new hire keeps kneeling in front of me by Alison Green on February 28, 2022 A reader writes: Perhaps you can help me figure out how to best approach this strange situation at my office. I’m a senior (male) engineer in my late 30s. Recently my company hired a new college grad as a junior engineer. So far this young man seems reasonably competent on a technical level, but he […] Read the full article →
what to say in response to “I’m sorry” from employees by Alison Green on February 28, 2022 A reader writes: I manage employees in a job where arriving on time for shift coverage really matters. When my employees are late to work without notice, most of the time they apologize with a simple, “Sorry I’m late.” I struggle with how to succinctly respond when it doesn’t warrant a formal sit-down. If someone […] Read the full article →
how do I ask for monthly time off to deal with my period? by Alison Green on February 28, 2022 Two letters, similar topic. Here’s the first: I’m currently searching for a new job, partly because my company has been fully remote for the past two years due to Covid and this doesn’t align with my career goals (there is a hands-on component to my work that I want to focus on developing). However, one […] Read the full article →
asking an employee to IM instead of calling, bad writing in hiring emails, and more by Alison Green on February 28, 2022 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Can I ask my employee to use chat instead of calling every time? I am a middle-manager with a small team. We are mostly working from home, and going into the office one day a week. One of my team members calls me several times […] Read the full article →
weekend open thread – February 26-27, 2022 by Alison Green on February 26, 2022 This comment section is open for any non-work-related discussion you’d like to have with other readers, by popular demand. Here are the rules for the weekend posts. Book recommendation of the week: Fall or Fly: The Strangely Hopeful Story of Foster Care and Adoption in Appalachia, by Wendy Welch. Fascinating and heart-breaking and frustrating and important. I make a […] Read the full article →
it’s your Friday good news by Alison Green on February 25, 2022 It’s your Friday good news! 1. “I am an avid reader (and recommender) and wanted to share a little Friday Good News! After finally making the decision to launch my job search in earnest, I am thrilled to be starting my new job next month. I was truly torn about leaving my current role, but […] Read the full article →
open thread – February 25-26, 2022 by Alison Green on February 25, 2022 It’s the Friday open thread! The comment section on this post is open for discussion with other readers on any work-related questions that you want to talk about (that includes school). If you want an answer from me, emailing me is still your best bet*, but this is a chance to take your questions to […] Read the full article →
our boss’s lack of self-esteem drives us crazy, interviewing when you can be very picky, and more by Alison Green on February 25, 2022 It’s four answers to four questions. Here we go… 1. Our boss’s lack of self-esteem is driving us crazy My supervisor has the self-esteem of a 90’s emo kid, and it is driving our team crazy. To compensate for his issues, he is constantly saying bad things about himself but then follows this up with […] Read the full article →
when recruiters ask, “how did the interview go?” by Alison Green on February 24, 2022 A reader writes: I’m currently interviewing for a position with a large tech company. I’ve had a phone screener, an interview with team members, and an interview with the head of the team. This all happened over the course of two weeks. A few days ago, the recruiter emailed me asking to set up a […] Read the full article →
update: the mom quitting her job because of Covid by Alison Green on February 24, 2022 Earlier this month in an article for Slate, I quoted a working mom who had said this: “I like my job. I like being a working mom. But I have decided to quit my job in a month. I don’t think it’s fair for my 2.5 year old to be plopped in front of the […] Read the full article →