my manager doesn’t respect my personal space, telling applicants that a job is volunteer, and more

Ask a Manager

JANUARY 25, 2016

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. How can I ask my manager to respect my personal space? started a new job as a trainee a few weeks ago. The room I’m in is me, two managers, and one of the partners in the firm. This is great because at least one person is always available for questions, and I work closely with all three of them. My problem is, one of the managers has no concept of personal space. If I have a question about some accounts, she’ll come over and basically stand on top of me to look at my papers. It makes me extremely uncomfortable. short answers

Certification 32

Certification Recruitment Examples Company 32

bad manager or deliberate saboteur?

Ask a Manager

JANUARY 29, 2016

A reader writes: I thought you might find this old OSS/CIA manual from 1944 as interesting examples of bad management. The purpose of the manual was to instruct employees and citizens of enemy states to sabotage the enemy from within. Some of the sabotage tips sound quite familiar from some of the reader letters. The most relevant tips relevant to your blog can be found near the end of the manual and contain gems such as: Managers and Supervisors: To lower morale and production, be pleasant to inefficient workers; give them undeserved promotions. Employees: Work slowly. work habits

Conference 30

Conference Discrimination Competencies Training 30

don’t send condescending, over-the-top rejection letters

Ask a Manager

JANUARY 27, 2016

A reader writes: I’ve been applying to a few jobs here and there and I recently received this rejection letter: Hi, OK, it’s that email you didn’t want to get, no beating around the bush, we are afraid that we won’t be taking your application to the next stage. We know rejection is tough and in the next few minutes you may well go through three stages of emotion: Disbelief: We know you may think that the role would have been perfect for you; however it is likely that we had a number of applications which demonstrated a better match when they applied. Also, so many comma splices !

Wellness 29

Wellness Company 29

can I ask my interviewer if they’re likely to want someone with more experience?

Ask a Manager

JANUARY 28, 2016

A reader writes: I have a job interview in the next few days. But I’m at the end of my tether feeling like I gave it my all and did my research, only to be told they went with experience at the end of it. Side question: shouldn’t you figure this all out before you start interviewing people if indeed it is true?). wouldn’t ask it. It’s not going to help you show how you’d be a strong candidate for the job or help you figure out if the job is the right fit for you, and that’s really what the interview time is for — not getting info to manage your own expectations. interviewing

Course 21

Course Examples 21

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Training and learning organizations today play an active role in contributing to the bottom line of any organization by aligning their objectives to the immediate business objectives. This provides a solid ground for cost justification and encourages businesses to place training groups right where they should be, at the heart of a growing, thriving, learning culture.

Groups

CEO’s son drives like a madman while I’m in the car, director follows up on emails in person, and more

Ask a Manager

JANUARY 26, 2016

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. CEO’s son drives like a madman while I’m in the car. work for a company as a business director. The CEO’s son meets me out of town for a few store visits. He pulls up in a rented Camaro, and we do our visits of the stores in the city. During our travel that day, he proceeded to race between stores at extremely high rates of speed, regularly using the paddle shifter on the steering wheel. I’m 65 and he is 30. He must have assumed that I didn’t mind the totally incomprehensible speeding actions. We’re way over the speed limit.” short answers

System 18

System Course Meeting Company 18

getting ready for work in the office bathroom, dropping a client who tried to renegotiate rates, and more

Ask a Manager

JANUARY 28, 2016

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. Should I take a stand on getting ready for work in the office bathroom? work for a small company in the HR department as an administrative assistant. There are two bathrooms on the property, both single occupancy, one in the office and one in the warehouse. I get up at 6 a.m. to work out at my gym every day. then use the shower at the gym, arrive at work 15-30 minutes before I start, and get ready in the office bathroom. take roughly 10-15 minutes to get ready, and then I clock in. So, now all of a sudden this is an office policy?

Time and Attendance 16

Time and Attendance Course Meeting Policies 16

can you ask to come back to a question later in the interview, and how long can you pause before it seems weird?

