my company wants me to return a gift from a client, interviewer said I need a better answer, and more

Ask a Manager

FEBRUARY 18, 2016

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. My company wants me to return part of a gift from a client. work for a large, well-known organization in the United States. recently finished up a job with a client who I’ve worked closely with for the last two years. He sent me a very kind hand-written note thanking me for all of my hard work on the project and enclosed four one-day tickets to a major theme park (owned by his parent company) as a token of his thanks. I was surprised and delighted by both the note and the generous gift. But frankly, I’m upset. Come on now.

Compliance 54

Compliance Tools Company Policies 54

how to reject an internal job candidate

Ask a Manager

FEBRUARY 19, 2016

A reader writes: I was just promoted at work, into a position that comes with an assistant. The hiring process for the assistant was already underway. really like one of the candidates and I was ready to hire her. But at the last minute, the person who is temporarily in the assistant role applied. like her, too, and she has done a good job. But she is out-competed by the other candidate, who has better technical skills and seems more adept with software. She also generally seems more enthusiastic. But I think it is the right thing to do. hiring

Competencies 53

Competencies Groups Software How To 53

letting a manager know employee is job-searching, texting recruiters, and more

Ask a Manager

FEBRUARY 14, 2016

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. Should HR let a manager know an employee is probably job-searching? I am the HR department at my company. post jobs, verify employment, etc. Recently two things happened: When I was posting a job on an internet job site, one of my current employees came up as a possible candidate, and I received an employment verification call on this employee. I am assuming they are looking for another job. Should I share this with their supervisor? I am not sure what to do. How can I use telecommuting as an asset in my cover letter or resume? that night.

Policies 38

Policies Recruitment Training Company 38

constant door-knocking interrupts me, choosing between a job and a vacation, and more

Ask a Manager

FEBRUARY 16, 2016

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. constantly have to open the door for coworkers from another floor. Our office staff works behind a locked door, to protect customer information (we deal heavily with personal data and banking info in our sales process). The admin function all happens upstairs, away from customers, and only those of us who work upstairs have access. Before you hit the locked door, you pass several offices, including mine, which is closest to the door. Downstairs folk come up frequently to deal with issues and hand in paperwork, and have to be let in.

Team Building 24

Team Building Conference System Company 24

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attending an employee’s wedding, interns and gift-giving, and more

Ask a Manager

FEBRUARY 17, 2016

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. Attending an employee’s wedding. I see a lot of conversation on your site about whether or not you should invite your boss to your wedding, but I find myself in the opposite situation. My employee invited me to her wedding, which is coming up in a few months. What are the expectations around my attendance? manage her and one other employee, and she invited us both (plus guests). Our team has a really good dynamic — great communication, very productive. Am I expected to go? To not go? He is a huge distraction. He repeats himself a lot.

Time and Attendance 20

Time and Attendance Groups Meeting Course 20

I can’t hear during conference calls because of munching and bag-crinkling

Ask a Manager

FEBRUARY 18, 2016

A reader writes: This is a relatively minor thing, but it has been bugging me lately and has gotten to the point where I can’t ignore it anymore. work remotely and dial in to a lot of meetings in our main office. I use headphones when dialing in so as not to disturb the people working around me.  The problem is that in one weekly meeting (one of many), there is someone there who likes to sit near the conference call mic and graze on snack food, often from crinkly cellophane bags. really don’t care about that, I’ve snacked on calls with a muted mic myself. That’s it, really.

Meeting 19

Meeting Conference 19

people think I’m my boss’s assistant — but I’m not

Ask a Manager

FEBRUARY 15, 2016

A reader writes: About six months ago, I started working in a large IT department, reporting directly to the CTO. I’m not the youngest or most junior person in the department, but I am the only woman. Because of the availability of cubicles (or lack thereof), I ended up in the desk that’s right in front of my boss’s office. didn’t really think anything of this arrangement at first, but as time went on, I noticed that more and more people were acting as if I’m my boss’s assistant or admin. Two options: 1. Ask if you can move to a different desk.

