Office Initiation
A couple new sa's started last week, bright kids, one though is way too uptight / neverous and a couple of the guys are trying to prank him into dressing down ie "casual friday" this coming Friday, in addition to a few other pranks (which i've been told are at least a bit more clever - but i'm not sure of the specifics yet).
I don't want to be a rat - but should I tell the poor kid? I know he should know better there is no "Casual Friday", but he will do anything to impress... and he looks up to some of us so much already. So I'm afraid this, among the other things will make him look like a complete fool in front of the seniors.
Do any pranks / iniations go on at your office for the new hires / sa's ? If so, do you participate, rat, or stay out of it completely?
In college/high school, I was all about pranks, hazing, etc. I don't think it really belongs in the office. If I were you, I'd tell the kid. You know he really just wants to fit in and do a good job this summer.
I'd echo PM, no matter who cool the firm culture is, pranks really aren't cool at work. As far as hazing goes, it's not 1980's Wall Street. Kind of sad. My fund is generally pretty laid back, but neither hazing nor pranks would fly with brass. I know if I told a kid to dress sown, and an investor dropped by, I'd be in a world of shit.
all good points, i'll try to give him a heads up, and in exchange for the favor maybe make him carry my briefcase up from the entrance to my desk like they make rookies do w/ pads at nfl training camp (or hmm does this put me at the same level as the hazers...)
Be nice-Tell him. It's messed up to be teased at work. Especially if your new.
just make him buy you a beer
tell him .. he'll love you forever and pick up your dry clean
Ask to have his first born child. That should suffice.
Give them a head's up. This kid will (SHOULD) become loyal to you. Feel free to crucify the prankster when it's advantageous to advancement...guy has lost the right to decent treatment by fucking someone over.
Abuse the noobs, overwork them, make them hate you and have nightmares if you must. It will make them stronger, smarter, and they will thank you for it even if you dont' end up friends. But do not ruin their chances at success, that is unforgiveable.
I've pulled a few pranks on our interns...nothing that has hindered their success though. I say do it as long as their within reason.
The worst one I did was jump on an intern's computer when he was in the washroom. I sent a VERY casual email to one of the top MDs (lets assume his name is Stephen) in our group saying something like "Hey Steve [no one calls him this, everyone calls him Stephen], I'm free after lunch, lets grab a coffee --[Intern's name]". I also BCC'd everyone in our group. I obviously told the MD about it right afterwards (I am close him), he found it hilarious but played along. Keep in mind that a lot of the juniors are nervous to even say "hi" to this MD in the morning. It was epic watching the intern turn 6 different shades of red once the MD replied to him saying "come to my office in 5min". Don't think he ever forgave me, haha.
Haha. Did you hear back from either the intern or the MD about their conversation?
To OP: Definitely tell him. It's alright to be nervous, but it's uncool to have other interns try to screw him over.
Btw - If you know who's pulling the prank on the poor guy, get back at him. Taste of his own medicine, breh.
I work in a small team at a boutique here in spain. My 2nd day, one of the partners dropped off a super quantitative article about stochastic volatility and told me to summarize it for him. I hadnt spoken with him since i'd started other than this and he gave me 2 hours. I was lost, but did my best. Turns out I had to present it to our whole team and they grilled me with questions. it turned out to be a joke and they do it to every new employee. it was all in good fun, helped us get to know each other a bit and have a good laugh together.
that being said, it depends on the prank and the atmosphere. if this would have a negative effect on this intern and make him look bad to people when they won't know its a prank, i would probably tell him. It will put him at a disadvantage to the rest of the SAs and that isnt right.
hokay been a couple days, what happened.
I work at a hedge fund and while pranks are played sometimes they are usually NEVER played on junior employees and its usually always someone senior. Number 1 its not cool to pick on kids who are already nervous about their jobs and number 2 nobody knows the junior people well enough to be sure they wont freak out, cry to HR, etc.
I would definitely tell the kid or better yet I would aproach the idiot whio is planning to do the prank and tell him its a bad idea.
Hazing forges a fiery bond between the strongest of steels in the financial services industry. It takes the hardened resolve of the SA and molds them into a malleable piece into the machine. For every piece necessitates the profitability of the most vital industry in our interconnected market. To make this global machine work, every piece must move in perfect synchrony. Acts of austere compliance only strengthened the reformed bond of the individual to the larger whole. In perfect unison, these parts produce profitable and beautiful value. Hazing helps hasten that process; it is true beauty indeed.
Just my .02
as long as it does not hurt the chance of a full time offer...let the hazing begin....
as long as it does not hurt the chance of a full time offer...let the hazing begin....
.
I get called retard, fuckface, loser, dipshit, fag, shit for brains, dumbfuck, braindead, fatboy (eventhough im in the best shape out of the entire office) all day long. I get screamed at all day, am not allowed to take a dump without asking, threatened to be fired over lunch orders and I'm a first year employee not even an intern. I get zero shit about the actual job I do, just get screamed at all day long and called names and get told, " I could fire you in a second etc". I am not allowed to go to lunch, get a cup of coffee or take any breaks of any kind unless I am getting something for someone else (which usually doesn't happen bc I cannot leave the desk)
Even had a guy take a hard swing at me with umbrella (needless to say, I am in olympic shape compared to him and i snatched that shit right out of the air on its way towards my stomach).
