Ask a Manager

It’s terse answer Thursday — seven short answers to seven short questions. Here we go…

1. How can I reach out to a great candidate who I had to reject?

I conducted an interview screen recently that resulted in a no-hire decision for the candidate. It was, however, an extremely difficult decision, and the candidate, while not the right fit for what our team is looking for, would be a clear good fit for several other jobs in our office. In addition, the candidate and I share similar (very unusual and on-the-surface not very “marketable”) educational and work experiences–I really feel for how hard it is to find a position coming from that background!

I did pass the resume on to the hiring manager for the other positions in our office, with a good word about “not right for our job, but perhaps for yours.” The candidate sent me a “I understand I’m out of the running, thanks for your consideration” follow-up email today, and I would really like to reply with some sort of… encouragement? Links to other job posts? That if they’re looking for advice on what to do with our sort of weird background, I’d be happy to chat? I’m not sure what (if any) the appropriate thing to do here is!

If you’d really be happy to chat, that would be a really kind thing to offer. Most candidates would love to get feedback and personalized help from an employer, so if you’re willing to take the time to do that, definitely offer it!

2. Will declaring bankruptcy affect my job search?

I have a question about jobs and bankruptcy. I am considering filing for bankruptcy to get some help with my student loans. Unfortunately, I bought into the hype during high school that I would be able to make a lot of money after attending college. Other than my student loans, I only have one medical bill that is past due, but that is because my student loan bills are so high. I took out student loans to go to a great school and to obtain an in-demand major, but things did not work out in my favor. Since employers now are requiring background checks, do you think that it will hurt my job prospects in the future? I have never mismanaged any money from the jobs where I was required to handle money. Will employers ask me why I had to file for bankruptcy and consider my circumstances?

Well, first, this might not even be an option, because most student loans aren’t dischargeable in bankruptcy. So you’d want to look into that first. But if for some reason yours are, then whether it will impact your job prospects will depend on what type of field you’re in and what types of companies you’re applying with. Loads of companies, particularly smaller ones, don’t check credit records at all. And many others only do for jobs that involve handling money or having authority over money. Some employers are now starting to use them more frequently — but certainly not all or even most.

3. My manager will fire me if I don’t get a car

I have recently been told by my boss that if I do not purchase my own vehicle for the purposes of the business, that he will be looking to replace me. When I applied for the position, I was asked if I have access to my own vehicle, I said that I do not but am able to use my parents’ car. In email correspondence and in my contract, it was mentioned that he would reimburse me should I use my own vehicle for business. There was no mention of it being a necessity. I have since been unable to use my parents’ car as it is their only asset and they are trying their best not to run too many miles on it.

I have told him that purchasing a car for his business is an expense that I cannot possibly afford right now. I had also moved closer to work in order to walk. He says that if I do not have a car by the end of next week, he will fins someone else to replae me. I am currently on “short time” which I believe he is counting as the first of my 2 week’s notice. Can he do this?

Yes. As a condition of the job, he can require you to have a car, or a suit, or a passport, or a charming smile, or anything else that doesn’t discriminate based on race, sex, religion, national origin, or other protected classes.

4. Next-day interview, and employer wants to fill the job in less than a week

I’m applying for entry-level nonprofit communications roles, with plenty of communications internship experience and a year as an administrative assistant under my belt. Today I got a phone call from an organization I applied to work for, and they wanted to schedule me for an interview. Great! But when I told them my availability for the end of this week and beginning of next week, the response was, “What about tomorrow?” This in the mid-afternoon. I ended up taking an interview slot for tomorrow morning at 9:30 a.m.! It seems more than a little crazy to me that they want to interview me with less than 24 hours notice.

Then, it got weirder. The person I was on the phone with said that they want someone to start by Monday. Like, the coming Monday. I don’t know how they can possibly do due diligence in their hiring process in that short a time period. Even if they were to offer me this job, I can’t start on Monday — I’m in the middle of the interview process for two other organizations, and I would need at least a couple days to think things through and see if I get one of the other offers. I really want to ask these people “What’s the rush?” when they ask me if I have any questions for them, but I have a feeling that’s too terse. Any suggestions for how to ask about the crazy time table at my interview?

Hey, sometimes positions need to be filled on short timelines. If that’s the case here, and it’s a job that has a ton of well-qualified applicants, they probably don’t see any reason not to fill it that quickly. And since it’s entry-level, they might not be planning on extensive reference checks. It’s not the way people would ideally hire, but it’s not unheard of either. If it makes you uncomfortable, though, you’re certainly not under any obligation to accept an offer with them, or even interview.

As for how to ask about it though, you can say, “It sounds like you’re on a very tight timeline for filling the position. What’s driving that?”

5. Handling an interviewer who talks a lot

How do you handle an interview where the interviewer talks a lot and you feel as if you can’t get a word in unless she actually stops to ask something? I went on my first full-time interview yesterday and my interviewer talked a lot. I’m a shy person so it was hard enough for me to even be in the interview, let alone try to get a word about why I want the job. In the end, I felt like I didn’t even get a chance to talk about myself and all we did was talk about the company and the position.