Ask a Manager

JANUARY 26, 2016

A reader writes: I recently went on my first interview after obtaining a technical degree. It was unlike any interview I’ve ever been on, and I quickly realized I was not well prepared. The interviewer stated before beginning that if I needed to skip a question to have time to formulate an answer and come back to it later, I could. took him at his word that it was acceptable, assumed it wouldn’t affect his hiring decision, and skipped two questions to save for the end. Despite him telling me it was okay, do you think I hurt my chances when I skipped questions? interviewing

Examples 14

Examples Wellness 14

was I fired or laid off, buying alcohol on a lunch break, and more

Ask a Manager

JANUARY 24, 2016

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. My manager has been really accommodating about my medical issues, and I feel guilty about resigning. work for a small (less than 10 people) nonprofit in a role with a pretty rare skill set. I’ve been in the position for just under two years, and for almost the whole time I have been struggling with a mental health condition that’s strongly harmed my work. I’m looking at intensive medical interventions, which will require some form of work accommodation (either a 2-4 week leave of absence, or me going 4/5-time). Not at all.

Training 13

Training Wellness Report Productivity 13

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Is your company ready to move beyond the annual performance review? Where do you start? What are the keys to success? In this guide, you’ll gain an understanding of: the forces driving change, three foundations of success and take a deep dive into the skills gap many managers have that will sink your efforts before they start and how to address them.

Coaching

open thread – January 29-30, 2016

Ask a Manager

JANUARY 29, 2016

It’s the Friday open thread! The comment section on this post is open for discussion with other readers on anything work-related that you want to talk about. If you want an answer from me, emailing me is still your best bet*, but this is a chance to talk to other readers. * If you submitted a question to me recently, please don’t repost it here, as it may be in the to-be-answered queue :). open thread – January 29-30, 2016 was originally published by Alison Green on Ask a Manager. open threads

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9

boss accused me of faking a panic attack to get out of a meeting, coworker is taking over my social life, and more

Ask a Manager

JANUARY 27, 2016

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. My boss accused me of faking a panic attack to get out of a meeting. I’m diagnosed with panic disorder. My boss knows about it — we have an informal arrangement where I can leave early for appointments with my psychiatrist/therapist and make up the time working from home in the evenings. Luckily, it hasn’t affected my work to an extent where I’ve needed to disclose the condition to anyone else. My boss, his boss (our team lead), and I were discussing an urgent cross-departmental project. Is it necessary? short answer

Competencies 6

Competencies Recruitment Data Industry 6

my boss says I don’t respond to people quickly, but I do

Ask a Manager

JANUARY 26, 2016

A reader writes: I’ve been having an ongoing issue with my manager. work in a bookstore, and he is frustrated that I don’t reply quickly enough to authors who will doing speaking events at the store, but I feel that I do. My job is 75% marketing/events and 25% retail. It’s not like I let these calls drop-I contact the speakers within 24 hours, often before. In fact, I’ve calculated my average response time to be 5 hours (including nights and weekends). Keep in mind that none of these calls were emergencies, just calls to confirm details for an event. Somehow. 25 minutes.

Examples 6

Examples Course System Data 6

weekend free-for-all – January 23-24, 2016

Ask a Manager

JANUARY 23, 2016

This comment section is open for any non-work-related discussion you’d like to have with other readers, by popular demand. This one is truly no work and no school. If you have a work question, you can email it to me or post it in the work-related open thread on Fridays.). weekend free-for-all – January 23-24, 2016 was originally published by Alison Green on Ask a Manager. open threads

4

4

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5 reasons you need to leave your toxic job

Ask a Manager

JANUARY 25, 2016

It might seem obvious that if you’re working somewhere toxic, you should be actively hunting for a new job. However, toxic workplaces often break people down so much that it makes job searching much harder. Toxic jobs can destroy your self-confidence, make you accept your workplace dysfunction as normal, or just leave you without any energy at the end of the day to launch a serious job search. But it’s crucial to get out of toxic jobs quickly because staying can warp your norms and do real damage to you professionally. At U.S. You can read it here. resigning

Report 4

Report 4

should I feel guilty about driving for Uber when others need the work more?

Ask a Manager

JANUARY 25, 2016

A reader writes: I recently started driving for Uber on the side. have a full-time job that actually pays very well, so I don’t need the money, but I also like to travel and have been putting my Uber money towards my travel fund. Recently I was taken rather harshly to task by another driver for taking business away from drivers who need it to survive and support their families, when I am amply supported by my full-time job. I can see his point, but it also seems like there’s plenty of business for everyone. We don’t know. Jobs aren’t parceled out according to a hierarchy of need.

