Ask a Manager

It’s five short answers to five short questions. Here we go…

1. Sending a very belated rejection to a job candidate

I just realized I composed a decline email to a candidate on December 11 and never hit send. It’s more than a month later. Should I send it or just let it be? The kicker is that after we decline people, we send a handwritten note to say “thanks for coming in, it was nice to meet you, good luck with your search,” etc. and I did send that. The idea is that comes after the normal decline email. On its own, the note seems like a vague I’m-implying-you-are-declined-without-actually-saying-it.

It’s probably clear that she didn’t get the job, but she must think we have the strangest way to decline people.

I’d go ahead and send the email now, but just add a line at the top saying that you thought you had sent this a month ago and just realized that it hadn’t gone out, and that you apologize for leaving her hanging. If she’s reasonable, she’ll understand that, and she’ll just appreciate that you got back to her (especially against the backdrop of the large number of companies that don’t send rejections at all).

2. Why would a terrible temp be hired over a great temp?

I was a temp at a company for about 8 months. It was a 6-month temp-to-perm assignment. Our stats would be sent out at the end of each month. During my time there, I out-produced the hired employees each month since the week I started. We did have another temp who started about 2 weeks before I did who was a very poor performer and was the lowest performing specialist on the team. Unfortunately, our boss decided to hire him at his 6-month point. Frustrating as that was, when it came time for my 6-month hire-on, our boss said he had already filled all the positions and that there might be space later on. What gives? I did find a better permanent job, but what is with a supervisor hiring someone know for performance problems?

He’s a terrible manager? The bad temp was someone’s friend/nephew/blackmailer? The temp was good at some other skill that the team needed (and which you didn’t know about)? You had good performance stats but weren’t the right fit for some other reason (like a personality clash, or they needed someone who was also good at X, which you didn’t have)? It’s hard to say, but those are some of the possibilities.

3. I was told to charge a team building day to my vacation time

Recently I was “volunteered” to participate in a company golf outing. I did not have any desire to go, but of course it would have looked bad for me to dodge out. The outing was on a Friday and involved golf and alcohol, all of which were comped by the company. We had a business meeting around noon, where we discussed the company direction and other similar things. The golf teams of four were pre-arranged to allow for maximum team building, which seemed to be the purpose of the event.

My issue is: when I returned to work Monday (after losing my weekend flying back from said event), I questioned how I should bill my hours for that Friday. Maybe towards marketing (there were a few potential clients we were there to market to) or perhaps towards “employee meeting” time. I asked a higher-up and they told me to bill it all toward my own vacation time.

This did not feel like “paid time off” – it was work. There are a million things I would rather do with my precious vacation days than work, golf, network, or participate in business meetings. Any thoughts on this? Is the company right to ask me to use my vacation time for this? The whole thing rubs me the wrong way, which seems unhealthy for the company all around.

No, absolutely not. This was a work function, and it wasn’t vacation time — and that’s true whether it was “voluntary” or not. Is it possible that the person you asked was a slightly deranged half-wit and you can ask someone else without appearing to just be fishing for the right answer? If that person was not your manager, it’s totally reasonable to say to your manager, “Bob said to bill Friday’s trip to my vacation time, but that can’t be right since it was a work event.” If that person was your manager, check with HR, who are generally sensible about this type of thing.

4. How to connect a friend with a business contact who’s hiring

One of my friends recently graduated from college, and she’s applying for a few jobs within an adjacent industry. I have contacts through my work with an organization she’s applying at (my company did some marketing work with the organization in the past) and I offered to introduce her by email to that contact. However, I just realized I’m not sure how to really approach this person or what to say – we only worked together on the one project, and although we’re cordial, it’s a strictly business sort of contact. The other person I want her to connect with is a former coworker who moved into her industry and used to work for that organization, so that’ll be a lot easier; it’s just the first person that I’m unsure about.

How do I go about approaching the first contact without looking unprofessional or making it sound like “hey, you should give my friend a job”? Is it okay if I email them through my work email or should it be my personal one? Are there any tips you have?

Well, you’re not saying “give my friend a job.” You’re saying, “I know of someone who might be a great fit for the job you’re hiring for.” In fact, you’re doing your business contact a favor (because hiring is the right person is hard, and getting referrals from a trusted source can be hugely helpful), not asking her to do your friend a favor. I’d just say something like, “I’d like to introduce you to my friend Lucinda Snodsgrass, who’s applying for your ___ job. She’s smart and has an encyclopedic knowledge of teapot design, and she might be a great fit for you.” (If that last sentence isn’t true, leave it off, since your reputation is at risk here too.)