If it happens again, try steering the conversation back to the job opening and your qualifications. Say something like, “Would it be okay to take a minute and lead you through my professional background? I think it’ll tie in with what you were just saying about the job.”

Keep in mind, too, that someone who hires this way likely is making hiring mistakes along the way, so you’ll have some not-so-great coworkers unless the person is quick to fix their hiring mistakes.

6. Can I ask for a raise even though I just got a small one?

I work as an office administrator at a tech company. My day-to-day consists of all of the basics — I answer phones, order snacks and supplies, greet guests, and basically run the office (we have about 350 onsite on any given day). In addition to this workload, I feel that I do many things that go above and beyond the typical office admin role. My managers, as well as other employees, frequently praise my work ethic and ability to get things done (I am the go-to person when someone needs something to happen).

That said, I have been at the job for less than a year. My time with the organization (about 9 months) happened to coincide with yearly reviews, and so I was given one despite being around less than a calendar level. I received excellent scores in all criteria and received a scheduled raise. However, because of the way that increased are calculated, I received half of what I would have, had I been working at the company for one month longer. This comes out to a 1.3% increase. This review happened in February, and it’s been weighing on my mind ever since — with inflation and increased payroll taxes, I essentially received a pay cut even after being given very high praise.

Do you think it is too late to bring up the issue of compensation with our HR department? I love my job and wouldn’t want to do anything to jeopardize my status at the company, but I felt a little slighted by the increase. If you do think I would benefit from a conversation with my superiors, do you think I should include my thoughts on the relative scale of the actual increase (i.e. that it’s essentially a pay cut) or should I dwell solely on positives — things like a repair I did on an item that saved the company $700.

Wait until you’ve been there a full year, since generally it’s not reasonable to expect any raise before that anyway. At that point, go to your manager (not HR; this is an issue for your manager) and advocate for a higher raise. You can point out that because of the raise cycle, you weren’t eligible for a full raise when salaries were last assessed, but don’t dwell on that — the main thrust of your argument should be why your performance warrants more.

7. Can I cite my expected raise when employers ask how much I make?

I’m in a bit of a conundrum. I am expecting a promotion and salary increase, but I do not know the new salary or title (not a work scope change). I do know it is imminent. As I am interviewing for a few positions elsewhere, I wanted to ask what you would recommend if I am asked about salary history and recommendations in the meantime. Do I base estimates on what I’d expect or what I’m currently receiving?

You can say that you’re expecting a raise of around $X, but really, you want to focus on what your contributions to the new company are worth, not on your salary history. Allowing employers to peg your salary to what you’ve earned in the past is a good way to avoid getting a large jump when you change jobs, so you want to avoid that as much as possible.

It’s wee answer Wednesday — seven short answers to seven short questions. Here we go…

1. Should I stop by in person to see why an employer called me?

I applied for a summer job in February, interviewed at the beginning of March, and have been anxiously waiting for early April when they said they would be done with interviews. I finally got a call from my interviewer, but due to some phone malfunctions on my end did not get her message until two days later. All the message said was to give her a call back, which I did immediately. I got her voicemail so I apologized for not getting back to her right away, briefly explained the issue with my phone, and left her my number again. That was Friday. On Monday, I tried her again and got her voicemail again. She hasn’t called me back.

I volunteer in the building where she works tomorrow, and my parents suggested if she hasn’t called me back yet that I should stop by her office. Is that appropriate? Also I’m assuming she was calling to offer me the job, otherwise she could have just emailed. But is there a chance I could be putting her on the spot to give some news in person she would rather give over the phone?

No, don’t do that. You’ve called her and left her messages, and she knows how to get in touch if she wants to. Stopping by in person without an appointment will put her on the spot and come across as overly pushy and inappropriate. At this point, I’d simply move on and trust that she’ll get in touch with you if she wants to. You could send one final email (as opposed to a call), but that’s it.

2. Finding out the hiring manager’s name

What’s the best way to find out exactly who is hiring for a position? I’ve been told to never address a cover letter to “whom it may concern” or “HR dept,” and I agree, but sometimes it can be quite difficult to find out who a hiring manager is. You can simply call and ask for smaller companies, but large companies that use automated voice response can make it impossible to even talk to anybody at all!

I recently reached out to a company’s recruiter through LinkedIn, and I never got a response from them either. What is the best way to reach out to a recruiter to get my question answered? Or is a recruiter the best person to go through? And if, in the end, I’ve exhausted all of these attempts, should I still send the cover letter without a name on it?

Stop thinking about this at all. Seriously, no sane hiring manager cares whether you address the letter to her or to “dear hiring manager.” They care about your candidacy. Write “dear hiring manager” and be done with it.