Wellness 4

Wellness 4

boss confiscates food gifts, getting people to turn in time sheets on time, and more

Ask a Manager

JANUARY 29, 2016

It’s four answers to four questions. Here we go…. 1. Boss confiscates food gifts meant for others. We have outside acquaintances that we work with, who gift us with goodies to share amongst myself and staff members. However, my boss takes the goodies and hides them from us. When we bring it to her attention as to where they are, she tell us to get our own stuff (like the coffee pods) and that we don’t need to eat the sweets (her excuse-we’ve had plenty of goodies bestowed to us around the holidays). Applying for my old job at my old company. How can I convey that in my cover letter?

Payroll 3

Payroll Analysis Policies Groups 3

what’s your time management personality type?

Ask a Manager

JANUARY 26, 2016

Over at Intuit QuickBase today, I talk about the most common time management personality types and what strategies each type can use to make better use of your time, whether you’re a procrastinator, a chronic under-estimator, a fire fighter, or more. Take a look and see if you spot yourself here. what’s your time management personality type? was originally published by Alison Green on Ask a Manager. work habits

Strategy 3

Strategy 3

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Can you hear the collective groan when you launch that new compliance course? Do you get complaints both public and private from trainees about the uselessness of the training courses you've launched? Is there anything that can be done about it?

Training

after I get the job, can I ask who else was in the candidate pool?

Ask a Manager

JANUARY 25, 2016

A reader writes: I’ve just had my last interview for a new job in a very niche area. There aren’t many experts in this area — so chances are that I would know, or at least be familiar with, most of the other candidates. If they were competitive enough to get an interview, they are a probably a current customer or a competitor of the product I sell today. If I get and accept an offer, do you think it would be weird or inappropriate to ask my new boss who the other candidates were? I’m not interested in patting myself on the back and gloating that I was chosen over anyone.

Examples 3

Examples Productivity 3

what consequences can managers enforce, other than firing someone?

Ask a Manager

JANUARY 28, 2016

A reader writes: I’ve just begun my first managerial role and I’m wondering about consequences. You frequently mention clearly explaining the consequences “up to and including termination” when an employee is not meeting expectations. What are those consequences prior to being fired? work in an international nonprofit, and we don’t do things like write-ups, as I experienced when I worked in retail. What kind of tools do I have as a manger to impose consequences? It depends on the situation. what consequences can managers enforce, other than firing someone?

Benchmarking 1

Benchmarking Meeting Course Tools 1

can I reopen negotiations on a job offer I already accepted?

Ask a Manager

JANUARY 27, 2016

A reader writes: I accepted a job offer recently but have since learned that I will not be paid or compensated for overtime. The job is $45k plus $4k in bonus annually (if earned). This is the first big job I’ve had and feel like I missed an opportunity to negotiate the salary because I didn’t want to seem greedy. feel like I could have negotiated the salary up to at least $53k (they really wanted me for the position and contacted me out of the blue without me even knowing about the position being open). Also, a note about my articles at Inc.: If you’re outside the U.S.

Compensation 1

Compensation Course 1

Linkage

JANUARY 25, 2016

Are you one of the millions of people around the world suffering from change fatigue? If so, you have plenty of company, and if you are a leader you are most likely struggling with how to overcome this phenomenon. As a matter of fact, according to the 2013 Katzenbach Center Survey on Culture and Change Management, 65% of employees globally are change fatigued. They are waiting for change to stop.

Competencies 90

Competencies Survey Trends Course 90

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Is your organization thinking about moving towards a performance development culture? What are the elements to succeeding and keeping managers and employees engaged? Download “A Road Map for Change” to find out and gain insight into making the transition as smooth as possible on your journey into this brave new world.

Coaching

ClearCompany HRM

JANUARY 28, 2016

Congratulations! You’ve been plastering the town with your resume, printing out copies until the guy at Kinko’s knows your name, and finally, you got a nibble. recruiter has reached out to you and your interview is scheduled for Monday. Candidate Interviews

Recruitment 72

Recruitment 72

Spark Hire

JANUARY 26, 2016

To attract the best talent, your company culture needs to stand out. Job seekers want to work in environments they love, but they’re not finding what they’re looking for. In the race to attract the best talent, in a job seeker’s market, employers are focusing on the next best office perk. To attract candidates, think like a job seeker and align your culture to better address their unmet needs.

