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2015 Related Topics
how to interview your potential new boss
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DECEMBER 11, 2015
A reader writes: Our department was asked by our director to have an informal-type “interview” with two of the finalists in line to fill our manager position (the current manager is retiring). We are a small department of eight people, and we are tasked with “being unemotional” and to have “facts” as to why we prefer one over the other. Yet, we were told to not assume that this will make a difference in who is hired. You can read my answer to this question over at Inc. interviewing
8 things you should never tell your interviewer — even if they’re true
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NOVEMBER 23, 2015
In an ideal world, an interview is a candid discussion between candidate and interviewer of the job and whether the candidate is the right match. And indeed, candor will usually increase both side’s chances of ending up with the right fit. But there are some things that can hurt your chances if you’re honest about them with your interviewer. At U.S. News & World Report today, I talk about are eight things you should never share with your interviewer. You can read it here. interviewing
weekend free-for-all – July 25-26, 2015
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JULY 25, 2015
weekend free-for-all – July 25-26, 2015 was originally published by Alison Green on Ask a Manager. 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.). open threads
when an employee gives you the silent treatment after getting feedback
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OCTOBER 16, 2015
A reader writes: One of the people I manage gives me the silent treatment when I correct him on something or ask him to do something differently. I don’t ever correct him in a mocking way or publicly. In In the hours that follow the correction, he will avoid eye contact with me, position his body language away from me, and only speak to me if I’m asking him a question. He’s He’s usually over it by the next day and we go back to our usual friendly working arrangement/interaction, but during the hours that the silent treatment is happening, I feel emotionally drained.
Are your managers ready for a world without formal performance reviews?
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The future of the formal performance review sparked a lively debate in 2015. SETTING. EXPECTATIONS: My team members are clear on. their roles & responsibilities. 2. DELEGATING: I effectively identify tasks that. others can take on to develop their. capabilities and free my time for. more strategic activities. 3. COACHING: I support my team members by. challenging and encouraging them.
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are mandatory happy hours just part of working in an office?
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NOVEMBER 17, 2015
A reader writes: I’m still pretty young (25) and, personally, don’t enjoy really corporate/professional office settings and the formalities that come with them. My career has thankfully taken me to a firm that seems to be a happy medium: still corporate and professional, but with young company culture, business casual dress for my team, and a good deal of autonomy/low amounts of micromanaging. My entire team is in their 20s and my boss is only 30, so we’re all pretty close and relate to one another on some level, even if we have different interests. workplace practices
manager asked about religion, new job was a scam, and more
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DECEMBER 21, 2015
It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. Manager asked about religion when I asked to take a day off. My workplace has an unfortunately named paid time off day called “Religious Day.” It’s essentially a personal day that’s granted when someone is hired, without the need for accrual. Besides the name, the staff handbook does not specify what this day is to be used for. If you’re not religious, it seems like just another day of paid time off similar to a personal day. Am I on solid ground here? Your manager was out off line. 2. But one of my close friends is his direct manager.
update: my boyfriend has my old job and there’s tons of drama
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DECEMBER 21, 2015
Remember the letter-writer whose boyfriend had her old job and was being treated badly by a board member? Here’s the update. The museum’s operating season ended one week after you posted your response to my question about what to do about Pat. At that time, per your advice, I started slowly getting rid of my volunteer duties by letting the board know that I was resigning my position as chair for a semi-annual event. Pat requested an “employee review” between herself, a handful of other board members, and my boyfriend for this past Monday. updates
how should your resume list a bunch of different jobs at the same place?
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OCTOBER 7, 2016
Senior Teapot Painter , May 2015 – present. Teapot Painter , August 2013 – May 2015. Senior Teapot Painter , May 2015 – present. Teapot Painter , August 2013 – May 2015. Or, instead of these options, some people do completely separate listings for each, but for employers who aren’t reading carefully, that can make it look at first glance like you were jumping from company to company (and not everyone reads beyond that initial glance): Teapots Inc. , May 2015 – present. August 2013 – May 2015. accomplishment. resumes
Ditching the formal performance review? Kineo shares 3 Elements for Success
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KnowledgeAdvisors (2015) reports. in all these areas in 2015 and beyond. In his August 2015. From Performance Management. to Performance Development eGuide 2Part 2: A Roadmap. for Change In Part 1 of this eGuide, we explored the confluence. of factors that’s driving change in how performance. is managed and how organizations are moving. away from the traditional annual review process to. more real-time dynamic approach. This all sounds. very logical, of course, until an organization starts to. push forward with change then finds that there may. elements in more detail.
