why does my coworker hate me? by Alison Green on February 7, 2023 A reader writes: I am a brand new graduate who started at a consulting firm last January. I’ve been there for about a year, and I have positive relationships with my coworkers. I am fairly quiet at work because I’m new, I am still learning from my colleagues and assessing the work environment. My coworkers […] Read the full article →
how to answer “why are you interested in this position?” by Alison Green on February 7, 2023 Sit down for any job interview and one of the first questions you’re likely to be asked is, “Why are you interested in this position?” For a lot of interviewers, this is a softball question: a way to ease into the interview without hitting you with high-pressure questions the minute you sit down. And to […] Read the full article →
how should I respond when employees complain about financial stress? by Alison Green on February 7, 2023 A reader writes: I am the director of a nonprofit with a small team: I have five direct reports. I was a coworker to all of these individuals for years before being promoted and becoming their boss, and as a result I have — and continue to have — very close relationships with them. Since […] Read the full article →
how do I reply to my coworker’s apology without saying her constant mistakes are OK, coworker calls me “mama,” and more by Alison Green on February 7, 2023 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My coworker keeps causing more work for me, then apologizing — and I don’t want to tell her it’s OK I’m in a weird situation right now. My coworker, who I’ll call Jane, made a big mistake over the weekend. Big enough that I was […] Read the full article →
a behind-the-scenes look at how Ask a Manager runs by Alison Green on February 6, 2023 Recently I answered a question about the behind-the-scenes running of Ask a Manager, and readers said they’d be interested in an opportunity to ask more. So last week I asked people to post questions they were interested in, and here are a bunch of answers. Note that I couldn’t get to all the questions (there […] Read the full article →
a very good update: how to tell a former employee he can’t visit us weekly by Alison Green on February 6, 2023 Remember the letter-writer asking how to tell a former employee he couldn’t visit their office weekly (#3 at the link)? The update is one of my favorites ever (and I probably should have saved it for Valentine’s Day but you are getting it now because I love it too much to wait): I have an update […] Read the full article →
my boss’s horrible kids are trying to destroy us because he disinherited them by Alison Green on February 6, 2023 A reader writes: I work for a small towing and salvage company as the manager and dispatcher in a very rural area. My duties range from high-stress emergency tow dispatching to legal notice writing and basic administrative duties, as well as selling auto parts and salvage, inventory, writing store policies and negotiating contracts with motor […] Read the full article →
I can’t afford to buy breakfast for my team, should you always ask about a gap on someone’s resume, and more by Alison Green on February 6, 2023 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. I can’t afford to buy breakfast for my team every month At my job, we have weekly meetings where my whole team gets together in the morning. At these meetings, one to three people present what they’ve been working on for the past month. We […] Read the full article →
weekend open thread – February 4-5, 2023 by Alison Green on February 3, 2023 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: Lolly Willowes, by Sylvia Townsend Warner. An older woman who has always put her controlling family’s needs before her own decides to move […] Read the full article →
it’s your Friday good news by Alison Green on February 3, 2023 It’s your Friday good news: I had just started my job hunt when I saw a posting for Dream Job at Dream Company — a position that never existed in my area until it recently got relocated here. I purchased your How to Get a Job: Secrets of A Hiring Manager ebook and got to […] Read the full article →