Meeting 19

Meeting Report 19

coworker keeps spamming the office email list, can’t make an out-of-town interview, and more

Ask a Manager

FEBRUARY 15, 2016

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. How to get a senior coworker to stop spamming the office email list. Could you advise on how to tell an office manager to stop spamming the entire office with random supermarket deals, random events, motivational speaker sales pitches, irrelevant travel alerts etc? It was initially a quiet joke among the rest of the staff, but there are some days where our office manager forwards us as many as five irrelevant emails in a row. She’s more senior to us and is supposed to be our HR manager, so it’s a bit awkward. Thanks.”. Start now.

Recruitment 11

Recruitment Policies Company Meeting 11

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How To

colleague told me to “stay in my lane,” feeling useless at first job, and more

Ask a Manager

FEBRUARY 19, 2016

It’s four answers to four questions. Here we go…. 1. Senior colleague told me to “stay in my lane” I recently gave notice at my large corporation. accepted a similar role at a smaller company. left due to culture fit; I like a less structured, faster paced organization. senior-level executive pulled me aside to give me advice: “Stay in your lane. You connect with too many people. You will look like you don’t know what you want.” want to grow as a professional, but I am having trouble digesting this feedback. How would you interpret this? What should I do? short answers

Coaching 6

Coaching Wellness System Training 6

are the requirements in job postings more like wish lists or strict requirements?

Ask a Manager

FEBRUARY 18, 2016

A reader writes: What’s your take on the idea that “job postings are wish lists, not requirements”? How much wiggle room is there in terms of years of experience, educational credentials, and specific skills? My personal situation: I’ve been doing web development for less than a year, I have a degree in the humanities, I’ve worked in three programming languages and studied a few more. If I ruled out all the job postings that wanted multiple years of experience, a computer science degree, or languages, that I haven’t worked with, there’d be nothing left.

Guidelines 6

Guidelines Study How To Company 6

what do I say when an employee assumes they can do something that they shouldn’t?

Ask a Manager

FEBRUARY 16, 2016

A reader writes: I work for a software startup, typical “relaxed workplace” vibe. I’ve noticed lately that I suck at managing people who behave in a particular way — presuming that it’s okay to do something without asking me, and where it actually isn’t okay. For example, if someone asks if they can take a break when it’s not appropriate, I can easily correct them and set expectations. But if they announce that they’re taking a break and then walk off, I freeze and have no idea how to respond. Any tips on how to manage these situations better? good management

Software 6

Software Examples Meeting How To 6

weekend free-for-all – February 13-14, 2016

Ask a Manager

FEBRUARY 13, 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.). Salinger’s fan mail. open threads

4

4

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Strategy

update: I’m getting mixed messages about whether I have to work overtime

Ask a Manager

FEBRUARY 19, 2016

Remember the recent letter-writer who was getting mixed messages about whether she needed to work overtime on the weekends, even though she had negotiated no overtime when she was hired? Here’s the update. I met with my manager and reminded him of our discussion when I transitioned from a temp to full-time employee last August. He didn’t remember the conversation at all and insisted he would have advised me not to take the position. So it goes. Since then, we’ve been told our work on Saturday is not mandatory but meeting our long-term deadline depends on it. Thanks everyone!

Meeting 3

Meeting 3

how to say “that won’t work” without seeming like the office Eeyore

Ask a Manager

FEBRUARY 18, 2016

By popular demand! When I wrote last month about tough work personalities, including people who naysay every idea, a bunch of people asked for advice on how to raise legitimate concerns without seeming like you have negative spin on every new suggestion. At Intuit QuickBase’s Fast Track blog today, I talk about how to bring problems to the surface without becoming the office Eeyore. You can read it here. work habits

How To 3

How To 3

can my employer make me answer my cell phone when I’m on vacation?