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I walked in on employees having sex — and I think there’s a sex club in my office
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APRIL 22, 2015
A reader writes: I am the manager of a customer service team of about 10-12 members. Most of the team members are right out of school and this is their first professional job and their ages range from 22-24. I am about 10 years older than all of my employees. We have a great team and great working relationships. They all do great work and we have established a great team culture. Well, a couple of months ago, I noticed something odd that my team (and other employees in the building) started doing. Fast forward a few months. immediately closed the door and left. know this is all extremely weird.
stop claiming subjective traits on your resume
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AUGUST 14, 2015
Do you have anything like the following on your resume? excellent written and oral communication skills. strong initiative. visionary leader. creative innovator. able to present strategic concepts clearly and persuasively. If so, remove it! Remove it all! Your resume is for experience and accomplishments only. It’s not the place for subjective traits that anyone could claim without evidence. Employers want to see evidence of the traits you’re claiming, not just proclamations. That’s what belongs on your resume. resumes
do not cheat the one-page resume rule by using a tiny font and tiny margins
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SEPTEMBER 8, 2015
If you’re early in your career, you’ve probably heard that your resume should only be one page. And perhaps you’ve tried to wiggle your way around that rule by using a tiny font and non-existent margins so that you can cram more text into one page. If you’re done this, you’re violating the rule in spirit and probably making your resume less effective. Before I go any further, let me clearly note that if you’re at least midway into your career, the one-page resume rule doesn’t apply to you. You get a second page at that point. And line spaces are not your enemy. resumes
how long can it take to hear back after a job interview?
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JULY 27, 2015
A reader writes: There is this company that I have wanted to work for since I got into the work I do now. finally had the experience to apply and have done so and I also was referred highly by a current employee. I was contacted fairly quickly for a phone interview and then a few days later for a face to face interview. I had my interview on July 1 and felt it went really well. I met with all managers and the lead. I was told that they may have an extended interview process of a few weeks, but they would let me know either way. still have not heard anything back from either email. interviewin
4 Ways to Close the Learning-Doing Gap for Front-Line Managers [GUIDE]
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According to BearingPoint Institute (2015), “The. KnowledgeAdvisors (2015) reports that “41% of training. Redesigning the Organization, 2015). FOUR WAYS TO CLOSE THE. LEARNING-DOING GAP FOR. FRONT-LINE MANAGERS 4FOREWORD We’re in business to help organizations. achieve their goals by making sure their. employees have the knowledge and skills. they need to succeed. managers.
is 8-6 the new 9-5?
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OCTOBER 8, 2015
A reader writes: I wanted to get a perspective from you and your readers on whether you think a majority of businesses and industries are now expecting longer workdays from their employees. Colloquially, “the 9 to 5″ has been a phrase to discribe full-time jobs conducted during normal business hours. Obviously all individual offices will vary, but based on my own experience and the experiences of people I know, it seems like “the 8 to 6″ would now be a better descriptor. These hours didn’t account for unpaid lunch time, either. For some people. hours a week.
can I bring a crib sheet into interviews to help me answer questions?
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DECEMBER 21, 2015
A reader writes: I work in a sector where it is common to ask competency questions in interviews (apologies for being vague, but if I stated my work area you’d probably respond with “oh yeah, those guys probably DO get a lot of competency questions”). These range from informal “how would you handle this situation?” ” discussions to “please take us through the X process” to full-on sheets of exam questions with mark schemes. Needless to say I loathe the things. But recently I got my first bad reaction. Are there better ways to handle this problem?
everything you need to know to ask for a year-end raise
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DECEMBER 21, 2015
At U.S. News & World Report today, I’ve rounded up everything you need to know about year-end raises, including how to ask for one, how much to expect, and what to do if your performance hasn’t been great this year. You can read it here. everything you need to know to ask for a year-end raise was originally published by Alison Green on Ask a Manager. salary
what to say if you want to walk out of a horrible intervew
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OCTOBER 20, 2015
One thing I’ve noticed in years of writing this blog is that people when find themselves in terrible, ridiculous job interviews where they’re being mistreated — or even just interviews where it’s clear really early on that this isn’t the right match — they feel obligated to stick it out until the end. You’re not obligated to stay when that happens. In fact, look at it from the employer’s side: Employers cut short interviews all the time when it becomes clear that it’s not the right match. You’re allowed to do the same thing yourself. bad interviewer behavior
The Performance Management Storm: Four Macro-Trends Driving the Change
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2015 Harvard Business Review article, a pair of GE. 1Why Your Company Will Need to. Rethink Performance Management eGuide Part 1: The Argument. for Change 2 3About this Guide Organizations are increasingly. moving from traditional performance. management systems (organized as. an annual review process) to newer. performance development systems. organized around real-time dynamics). If the.
my office is going overboard on team-building activities
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AUGUST 13, 2015
A reader writes: I’ve been in my office for about 10 months. When I initially joined, we had a weekly event called Friday Fitness, where each week a different person would lead a quick 15-minute workout. Everyone in our office thoroughly enjoys Friday Fitness because it breaks up the monotony of our office desk jobs and is a great team-building activity. Unfortunately, the success of this event has prompted my manager to start initiating new team activities. When these ideas were being floated around, I almost fell out of my seat! Only one other coworker and I raised objections.
should I take the University of Phoenix off my resume?