Company 71

Company TinyPulse Survey Payscale 71

All Things Workplace

JANUARY 25, 2016

Tentative efforts lead to tentative outcomes. Therefore, give yourself fully to your endeavors. Decide to construct your character through excellent actions and determine to pay the price of a worthy goal. The trials you encounter will introduce you to your strengths. But they ran out of  numbers. Which meant we had to figure out for ourselves who was next. The "Aw, Shucks Shuffle". We're not.

Groups 68

Groups Meeting 68

TriNet

JANUARY 25, 2016

A worrisome business trend is the growing number of wage and hour lawsuits that are a significant source of financial exposure for employers. As the number of lawsuits climbs, so does the cost to. Visit site for full story. Legal News & Compliance employee classification wage and hour lawsuits

Trends 66

Trends Compliance 66

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Today’s workplace is characterized by chaotic forces—low employee engagement and productivity levels, and declining employee well being. HR Leaders have a critical role in defining the vision and strategy to transform and create a more productive and happy workplace.

Laurie Ruettimann

JANUARY 25, 2016

It never gets better than your first day of work. Even if your onboarding program is dull, or the HR lady leaves you in a room for four hours to complete your new hire paperwork, it is better than day two. Day two will be better than day three. (It all goes downhill from there.). Day one is the best day of work because nobody knows you. Your idiosyncratic behaviors are still a mystery. Start later.

Onboarding 66

Onboarding Payroll System Training 66

Engage2Excel

JANUARY 26, 2016

Engagement Recognition Employee Performance leadership

64

64

Motivate me. I dare you.

Decision-Wise

JANUARY 27, 2016

In coaching individuals, one of the questions I often choose to begin a dialogue on leadership is, “What is your primary responsibility as a leader of this organization?”  The responses vary greatly and, although some would claim that their response to this question is THE answer, I’ve found a number of replies that I might agree with. Entertaining, somewhat sad, but not motivating. dare you.

Coaching 92

Coaching Survey Conference Report 92

Ultimate Software

JANUARY 29, 2016

All of us at Ultimate Software are honored to be named FORTUNE’s Best Workplace in Technology.  . Ultimate Software is the #1 Best Workplace in Technology, according to Fortune Magazine. Ultimate Software puts People First. Always. We started out more than 25 years ago with one core belief: put people first. Always. It’s a principle that drives all we do. We’ve seen good and bad times. Culture

Ultimate Software 63

Ultimate Software Software Productivity Company 63

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Training and development professionals often bemoan the lack of apparent initiative in their trainees. Learning professionals spend huge sums of money creating or acquiring skill aligned libraries of learning content, only to watch almost helplessly as learners refuse to engage with any training available that isn’t mandatory.

Training

TriNet

JANUARY 29, 2016

Visit site for full story. HR Products & Services

Productivity 63

Productivity 63

Visier

JANUARY 26, 2016

Why is it so difficult to successfully implement change?  . This is a haunting question for any HR professional. Any perusal through common literature in the genre of change management will reveal high probabilities of failure – some sources stating that as many as 70% of all attempts at change fail. Adapting to a Changing Landscape. Revitalizing our executive development. Be the pathfinder.

CHRO 63

CHRO Analytics Talent Acquisition HR Function 63

Get Hppy

JANUARY 25, 2016

Across all industries, transparency has never been more important to a successful business model, regardless of company size. When it comes to employee engagement, this particular business practice has been proven to be essential, at a global scale. believe this organization will be successful in the future. trust the senior leadership team to lead the company to future success.

Employee Engagement 61

Employee Engagement eBook Exercises Benchmarking 61

TLNT: The Business of HR

JANUARY 29, 2016

Editor’s Note:   Readers sometimes ask about past TLNT articles, so every Friday we republish a Classic TLNT post. Best Practices Engagement HR Communications HR Insights HR Management Leadership Retention & Engagement Talent Management Featured

Talent Management 61

Talent Management 61

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Needed: A shift from traditional performance management systems (organized as an annual review process) to newer performance development systems (organized around real-time dynamics). Download part one in a series to gain insight into why this shift must happen and why it needs to happening now

Performance Management