Ask a Manager

FEBRUARY 17, 2016

A reader writes: Can the company I work for tell us that we have to answer our cell phones while we are on vacation?  I asked if I would get vacation time back if I do, and the answer was no. They say because they pay the phone bill, we have to answer the calls no matter what. thought the purpose of a vacation is that you unplug from work. You can read my answer to this question over at Inc. today , where I’m revisiting letters that have been buried in the archives here from years ago (and often updating/expanding my answers to them). was originally published by Alison Green on Ask a Manager.

How To 3

How To Company 3

snow and work: everything you need to know

Ask a Manager

FEBRUARY 15, 2016

Last month , we talked about how managers should handle snow days. Today — particularly timely since it’s snowing here today — here’s a round-up of advice from the employee side of things: whether you have to be paid for snow days if you don’t work, whether you can be made to use a vacation day when your office closes for snow,  and lots of other aspects of snow days. And yes, this is in part because today’s a holiday and it’s an easy post.). Everything you need to know about how your employer can (and should) handle snow days. workplace practices

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3

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open thread – February 19-20, 2016

Ask a Manager

FEBRUARY 19, 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 threads

How To 1

How To 1

update: my boss accused me of faking a panic attack to get out of a meeting

Ask a Manager

FEBRUARY 16, 2016

Remember the letter-writer last month whose  boss accused him of faking panic attacks to get out of a meeting? Here’s the update. I was shocked — in a good way — to see all the understanding and sympathy from everyone who commented, and there were tons of great pieces of advice! Thanks so much, to both you and all your great readers/commenters, especially JessaB and Katie the Fed. Since everyone loves follow-ups, I thought I’d let you know how my situation has been going. They said that HR doesn’t get involved in minor disciplinary matters, and that this is one.

Compliance 1

Compliance Report Wellness Company 1

why your new productivity system might not stick, how to use your “biological prime time,” and more

Ask a Manager

FEBRUARY 16, 2016

Over at Intuit QuickBase’s Fast Track blog today, I take a look at several interesting work-related stories in the news right now: why your new productivity system might not stick, how to use your “biological prime time,” and more. You You can read it here. work habits

System 1

System Productivity How To 1

The People Equation

FEBRUARY 15, 2016

Blogging on The People Equation has taught me that readers love lists of quotations. Leadership quotes are a particular favorite. And if you bring gender into the equation,  you get brisk discussion out of it as well. Just ask my friend and fellow leadership blogger  Jesse Lyn Stoner. It caught my eye because it featured women in leadership. Which leadership quote resonates most with you?

Resources 132

Resources Wellness 132

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Employee Engagement

What is Paul Thinking

FEBRUARY 15, 2016

Seems HR gets more than their fair share of abuse. From HBR running their ongoing series on why HR sucks or how HR needs to change to why everyone hates HR. What exactly did HR do to Harvard Business Review? Please apologize so we can get some good press going for HR. HR is the department (and the people in some cases) we all love to hate. For too many, HR people are like politicians. Who knows.

Meeting 120

Meeting Company Employee Engagement Resources 120

Laurie Ruettimann

FEBRUARY 19, 2016

Many years ago, I worked for a human resources director who told me it was better to be stupid than wrong. If I didn’t know something, I shouldn’t volunteer an opinion. should admit that I didn’t know the answer rather than risk offering an incorrect piece of advice. Turns out, nobody knows anything during the first few months on the job. ” Like a parrot.

Policies 119

Policies Resources How To 119

ej4 HR

FEBRUARY 16, 2016

Thanks to a 2015 World Happiness report released by the United Nations, it’s now fairly common knowledge that the Danish are among the happiest people in the world. But few know that one of the very things that makes them happy is also what makes them so incredibly productive. Denmark has one of the happiest [.]. The post 3 Lessons in Workplace Happiness We Can Learn From the Danish appeared first on. Performance Improvement Training & Development Uncategorized Workplace happiness

Report 109

Report Productivity Training 109

ClearCompany HRM

FEBRUARY 16, 2016

Setting goals.it’s easier said than done, especially if managers want those goals to actually be achieved. When it comes to. setting employee performance goals. , the road to effectiveness is even more difficult to map out. Did you know that, according to a. 2014 Towers Watson study. If you’re wondering why employees are only reaching 10-20% of their goals, now you know one reason. Goal Alignment

Study 104

Study 104

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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.