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MARCH 30, 2015
A reader writes: I’ve got an MBA from University of Phoenix and at first I was really proud of it. I’d worked really hard to get through the corporate finance classes. Marketing, management, human resources…it all seemed pretty standard stuff for an MBA, only with no PowerPoint presentations since everything was online. thought I should get some credit for being able to stick with a program independently. My education has never helped me to get a job. I don’t know what to do. It’s intended to signal a plus (a degree!) resumes
I racked up $20,000 in personal charges on my company credit card
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JUNE 4, 2015
A reader writes: The short version of the story is that I genuinely misunderstood the way my corporate credit card was to be used. have been using it over the last few years regularly for personal reasons, including medical, car payments (a car is required for my job, but not covered under expenses), and general personal shopping. This just means I get charged PayPal fees for the cash advance, and it means nothing more is due until the next billing cycle. wrote back to this letter-writer and asked: “Just so I really get the whole situation, did you really think was allowed? Ooooh.
how managers should communicate decisions they don’t agree with
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AUGUST 25, 2015
A reader writes: I’m a unit head at a government agency that is having some serious financial and managerial turmoil. The powers that be are contemplating a decision that could have a very negative impact on my area, and our manager called all his units to discuss the issue. He explained the case he would make, but also said repeatedly, “I’ll do my best, but you know that the boss will end up doing whatever the boss wants, and there’s nothing I can really do to stop it.” Which is historically true, but was also incredibly demoralizing to hear. Ugh, yeah, your manager mishandled this.
The Performance Management Storm: Four Macro-Trends Driving the Change
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2015 Harvard Business Review article, a pair of GE. 1Why Your Company Will Need to. Rethink Performance Management eGuide Part 1: The Argument. for Change 2 3About this Guide Organizations are increasingly. moving from traditional performance. management systems (organized as. an annual review process) to newer. performance development systems. organized around real-time dynamics). If the.
fired employee wants to attend the holiday party, rejected for going to school full-time, and more
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NOVEMBER 18, 2015
It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. Fired Fired employee wants to attend the company Christmas party. Our office recently let go of an employee for numerous reasons after several warnings, for minor things such as frequent lateness, too many personal calls and emails on company time, general friction with other coworkers, to more serious things such as a very sharp decline in their work quality, cursing at other coworkers, and admitting to getting high at work. They also requested a hotel reservation, which is generously supplied free of charge for those needing one.
is a higher-paying job worth extra stress?
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NOVEMBER 10, 2015
A reader writes: I’m an executive assistant for a medium size nonprofit organization. absolutely love my job, the organization, and my boss. Like most nonprofits, the salary is on the low side. Currently I am at $40,000 a year but usually I receive a few enhancements, making my salary closer to $43,000 a year. I was contacted by a corporation for an executive assistant position at $65,000 a year. The allegations were settled privately. This would be the executive I would report to. I’m sure my husband trusts me, but I don’t know if I could trust my new boss. salary
my manager wants twice-a-day reporting on how I’m spending my time, affair is causing a scandal, and more
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AUGUST 10, 2015
It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. My manager is asking me for twice-a-day reporting on how I’m spending my time. My current manager has started making me do a daily “plan of day” and “end of day report” to send to him. have to record in an Excel spreadsheet what I plan to do and what I AM doing every hour and send to him daily. The problem I have, is that there are 6 men in my department and he hasn’t asked them to do anything remotely the same. Is this discrimination? Do you have concerns about my work or my productivity?” Now I don’t think so.
all my 2015 book recommendations
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DECEMBER 18, 2015
For most of 2015, I’ve made a weekly book recommendation when kicking off the weekend open thread. all my 2015 book recommendations was originally published by Alison Green on Ask a Manager These aren’t work-related books; they’re just books I love and think everyone else should read. The History of Love , by Nicole Krauss. It’s beautiful and engrossing and charming and wonderful. About Alice , by Calvin Trillin. It’s a warm, funny, and moving portrait of his wife, written five years after she died. think I cried from laughing at one point.
