what to do about new hires who quit after their first week by Alison Green on July 30, 2019 A reader writes: Twice recently, we’ve had new graduates accept a job at our company then quit after their first week with no notice. Should I say something about how unprofessional this is, or let them learn the hard lesson on their own? Or can we do something during the hiring profess to make it […] Read the full article →
job candidate says she has to work for us secretly by Alison Green on July 22, 2019 A reader writes: We held an interview with a candidate for a part-time position who had been out of our line of work for 10 years. I interviewed her because she had some other things on her resume that seemed really interesting (she has been running a local online platform for 10 years with one […] Read the full article →
when a job candidate asks “how did I do?” by Alison Green on June 12, 2019 A reader writes: I had a weird situation today when interviewing a candidate and I was hoping to get your read on the situation. At the end of the interview, he asked us for an on-the-spot evaluation, saying something like, “So, what do you think of me so far?” I nearly did a spit-take because […] Read the full article →
can we just assign interview dates to job candidates? by Alison Green on June 5, 2019 A reader writes: I have been scheduling phone screenings and in-person interviews with job candidates. For calls, I offer two days, allowing them to tell me a time that works best for a brief chat. For interviews, I provide a few options for days and time. I’ve had a few candidates respond saying they can’t […] Read the full article →
do I need to work with the woman my father had an affair with? by Alison Green on April 22, 2019 A reader writes: I am employed by a nonprofit that works with low-income students. I love my job and think my doing it has a positive impact on others. I like my boss and coworkers. We also have an employee who kind of works as an assistant who does data input and organizes our lecture […] Read the full article →
what should you do if you’re asked to work for free in a job interview? by Alison Green on March 18, 2019 If you’ve interviewed for a job lately, you might have been asked to do an assignment to demonstrate your skills and show how you’d approach the job — anything from writing a press release for a communications job to coding a webpage for a web development job. In theory, this is a good thing. Some […] Read the full article →
can I ask a rejected job candidate on a date? by Alison Green on March 7, 2019 A reader writes: My team has been hiring for a position over the past couple of months. During this time, I have served on the interviewing team. I ask questions to candidates and then give my thoughts regarding whether to move them to the next round. My manager and I interviewed a guy during first […] Read the full article →
an entry-level candidate with no job history wants more money for their “experience” by Alison Green on January 21, 2019 A reader writes: I have a question for you as to whether or not this is a red flag for a potential new hire. I am hiring someone for an entry-level position. It is meant for someone straight out of college and new to the field who is interested in learning a lot, meeting loads […] Read the full article →
must I hire a qualified candidate with a ton of baggage? by Alison Green on November 5, 2018 A reader writes: My department recently created a new position. A colleague from another department got wind of this and asked when I planned to advertise the vacancy. I’m in no actual hurry to fill the position, so I said “hopefully by the end of the year.” He let me know that his wife is […] Read the full article →
why are so many job interviewers terrible? by Alison Green on October 1, 2018 Employers generally agree that having well-qualified employees is a crucial part of whether or not their businesses thrive – so you might think it follows that they’d put real effort in to how they hire. But inexplicably, many employers give minimal or no training at all to the staff who interview their job applicants and […] Read the full article →