrong at my previous jobs and thought it was embarrassing to read about. But in a way, it was good to read about them since I now know I'm not the only one that has made those types of mistakes. I feel like I'm the most prepared for my new job after reading this book and getting the advice the author had to share about the many topics they covered.
April 5, 2025
I read this book because I felt like I needed some kind of guide to help me through the corporate world. I’ve got over 10+ years of work experience, but that doesn’t always cut it in a big corporate setting. There are a lot of invisible rules, as nobody around you will reveal any truth…and if you don’t know them, it’s easy to mess up. I’m glad I found this book in time, it’s already helping me make more sense of things and handle the corporate game in a more effective way.
October 16, 2025
The corporate world’s cultures are mystified, secretive, with so much daily power politics in the play on a daily basis. The book doesn’t propose what’s right it wrong, it talks about the game and how it’s played, and what it means for your career if you choose not to. The purpose in my perspective is not compliance or loss of principles and values, but understanding where outcomes and behaviors originate, especially if your concern is upwards social mobility.
July 22, 2019
I'd say that this is required reading for anyone corporate America. It's shocking at times, but after reading it, you'll understand the rationale for why corporate politics are the way they are. Negativity is a career killer. Relationships matter, especially your relationship with your boss. Protect your reputation; it can be more important than your work product.
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