Productivity

Laurie Ruettimann

FEBRUARY 17, 2016

Do you remember a couple of years back when the “hero persona” was all over? “Be a hero and save HR. Be a hero and rescue recruiting. Be a hero and bring some donuts to the meeting.” ” A few years ago, I attended an executive summit where none of the CHROs wanted to be HR heroes. asked, “You are successful men and women who are the pinnacle of your careers.

CHRO 99

CHRO Resources Recruitment Meeting 99

ClearCompany HRM

FEBRUARY 15, 2016

Hey, haven’t we discussed this before? This is a ClearCompany lookback article, where we build off learnings from years and trends past. Sometimes we’ll discover that our talent acquisition trends were right on the money; other times we may see that our musings around talent management and workforce predictions were a little off. Today we tackle how to create. Quality of Hire

Talent Acquisition 94

Talent Acquisition Employee Engagement Trends Recruitment 94

Can You Trust Your Employee Survey Results?

Decision-Wise

FEBRUARY 16, 2016

What if I told you that 26 percent of your employees either blatantly lie or inadvertently misidentify  demographic questions on employee surveys ?  If you’re like most managers we work with, you’ll immediately distrust the survey process and its reported data—and that’s completely fair. The fact is, when employees are asked demographic questions (e.g., How do we know?  Whoops. The solution? 

Survey 120

Survey Data Report Groups 120

UrbanBound HR

FEBRUARY 15, 2016

Any company who thought HR wasn't a critical function of their organization is going to be singing a very different tune—and fast. HR positions are taking off and gaining a lot of momentum in the workforce, their roles evolving and changing equally as rapidly. role that was once viewed as the person who enforces rules and picks up all the extra pieces has now transformed into a data-driven, powerhouse, and at some companies, C-Suite level position. HR Recruiting

Data 84

Data Company Recruitment 84

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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.

Ultimate Software

FEBRUARY 16, 2016

I recently stumbled upon an article from 1999 that talked about the challenges that would exist in a 21 st century HR department. This article—remember, it’s from almost two decades ago—focused on the following areas: Recruiting – finding people with proper experience and offering them individualized benefits, such as flex time and tuition support, rather than stock programs or signing bonuses.

Ultimate Software 83

Ultimate Software Software Data Metrics 83

HRchitect

FEBRUARY 16, 2016

Written by: John A. Hinojos. Most of us have some type of smoke or CO 2 device in our homes which will alert us if situations have changed and we have a pending disaster. To keep these devices working correctly, it is advised that you replace the batteries twice a year. Most people will pick either key events in the year or the beginning of two seasons. Keep Up to Date on Legal Changes.

Global HR 83

Global HR Software Course Data 83

ClearCompany HRM

FEBRUARY 19, 2016

For many ClearCompany clients, the hiring process consistently unfolds on a predictable path: a recruiter selects resumes; screens applicants via phone ; schedules interviews; and extends offers. cursory Google search yields a plethora of results discussing how to craft the perfect resume. Screening Candidates

Screening 81

Screening Recruitment Strategy How To 81

Visier

FEBRUARY 18, 2016

When customers start using Visier, they often tell us the stories that led them to seek out a workforce intelligence solution. One such story clearly describes a core inefficiency that is common to many companies. At this company, the leadership team wanted to develop a new product line and asked Finance if they could afford the startup costs. Why planners pad workforce expense budgets.

Payroll 77

Payroll Analysis Workforce Planning Recruitment 77

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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

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