And it’s fine to use your work email for this; it’s business networking, and you’re not job-searching for yourself.

5. How can I point out that we must be paid for doing required reading outside of work?

My employer is trying to implement the philosophies from a business book. This means that all employees will be required to read the book. My employer will assign chapters each week for the employees to read, and then we will review those chapters as a group to make sure everyone has a clear understanding of the book’s principles (the review of chapters will be during a work day – this will be paid time). They want us to do this required reading on our own time, meaning we will not be paid for the reading. Can they do this, and if not, how can we address this?

Yes, they can require you to read the book outside of work, but if you’re non-exempt, you must be paid for the time you spend reading it. To point that out to them, I’d say, “Since it’s a required activity for work, how should we track our reading time so it’s on our timesheets?” If they miss that hint and respond that you should do it on your own time, say, “I think that since it’s an activity required for work, we actually have to count it as work time.” If they still push back, say, “Could you look into that? I don’t want us to get in trouble for mishandling non-exempt employees.”

(Note the use of the “we” trick here — you’re saying “we” to make it sound collaborative, not adversarial.)

It’s five short answers to five short questions. Here we go…

1. How transparent should I be with new hires about a blow-up that preceded them?

One of the teams I supervise consists of two people and the two recent incumbents had a personality conflict that totally blew up and resulted in both of them leaving back to back. The positions will be refilled soon. As these two new people start, I’m concerned that they’ll hear mutterings from other staff about the previous situation and immediately become concerned that they’ve stepped into a bad situation–that the job is structured as a no-win situation or that the boss is a monster (if anything, I’m learning not to be a wimp, to put it in your terms). I don’t think those things are true: the positions really are just open because of a personality conflict between two particular people who aren’t around anymore. Should I address this head-on? Only if the new people ask? I know that I will have confidence in the interpersonal and job skills of the new hires, so I don’t want them to feel threatened or worried by rumors, but I’m also concerned that if I bring it up myself, it will inadvertently come off as threatening and backfire.

When in doubt, err on the side of transparency. I’d be straightforward with your new hires — let them know the background and how it might affect them (for instance, that it means that both spots on that team are vacant at once, so you’ll be doing more of the training yourself, rather than relying on another team member to help them, and so forth). You can even tell them that you’ve taken a look at some of the questions the situation raised for you (for instance, whether it was just a personality conflict or whether the way the job were structured played any role in it and what you’ve concluded), which will (a) answer some questions that they might not feel comfortable asking you, and (b) signal that you’re thoughtful and not oblivious.

Ideally, you would have done this at the finalist stage before hiring anyone, because you want anyone who’s going to be uncomfortable with this to self-select out before they take the job, not after they’ve started, and you don’t want anyone feeling like you weren’t up-front with them. Plus, when people are walking into a situation with a sticky history, they usually feel better if they knew about it before accepting the job. (“Oh, two people didn’t get along. Great, that means the job is open for me.”) If they find out afterwards, they’re more likely to feel blindsided and a little freaked out. (“There was a scandal here! No one told me about it! Have I walked into a hornet’s nest?”) But it’s not too late to do it now; just be sure to do it in a calm way, because people will take their cues from you — so be matter-of-fact and direct; don’t whisper it in a scandalized tone.

2. Did this recruiter really submit me for a job or didn’t he?

I came across an online job posting (direct hire) that was perfect for me and I bookmarked it temporarily. The same day, a third party recruiter called me, and proceeded by asking me what jobs I was considering. When I declined to answer that question, he asked if I was interested in Company A, the same job posting I had bookmarked and planned to respond to. Long story short, for reasons I wont go into, I made the mistake of allowing him to submit my resume to the company on my behalf. This was on December 26, 2013. Now it is January 11, 2014, and the last time I spoke to the recruiter was a few days ago. He assured me he would get in touch with the hiring manager and get back to me. Several business days have passed since then, with no response. I need to move this guy out of the way, but I don’t want to risk contacting the company directly if there is a possibility that he really did speak with the hiring manager. It seems to me that time is of the essence. So my idea is this: Contact the recruiter to ask for the copies of the materials and correspondence he used to submit my resume. If he can’t produce it, I will assume that it hadn’t been done, and I will proceed directly with the employer. That’s the best I can come up with. What do you think?