Leaving performance reviews behind: Where to start [Guide]
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For example, KnowledgeAdvisors (2015) reports that “41%. in all these areas in 2015 and beyond. 1Making Dynamic Performance. Development a Reality eGuide 3Introduction Does your organization want to adopt. more dynamic approach to managing. performance and developing employees? We see a stampede of organizations. moving in this direction. At the same. point: setting expectations.
6 smart resolutions that will land you a job in 2015
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JANUARY 1, 2015
If you’ll be searching for a job in 2015, don’t just apply the same old tired job search advice about expanding your network, improving your social media presence, and cleaning up your resume. smart resolutions that will land you a job in 2015 was originally published by Alison Green on Ask a Manager. Those things matter, of course, but they’re hardly revolutionary advice. Instead, at U.S. News & World Report today, I offer you six new year’s resolutions to truly kick off your search off from a position of strength. You can read it here. job searching
my new company wants me to change my name
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SEPTEMBER 29, 2015
A reader writes: I am starting a new job next week. Somehow another employee, who is a favorite of the regional manager, objects to my name, so I have been told I cannot use it. My middle name is King and it is a name that has been in our family for years. have been called King since the day I was born – 54 years ago – and have never had anyone even mention it, much less object to it. This entry-level employee says it offends her religious beliefs. She has been at the company for several years but is still at entry-level, so how can she carry so much weight? What are my options?
my boss turns it into an ordeal every time I ask him a question
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OCTOBER 7, 2015
A reader writes: I’m a paid intern at a small technology startup. My boss wrote the entire codebase for our project; there’s no documentation, and also it’s my first time doing this kind of work outside a classroom. (I’m a woman in my mid 20s. My college degree is in humanities, and I had a totally different career for a couple of years before this; I took an intensive training course on programming over the summer, and have taught myself a lot.). Naturally, I have lots of questions. Examples: I emailed him some code that wasn’t working as expected. What do I do?
how to take a vacation when your work never stops
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DECEMBER 4, 2015
A reader writes: The holidays are here, and I’m meant to be taking a week off for vacation. The trip is booked, it’s been approved months ago by my boss, and I’ve scheduled my requested time with an eye to our work cycle and done my best to get everything done and covered before I’m gone. She says I can either not go, or be available during my leave at all times for work, or I can pay out of my own pocket for a freelancer to come in to backfill me. There may be no way to save this vacation, but I wonder: how does one responsibly take some time off? workplace practices
Move Beyond Learning to Applying: A Modern Management Development Program
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1 kineo.com [email protected] 312-846-6656 Hard to believe that it’s been almost 20 years since the term “eLearning” entered the corpo- rate learning lexicon. And just in the last five years, the velocity at which new solutions have entered. the market has gone through the roof. We now. have the ability deploy video, virtual role-plays, and. learning nuggets. rate content. Right? Wrong! impact.
my team wants me to bring them cookies, coworker is constantly monitoring me, and more
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APRIL 14, 2015
It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. My team wants to be recognized with cookies and trophies. need you to tell me if I’m being a terrible person. manage a small team of part-time associates doing a pretty entry-level customer service job. Previous managers have apparently baked cookies, purchased novelty trophies, and made up awards to celebrate when employees made their goals. Most of this was on their own time with their own money, although admittedly it wasn’t too much of either. That’s what they get paid for, and it’s what I expect them to do.
what to do when your new boss is hard to work with
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NOVEMBER 6, 2015
A reader writes: We have a new department head, who is my new direct manager (previously there was no one person supervising this group). Since she’s arrived, we’ve had problems with her understanding of how our existing procedures work. If you say, in a perfectly neutral or even friendly tone, “Normally when this happens, this is how we handle it,” she says she does not have time to do it that way or does not want to do it that way, or even “I have been in this for 30 years and I’ve never handled it that way.”. even took pains to frame my question as “do you want to do this?”
weekend free-for-all – October 17-18, 2015
Ask a Manager
OCTOBER 17, 2015
weekend free-for-all – October 17-18, 2015 was originally published by Alison Green on Ask a Manager. 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.). open thread
how to explain to interviewers why I quit my job without another one lined up
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JULY 30, 2015
A reader writes: I recently resigned from my position at my previous employer due to its toxic environment and unsupportive senior management. I was constantly being thrown under the bus. The position didn’t align with my career goals anyway, and I could no longer reconcile the fact that I was in a stressful, low-paying job I didn’t even want. Now that I’m doing interviews, potential employers are asking me why left, and I don’t want to necessarily badmouth my previous employer. ” Should I be honest? Were you fired? Forced to leave? They don’t know. interviewing
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