frustrated by my parents’ employee’s constant complaining, over-sharing in a cover letter, and more by Alison Green on April 19, 2014 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. I’m interviewing for a job working with a company that fired me for complaining on Facebook five years ago — should I mention it? Five years ago, I was fired from a very good job as a project manager for a major airline. I had […] Read the full article →
can you be a good manager if you’re shy? by Alison Green on April 18, 2014 This was originally published on August 24, 2010. A reader writes: I’m shy. Sometimes people misinterpret this as aloofness or snobbery. Being outgoing and making friends with everyone I meet has never been a part of my personality. I just have a hard time making casual conversation (which is necessary for good relationships with coworkers), […] Read the full article →
open thread – April 18, 2014 by Alison Green on April 18, 2014 It’s the Friday open thread! The comment section on this post is open for discussion with other readers on anything 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. Read the full article →
my employees say their coworker slacks off when I’m not around, explaining an 18-month internship, and more by Alison Green on April 18, 2014 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My employees say another employee slacks off when I’m not around I supervise three people (all at least 20+ years older then me; I received this promotion due to very odd circumstances). All of them are great, and wonderful workers. However, I am starting to […] Read the full article →
what to do when you disagree with your manager’s feedback by Alison Green on April 17, 2014 You sit down with your manager to discuss your work performance – and end up fundamentally disagreeing with her feedback to you. How can you respond and state your case without seeming argumentative or even insubordinate? Here are four key steps to responding to feedback that you disagree with. 1. Ask for more information. Ask clarifying […] Read the full article →
the winner of the hiring advice contest is… by Alison Green on April 17, 2014 In response to this week’s call to share what you wish you knew before you started hiring people (or what you wish hiring managers knew), you all created a huge compendium of fantastic, real-world hiring advice. It’s a seriously amazing resource that anyone who wants to be better at hiring should read through. I had […] Read the full article →
8 workplace dilemmas you might face — and how to overcome them by Alison Green on April 17, 2014 We hear a lot of bizarre workplace stories here – from the boss who kept stealing people’s lunches to the receptionist who wouldn’t stop hugging people. But these are outliers; chances are good that you’re going to go your whole career without encountering them. What you almost certainly will encounter are the more typical obstacles […] Read the full article →
now managers are calling millennials’ parents by Alison Green on April 17, 2014 Harvard Business Review is claiming that some companies are now calling their millennial employees’ parents to report on their job performance … and that their employees actually like this, rather than telling their companies to back the hell out of their personal lives. I … am just going to refuse to believe this is true. […] Read the full article →
asking my boss to move his vacation days, I’m being laid off and don’t want a goodbye lunch, and more by Alison Green on April 17, 2014 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Can I ask my boss to move his vacation days during our busy period? I work in university administration, and my boss is at the “use it or lose it” stage of his vacation time, so he will often take four-day weekends to use up […] Read the full article →
update: how can I tell my coworkers their Halloween costumes are racist? by Alison Green on April 16, 2014 Remember the letter-writer wondering about how to talk to coworkers who were planning Halloween costumes that included blackface and other racist tropes? (You probably do, because it was the most commented-on post of last year.) Here’s her update. I read through everyone’s advice and decided to speak to the office manager about my concerns and […] Read the full article →