Ugh, you might be up a creek here. The recruiter may or may not give you those materials, and it’s likely to strike him as an odd request. Moreover, if he has submitted you to the company, he now “owns” your candidacy and the employer probably won’t proceed with you on their own (because they’re contractually obligated to pay him a finder’s fee if they hire you). That said, even if that’s the case — and certainly if it’s not — you don’t really have anything to lose by contacting the company directly. If he didn’t really submit you, then you’ll be taking care of it yourself. If he did, it’s not the end of the world if you submit your resume to them yourself, as long as you don’t accompany it with an explanation of the whole saga (which is likely to make them just not want to be involved). Either way, you might or might not hear back from the company, but there’s nothing wrong with ensuring your materials get in front of them by sending them in yourself. It’s not ideal to risk a double submission, obviously, but it’s not the worst thing you could do.

3. Is it bad to mention my boyfriend in an interview?

I was interviewing for an internship about a month ago that I was really, really excited about. The internship is with an institution for whom a major focus is supporting K-12 education, and a major responsibility of the position is contributing to the resources they offer.

It happens that my boyfriend is finishing up an M.Ed to teach in that field, and the kind of resources they offer are resources that he’s mentioned before as being great tools for teaching and things that he’d love to use when he has a job. The interview went fairly well, and I think I articulated why I wanted the position and why I would be a good choice for it well. However, toward the end, I mentioned that my boyfriend is going into teaching in that field and that the work was even more interesting to me because I’ve heard him talk about how he can use similar resources.

It was really just a single sentence in an interview that lasted about 20 minutes, but when I left, I had a moment of panic about whether the comment was unprofessional. I didn’t mean to mention him – it just kind of slipped out because of how we were discussing the work. It doesn’t seem to have hurt me, since several days later, I was offered the internship (which I happily accepted), but I’m still a little freaked out. How bad was that slip? Did it not hurt me as much because this is an internship and they don’t expect me to know any better?

Well, first, stop being freaked out — because you got the job! Clearly they didn’t consider it a major issue.

And that’s because it’s not a major issue. In general, I’d say it’s better to avoid mentioning a boyfriend or girlfriend in an interview, because it can read a little … young? Off-topic? I’m not even sure how to explain it exactly. (Maybe it’s that I mainly only hear it from younger, less experienced candidates, and that’s why it reads that way to me; I’m not sure.) But “not ideal” is different from a disaster or something that you should agonize over afterwards. It’s very much not those things; it’s not a big deal at all. Congratulations on the internship!

4. Am I violating confidentiality by collecting emergency contact information for employees?

Each year, my company’s admin collects updated emergency contact information for all employees. She asks the managers to collect this information for her. One of my employees is arguing this is confidential information only HR should have. Am I violating confidentiality by asking for a name and phone number to contact if something happens to an employee in the workplace?

Nope. There’s no such confidentiality law that prevents you from asking or even requiring that. People have really weird ideas about confidentiality laws (most of which don’t actually exist). That said, I’d talk to her and find out what her concern is, and how she’d like you to handle it if she has a medical emergency at work.

5. Can I change my title to something more accurate on my resume?

My title is long, and specific (Manager, Meeting, Events and Trade Shows). I handle a little bit more than the title suggests in the realm on Communications (e.g. content, collateral, marketing plans, etc.) So, I’ve listed Corporate Communications Manager as my title on my resume.

Technically, it’s true…I do work for Corporate Communications as a manager but it’s not my official title. Is this a no-no., or in the grand scheme of things no one will even care?

Unfortunately, no. When the prospective employer calls to check your references, they’ll likely uncover the actual title and it’ll raise a red flag for them about your honesty. They’ll also wonder what else you may have inflated. However, make sure that the description of what you’ve done in that role reflects your actual responsibilities. Good hiring managers look at the responsibilities, not just title, and know that titles often have their own internal meanings that don’t precisely translate to the outside world.

It’s five short answers to five short questions. Here we go…

1. I don’t want to be the backup driver for an oversized company vehicle

A couple years ago, I agreed to be trained (by a professional) as a backup/substitute driver for an oversized vehicle my business utilizes. At first, I thought it would be a fun change of pace compared to my daily desk job duties, but I’ve grown to dread it and become anxious every time I’m asked to drive. A couple of very minor accidents have occurred while I’ve been at the wheel, and I worry that one day something more serious might happen.

