Bullshit Jobs in Franchising: Your best people are wasting time on nonsense!
A critique of administrative bloat and 'duct-tape' solutions that prevent top operators from focusing on growth.
Do You Have a Bullshit Job Footprint in your Org?
*– A brutally honest 1-minute quiz for franchise & multi-location operators.*
A term you won't hear spoken out loud in most board meetings: Bullshit Jobs and Duct Tapers.
Coined over a decade ago by anthropologist David Graeber, the term refers to roles that exist only to fix problems that shouldn't exist in the first place.
Duct Tapers aren't bad employees—they just find themselves with a special kind of Bullshit Job, created to patch holes in how information, processes, and accountability flow. They're solving the same problem for the 12th time this month. Because the root cause was never fixed.
The Quiz
Question 1: When your frontline teams need a checklist or instruction, what happens?
A) They get a push in the App, it's right there, targeted by role and location.
B) They ask their manager, who prints something from "a folder, somewhere."
C) You hear, "Wait, what checklist?"
Question 2: How do you know if brand standards are being followed at all your locations?
A) I see verified checklists and photo proof every day.
B) We send out a reminder email and hope for the best.
C) We find out when customers complain on Google.
Question 3: How do you distribute updated SOPs, price lists, or guidelines?
A) Via a structured system with version control, role access and read-tracking.
B) Email. Then maybe WhatsApp. Then we call. Then we cry.
C) We don't. Some locations still think it's 2022.
Question 4: When something goes wrong, your first thought is:
A) "Let's check the log for verified tasks."
B) "Let me call someone and ask who was working."
C) "Oh god, not again…"
Question 5: How many people in your org spend time chasing things that should just work?
A) Zero. We've automated those routines.
B) Maybe one or two… okay, three.
C) Is this a trick question? That's half our staff!
Your Score
Mostly A's: You're a systems thinker. Your duct tape is in the drawer where it belongs.
Mostly B's: You're running a patch-and-hope operation. Time to clean it up.
Mostly C's: You're building an empire of Bullshit Jobs. You don't need new hires—you need a platform.
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You don't need to keep hiring "workaround specialists."
What you need is a system that eliminates confusion and makes good people more effective—without the duct tape.
Canonical: /blog/bullshit-jobs-in-franchising