The Long Way Home(page)

I recently started a new office job. I was told certain documents I’d need were available on the company website.

One document is a customer request form for files on a CD. We use that about fifty times a day, so I need to print them a lot. The document can be found on the company website’s homepage by typing ‘CD’ in the search bar. The whole thing is surprisingly well indexed. 

My boss has a thirty-step process for finding that same document, which involves opening a Word document where a direct link is saved, and using that link as a template to follow.

She does not ‘click the link’.

She types the [companywebdomain.com] into her browser and clicks through/all/the/sub/ links to open the right page by drilling down from the home page.

Whereas I can print fifty pages before she can open the document.

The other day, she handed me a different document and asked me to photocopy it. I asked:

Me: “Is this also on the company website?”

Boss: “Yes, but it’s too hard to find, so I just keep re-copying this copy.”

There was a document number [3817] at the bottom of the page. I told her to type 3817 in the search bar. It came right up.

Boss: “How did you do that?!”

I worry that teaching her search skills will destroy my job by making her more competent. 

Well… I’m not THAT worried.