My manager is aware of these incidents and my increased dislike of driving, and her response has been “how can we make this easier?” or “there’s no one else who can do it.” Since we can’t make the vehicle smaller or the streets wider, I feel like it’s hopeless. Just practicing more isn’t going to cut it either, in my opinion. My manager says they will ultimately train more people, but they’ve yet to pursue it and we’ve recently been left with a number of staff vacancies. The other day it occurred to me that even though the business’s insurance would cover an accident, if it was deemed my fault, I could end up with a traffic ticket and a black mark on my DMV record, right? This is just going to make me worry even more! How can I successfully back out of an assignment like this?

“I appreciated the opportunity to give it a try, but after the several accidents, it’s clear to me that I can’t safely drive this vehicle. I’m not comfortable risking my safety and the safety of others, or the black marks on my driving record, so I need to permanently step down from doing it.” If she pushes back, say, “I understand, but it’s become a safety issue. We need to get another backup trained, because I’m not comfortable doing it. I’m sorry about that — I wish I were.”

2. My manager asked if I don’t respect her because she’s a woman

My current manager and I do not get along very well, and there is definite tension. My performance, though, is consistent and is definitively better than most, so there is no risk of me losing my job.

During my end of the year review, however, she asked me, “Do you not respect me as your manager because I am a woman?” I was totally taken aback by the question, but answered the question honestly (no, gender has nothing to do with it). Is she allowed to ask me those kinds of questions? If no, what is my recourse as an employee? Should I be doing anything to log these types of incidents?

Yes, she’s allowed to ask you that. I’m not sure what she hoped to gain by it — it’s fairly unlikely that you’re going to tell her that you don’t respect her because she’s a woman, unless you’re seriously an ass — but there’s no prohibition on her asking, nor any reason for you to log the incident.

Also, for whatever it’s worth: Answering “gender has nothing to do with it” is as good as saying “I don’t respect you, but your gender isn’t the reason why.” That’s not likely to help the relationship. And I wouldn’t assume that there’s no risk of you losing your job despite your performance; people can and do get fired all the time just because their boss doesn’t like them. And even if they don’t get fired, they often lose out on growth opportunities, end up first on layoff lists, and other bad consequences. If you can’t repair the relationship, I’d make sure you’re at least looking at other options.

3. Security guard is addressing me by my first name and I don’t like it

I am a contractor and the security guard at the company singles me out every morning by saying good morning and using my first name. I try to ignore him, but he stands in front of the door I need to pass through. Now odd people I do not know are addressing me by my first name. I do not like it. Also, he shows up in different parts of the plant. I feel like he is keeping track of me. I am considering contacting my contract company. What do you think?

Is it possible that he uses your first name because he’s friendly and it’s common to address people by name, and he shows up in other parts of the plant because he’s a security guard and it’s his job to be moving around? And that other people are addressing you by name because that’s friendly behavior in most workplaces? Unless there’s more to this than what’s here, I don’t see how you could complain about this without looking pretty out there.

4. School fired me and is holding final paycheck until I complete student narratives

My husband and I worked at the same school. For whatever reason (they did not give us one), they let us go on the last day of the semester. They do not do report cards in this school; they do narratives – a very long process and many hours of work. My husband and I had started the narratives on our personal computer, which died before finishing the narratives. We recognized this might happened and so had emailed them to our work email accounts. When they fired us, they took our keys, badges, and locked us out of our email. We have no access to the narratives.

However, they say that until we finish our narratives, they will not pay us our last paycheck. We are required to print the narratives – about 3-5 pages each on every child – but they have taken the ability to print at school, leaving us to do this with our home printer and ink — which we need now to find new jobs with. Are we honestly required to spend another 4 or so hours to do these narratives when they have fired us?

They cannot hold your last paychecks. They’re required by law to pay you for all time worked, regardless of whether you finish the narratives (and your state law will tell you how soon you must receive those checks; generally it’s going to be within two weeks). However, you should finish the narratives anyway, because it’s the right thing to do for your students, but they should pay you for the time that it takes to finish them — and obviously they should give the files you need to finish them.

You should each contact them (separately, not as a unit) and say this: “I’d be glad to finish the narratives, but I need my work files to do so. Please email me the file titled ____ and I’d be glad to finish these up. Can you confirm that you will be paying me for that time, as required by state law? I’m also assuming that I’ll receive my last paycheck by ___, also as required by state law.”

(Google “last paycheck” and the name of your state to find out what their time limit is on that.)

5. What is this interview question getting at?

Why would they ask “What part of your house is the most organized?” during a retail interview? And “What is the least organized, and why?”

They probably have a theory that your answer will give them some sort of insight into your organization/cleanliness habits, and they’re probably looking for people with tendencies toward neatness.