The posts that I have read here about office hazing don't touch what I deal with all day long. I know that alot of the shit I take is certainly illegal and against company policy, but the simple fact of the matter remains.... blow the whistle=get blackballed from the industry.
Either way, it is a fact that I am terrified to screw up anything that has anything that falls under my job responsibilities because of the consequences. (for the record I actually have important responsibilities, I enter orders, open accounts, talk to tons of clients, price deals, allocate trades, fix DKs etc.) I hate to say it, but I probably do a better job, and learned extremely quickly to try and mitigate the verbal shitkicking that is my life all-day-every-day.
I have read all the posts on this board about hazing and they're all pretty tame. The only post that comes close to what I deal with is where the one guy ends up punching his boss in the face. So to all this first year 'fuckfaces' out there, don't forget it could always be worse.
And just so you know I am a first year in a new role at THIS JOB - I am on the institutional sales side in a very strong group but used to be on trading side for many years before this and back office before that....so it's not like I am some nub fresh outta school.
Still not sure how coming into work in casual clothes would ruin someones chances at a bright future...although I guess it depends on the culture of the office what is expected. No one really gives a shit what I wear at my office (within reason of course). Regardless, you're a good dude for wanting to help the kid out. Some kid my old man used to help out when he was a first year got me the interview to get the job I have now. So while the new kid may be a little shit now, you never know who people will be 20 years from now....it's nice to know someone has your back and he will not forget it.
My reaction: http://i.imgur.com/gEGj9.gif
^you working in an office or a plantation field bro?
Hazing (Originally Posted: 06/12/2009)
Anyone getting any hazing this summer? I have a new guy and on Tuesday I just ignored his all day. The whole day. It was tough at times but pretty funny. By 7.40 he got it that I was not talking to him.
I was called Jose all summer in 2004. I am hisp but not Jose
I used to keep a racquetball ball at my desk to keep me occupied between trades or on phone calls. We had this kid start who used to love to fill a Big Gulp cup to the rim with water so he wouldn't have to leave his desk very often.
I got really good at winging that ball across the office and blasting his massive cup of water right after he'd get back from the cooler, thus fucking destroying his desk multiple times.
He was a good kid, but not too bright. He ended up marrying one of the secretaries that almost every guy on the floor had banged at one time or another, so he got a lot of, "How does my dick taste?" type comments.
To his credit, he took all the hazing with aplomb.
The WSO Guide to Understanding TARP
[quote=Edmundo Braverman]I used to keep a racquetball ball at my desk to keep me occupied between trades or on phone calls. We had this kid start who used to love to fill a Big Gulp cup to the rim with water so he wouldn't have to leave his desk very often.
I got really good at winging that ball across the office and blasting his massive cup of water right after he'd get back from the cooler, thus fucking destroying his desk multiple times.
He was a good kid, but not too bright. He ended up marrying one of the secretaries that almost every guy on the floor had banged at one time or another, so he got a lot of, "How does my dick taste?" type comments.
To his credit, he took all the hazing with aplomb
Wow, you are a very nice person. I really hope to work with you one day
hmmm
The WSO Guide to Understanding TARP[/quote]
you kidding. That would be great. No matter how bad your day is going or how shitty you feel.... you can still say, " at least xyz AND YZX and AND ZYX did not fuck my wife"
Nope. They fucked her too.
The WSO Guide to Understanding TARP
lol....
When I was a new hire at the best job I ever had (as far as work-environment), I got asked to find the rock-stretcher (it was a stoneyard). Well, rocks don't stretch, as you all probably know.
But the foreman bugged me and bugged me about it. Nevertheless, I told him I was busy and would look for it before I left. He always left right at five, and I'd stick around for another half hour or so clearing up the last of the customers.
Well, I waited till he left, then I went to Home Depot, bought some 4x4s, some chicken wire, a few wires, a couple bungie-cords, spray paint, and a few hooks.
When he asked me the next day if I had seen the rock stretcher, I told him, "yeah, I think I found it back by the parking lot."
He could hardly keep the grin off his face, he thought I was so dumb. As we walked back there, he kept chuckling softly ... but as we got to the back of my truck, I pulled aside some brush that I had used to hide it and showed him the rock stretcher I made ... hahahah it was awesome.
So basically my point is that you should definitely tell the kid that casual Friday isn't a real deal, but then just loan him a nice watch and tell him to wear a pocket square and an extra nice tie... and then when they chastise him about not dressing casual, have him say "What, this isn't casual? Where'd you all learn to dress?" ... :)
I think any pranks/shenanigans are okay as long as you're targeting all the interns at the beginning (or at least just all the summer analysts), just like all pledges are hazed during rush.
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