open thread – February 3-4, 2017 by Alison Green on February 3, 2017 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 […] Read the full article →
I used a white-sounding name on my resume and got way more interviews, our meeting food keeps getting eaten, and more by Alison Green on February 3, 2017 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Coworkers keep eating the food for meetings that they’re not attending I work in an office where it is common to have catered lunches for executive meetings. The conference room is too small to set up the food inside, so it is usually set up […] Read the full article →
if you think a PIP always ends in firing, you are wrong by Alison Green on February 2, 2017 Whenever performance improvement plans (PIPs) come up here, people always declare that they’re only ever used as a way to push employees out and that a manager who puts someone on a PIP is just covering their own butt while gearing up to fire the person. This is absolutely, 100% not universal. It’s certainly true […] Read the full article →
one way to give your staff more feedback by Alison Green on February 2, 2017 If you’re like most managers, you probably don’t give your team members enough feedback. Or you give plenty of praise but shy away from talking giving corrections or criticism … or, on the other end of the spectrum, you give far more criticism than praise. If any of these describe you, you could stand to […] Read the full article →
should I turn down a job offer I was excited about until I met the CEO? by Alison Green on February 2, 2017 A reader writes: I’m in my 30s, and looking to transition from teaching (English) into something more scalable and content focused — entry-level marketing, copywriting, or editing. I’ve had some positive responses to applications, including an interview with my dream company, but haven’t landed anything quite yet (I’ve only been searching for a few weeks, […] Read the full article →
you need this farm-to-table florist for Valentine’s Day by Alison Green on February 2, 2017 And now a word from a sponsor… I’m a big believer that you shouldn’t go out on Valentine’s Day – restaurants tend to be overcrowded and you can have a much more romantic evening if you stay at home. Of course, I also think that the height of romance is lounging on the couch together […] Read the full article →
employee asked for a 30% raise right after a serious performance conversation, coworker is hours late every day, and more by Alison Green on February 2, 2017 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My coworker is hours late every day I work a miserable shift. It’s 5 a.m. to 1 p.m. Waking up is hard, but I’m in an industry where shift work is the norm so I don’t complain and I get in here no later than […] Read the full article →
am I patronizing the admin? by Alison Green on February 1, 2017 A reader writes: I work in a small office. Fergus and I are at the same level, working under the boss, Wakeen. We have a support staff of a dozen or so — mostly analysts, whose work Fergus and I direct and oversee, plus our receptionist and admin assistant, Sansa. Sansa is new to our […] Read the full article →
is it better to hire for skills or attitude? by Alison Green on February 1, 2017 A reader writes: I am a fairly new manager, and one of my staff recently accepted a promotion so her position is vacant and I need to fill it. My manager has told me to focus on skills when creating the job description — that it does not have to be the same exact position […] Read the full article →
my company is making us do mandatory sessions with a pushy, rude gym trainer by Alison Green on February 1, 2017 A reader writes: I’m the newest employee at my small organization (have been here less than three months). At the first staff meeting of the year, our director announced that we would be having mandatory ergonomic training sessions for the nest three months, so we would learn to lift things safely, etc. I wasn’t enthused, […] Read the full article →