10 mistakes employers make when hiring by Alison Green on July 21, 2008 I’ve written a lot about the mistakes job applicants make in the hiring process, but it’s often no better on the employer’s side. Here are the 10 biggest mistakes I see companies make when hiring. 1. Flakiness. They say they’ll get back to you this week and you hear nothing. The job description seems to […] Read the full article →
job rejections and vitriol, part 2 by Alison Green on July 20, 2008 About a year ago, I wrote a post about how a small fraction of job applicants respond to rejection notices with outrage, rudeness, or general vitriol, and gave a few real-life samples. Some background: My organization emails rejection notes to all applicants we don’t offer a job to. It’s a friendly and polite letter, and […] Read the full article →
unfair performance evaluation? by Alison Green on July 20, 2008 A reader writes: I have worked in HR for seven and a half years, working my way up from an HR Assistant to a Senior HR Assistant and 3 years ago to a Recruiter. I hire employees for about 30 departmental managers. I have always had excellent yearly performance reviews, most years being ranked 4 […] Read the full article →
prospective employer called current employer by Alison Green on July 19, 2008 A reader writes: I recently interviewed for a position in a company that is opening a new branch in my area in the early fall. I went through the entire interview process, a phone interview and then meetings with 2 HR reps, a branch manager and a VP. Everything went great. I was very clear […] Read the full article →
excelling in end stages of hiring process by Alison Green on July 16, 2008 A reader writes: I’ve got a second round (final) interview for a state agency department district director position next Monday. I had been told the top 2 candidates would be moving on to this second round, so I assume that I am a good position here and want to make the best possible impression. I’ve […] Read the full article →
rude boss wants his personal errands run by Alison Green on July 15, 2008 A reader writes: I’m a 40-year-old woman working for a 28-year-old man, who likes to micromanage and who I believe is bipolar but of course am not 100% sure. I’ve been working for him for 2-1/2 years and since day one have been miserable. When I interviewed for him, he was a completely different person, […] Read the full article →
what to do if you’re “overqualified” by Alison Green on July 14, 2008 To job applicants, being told you’re overqualified can feel like being told by a prospective date that you’re too attractive. In other words, why is that a bad thing? To understand what hiring managers mean when they say this, and how you can get around it, put yourself in the manager’s head. When a manager […] Read the full article →
references and the importance of giving notice by Alison Green on July 11, 2008 It makes me very happy when other people do my work for me, as a reader named Ayan just did, with the comment she left on an earlier post I did on references. She writes: We recently interviewed a woman who wanted to leave the university system and work in the private sector (for us). […] Read the full article →
co-existing with a control freak secretary by Alison Green on July 11, 2008 A reader writes: The secretary in our office has been there for 35 years and likes to control “her” environment. A few of us have occupied a portable building for the past 5 years and recently we have all been temporarily moved back into the main building. It is very crowded and every single one […] Read the full article →
should I tell my boss I’m leaving after my vacation? by Alison Green on July 9, 2008 A reader writes: I have been with my employer for 1.5+ years, and at the start of this year I told them I was going to go to Europe in September. I booked my leave time, even though half of it is unpaid as I haven’t accrued enough paid leave. This is all fine, and […] Read the full article →