This is not worth any expenditure of stress or energy, particularly when there are so many more important things to spend your time on, like writing a great cover letter. And if your cover letter and resume don’t need more attention, then read a book or watch a movie — there’s no reason to spend time on something like this. More here.

3. Fitting my resume on one page

I’ve followed the philosophy that resumes should be one page only. I am starting my third job in my career, and due to the amount of responsibilities, can only fit my last two jobs on one page. If I leave out my first entry-level job, will it look like I have a 2-year gap between my college graduation and my actual second job?

You can go to two pages if you’re more than a few years out of school. If you’re not, then you’re including too much detail and you need to edit. Resumes should include the most impressive highlights of what you’ve achieved; they don’t need to list every responsibility you had at each job.

4. My resume shows I left soon after a promotion

I was “promoted” to a different position within my last company in my last 6 months on the job. I would like to show both positions on my resume so companies can I see I have experience in both areas, but would it look bad to have a position last only 6 months before moving on to another company? I had already known I wanted to leave when I was promoted, but I accepted the position so that I could show better/more experience on my resume. I’m worried that companies may think I was let go or something equally negative.

No, that’s fine. It’s not the same as leaving a brand-new job (at a new company) after only six months; it’s different when it’s internal and you have a longer history with the company.

5. Negotiating salary when my company might have pulled someone’s offer over it

I’m planning to apply for an internal position, and I believe I’m likely to get it–I’ve been told so by the hiring manager, plus I helped develop the job description. I hope to negotiate the salary offer for the first time in my life. As I’m sure you can imagine, since previously I’ve always just taken what I was offered, my current pay is on the low end. I’m excited for the chance to boost it up to a professional level.

The problem is that I’ve heard nasty rumors about how management handled salary negotiations with a recent potential hire. What I know for sure is that the hiring process got to the point of making one candidate an offer, and then the job was suddenly reposted. What I heard from the hiring manager was that the candidate was “crazy” during the negotiation and that the offer was rescinded. What I heard through the rumor mill was that the candidate tried to negotiate salary and management was so taken aback and insulted that they rescinded the offer, even after the candidate tried to back down.

This is obviously concerning to me. If it matters, my organization is a nonprofit, and there’s definitely a culture of considering it an honor to work here and help advance the mission, so… maybe that’s part of what happened? Of course I don’t know what really happened, but the management of my organization has been just screwy enough in the past that it seems possible that the rumor mill is correct. If it is true, how can I handle a salary negotiation without running into a minefield? I don’t want to push too hard on the off chance that management will react really poorly, but I also don’t want to just take what I’m offered and sabotage my own payscale yet again.

Ask your coworkers what their experience has been in trying to negotiate raises. It’s possible that the story you heard wasn’t accurate, or that at least key details weren’t accurate. And even if it was, it’s possible that your company handles internal raise requests differently from salary negotiations with job candidates.

It would obviously be ridiculous for them to function this way, but ask the people who are going to be most likely to know: your coworkers who have been there for a while.

6. Coworker loudly slurps liquids

We have a well educated, middle-aged man in our office who slurps any liquid and loudly! Whether in his cube (his is next to mine), in office meetings or in the lunch room, he slurps! It is not a cultural thing, as I think his family came over on the Mayflower. We’ve tried to say things like, “Gee, that coffee must be really hot” to draw attention to the fact that his slurping is distracting (disgusting, really). He always responds in a hurt voice, like “I wasn’t aware that I was doing that” or “in my house, slurping and burping are signs of good food.” Sorry, it’s really an excuse.

What can I/we do to tell him it’s offensive? Should we take him aside and do it one by one or as a group or ….? What should we say?

Stop hinting and be direct — as is always the answer when you want someone to stop doing something but haven’t yet told them that! The next time it happens, say, “Bob, could you please not slurp your drink? I can hear it over here and it’s very distracting.” If it continues, say, “Bob, I understand that you have different conventions around this, but it bothers me when I’m working and I’d appreciate you reining it in.”

If it continues after that, well, you work with an annoying slurper and will have to live with it. You can’t fix every annoying behavior in the workplace — but you can certainly start by directly asking for what you want.

7. Do I need in-state residency to apply for jobs?

My husband and I are thinking about moving from Michigan to Florida for a couple of years in order for him to attend seminary. We’d both need jobs — part-time for him, full-time for me. My snowbird grandma is adamantly insistent that my husband and I would both need Florida residency — drivers’ licenses, plates for the car, etc. — before we could even interview for jobs. Is this true?

For reasons of convenience and expense, we’d like to maintain our Michigan residency while in Florida, which I’ve always assumed is standard for out-of-state students (and their spouses). Would doing so really impact our ability to find jobs, or (as my grandma insists) our legal employment status? My grandma’s known for her sometimes bizarre opinions, but she was so absolutely dogmatic about this it’s got me wondering.

Your grandmother is wrong. There are certainly some jobs that require in-state residency or an in-state driver’s license (some government jobs, for example), but they’re not the majority, and they’ll make it clear if they require that. In general, you can assume you don’t need it.