Ask a Manager

It’s short answer Sunday — six short answers to six short questions. Here we go…

1. A former employee left large furniture in our office

One of our employees left three months ago and left a piece of large furniture in our office. We need to get rid of it, but based on my experience with this employee, I am 99% sure the property will probably still be in our office months from now even though we have requested repeatedly that it be moved. What do you recommend doing in this situation?

Send her a letter telling her that if she hasn’t contacted you to make arrangements for its removal by the end of this week, you will be disposing it yourself — and then do so. You’re not obligated to store it for her — give her a deadline for removing it, and have it removed yourself if she misses the deadline. Done.

2. Should this job be on my resume?

I’m writing a new resume for applicable positions in the advertising world (where I have worked since 2008). From 2006-2008, I was a case manager at an AIDS group (for patients, helping them manage life tasks). Should that job be on my resume now? I’ve had people tell me both yes and no.

Yes. Who the hell is telling you no?!

3. My boss won’t let me advance from my current role

I’ve been in my current role and company for 18 months, but have worked for my boss for four years — when she moved to a new company, she headhunted me a couple of months later. I have a great deal of respect for her, and she has made it very clear that I’m an integral part of our department. My work is highly specialised and my boss and her boss have both indicated that they would find it very difficult were I to leave. Unfortunately, this is severely limiting my chances for advancement — because they don’t want to let me out of my current niche!

This has left me feeling really frustrated, and I’ve been casually keeping an eye on job websites and have just had an initial interview with another company offering a higher pay grade and a leadership role. They’ve invited me to move forward to the second stage.

I like the company I work for, my team, and my boss — I just hate feeling as stuck as I am. I would absolutely be open to negotiating with my boss for some terms and a development plan that would leave me feeling happier staying with this company; however, I definitely don’t want to make it sound like it’s “give me what I want or I quit,” which is not my attitude at all. Do you think it’s a good idea to try and negotiate with my boss around this (very promising-sounding) potential role, and if so, when would be a good stage in the recruitment process to do so?

Well, you’ve only been in your job for 18 months. That’s not a long time, and definitely not enough to be feeling stuck. If you’d been there for a few years more and weren’t being given chances for advancement, I’d tell you to talk to your boss and tell her that you want to stay with the company long-term but want to understand what the path for advancing there would look like. But it’s been 18 months. You could still talk to her about likely paths for growth, but I’d avoid sounding impatient or like you think you should be moving faster than you are.

If you do talk to her, leave this other job out of it. You should take or not take that one on its own merits, but using it to get a better offer from your current employer very often doesn’t end well.

4. Negotiating vacation time

I may be in a position to negotiate a job offer soon. The job would offer me a significant increase in salary, to which I’d be Demi Moore from the movie where she’s swimming on the bed of money. Not really. But I’m willing to take a hit on salary in order to add a week more of vacation. It’s a new company for me and 2 weeks is the standard. Is there a best way to go about this?

Some companies will let you negotiate vacation time and some won’t. You won’t know which you’re dealing with until you ask — so just ask and see what they say. I’d say something like, “I currently have four weeks of vacation time. I’m really excited about this job, but I wonder if it’s possible to get an additional week of vacation. I’d be willing to adjust the salary accordingly.”

Good luck, and enjoy your bed of money!

5. Titles on resumes

I’m trying to figure out a resume formatting question.. My last job before my current position was a director position – but I had a title change in the middle. I was hired as an assistant director, but the two people who were also heads of departments in my group were directors, and two months in I went to my boss and asked for the title change to more accurately reflect what was going on. She agreed it made sense and readily pushed it through.

I don’t want to call myself a director for the entire period because I wasn’t, but there’s no reason to label it differently on the resume because it was exactly the same job. I also don’t think it was an accomplishment to ask for and get the title change. Any thoughts on how to list it?

Eh, I’d just list it as director for the whole time. You got the title two months in; no one is going to have an issue with you listing it that way for the way time.

6. How to be a great employee

I absolutely loved the “you might be the problem if….” post. I have been reading AAM for about a year and I have already learned so much. Sadly, I have realized some areas where I need to improve as an employee. I was wondering if you had any past blog posts that summarized what it means to be a great employee. For example, you say good managers give measurable goals and give regular feedback, etc. I would love the same type of summary for employees.

Here!

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

1. Can coworker stop me from using a heat rub for a sports injury?

I seriously hurt my thigh muscles after a workout and was struggling to walk at times, so I was applying Deep Heat to the muscles to ease the pain. I also took it to work with me to continue the relief it gave.

I have been asked by a colleague to stop using it as it is bothering her chest. Now, I sit in my own office and she is in a communal area outside and sits around 30 feet away. Her sister is the boss, and she has told me that her sister (the boss) has asked me to stop using it. This woman smokes 60 cigarettes a day, has emphysema, and finds my pain relief offensive. Where do I stand with this?

Those heat rubs really do stink — often more than you might realize if your nose has adjusted to it from frequent use. And I say this as someone who came close to having an Icy Hot addiction at one point.

Anyway, if your boss tells you to stop using it, you need to stop using it. But your boss should tell you that directly, not through her sister.

2. Interviewer asked what benefits I’m looking for

I started reading your blog in the middle of my job hunt, and the advice offered by you and your readers has been very helpful so far. I was able to use some of your tips today in an interview with a small consulting firm; the interview went very well until the end, when I was questioned about my expectations concerning salary and benefits. Having read several of your posts about salary discussions, I think I handled that like a pro. However, the interviewer next asked what benefits I would expect. I was caught off guard and stammered something about expecting vacation time of some sort and the usual package (health, vision, 401k, etc.).

What sort of benefits are usually included in a negotiation? I’ve mainly worked for government agencies, so I was at a loss for what to include. Thankfully, I don’t think it marred my performance too badly, so there’s a chance that I get called back for a second interview or, even better, receive an offer. Do you have any advice on the subject in case it comes up?

That’s an odd question for him to have asked, and it’s one interviewers don’t ask very often, since typically their benefits are what they are — asking what you expect for benefits implies that they have flexibility on them. And I mean, you might be able to negotiate some more vacation time here or there, but in general, a benefits package isn’t very changeable. So I wouldn’t expect to run into this question very much — but if you hear it again, turn it back around and ask, “What kind of package do you offer?”

3. Negotiating a job offer when a workplace is unionized

I was recently offered a job and in the process of negotiating. However, the job that I would like to negotiate for is a unionized position at a university. I am unsure how to proceed in this situation.

The salary of the position was advertised (not a range, just a salary figure.) I would like it to be a bit higher, but do not know if I have a leg to stand on because it was advertised as such. If salary is non-negotiable, I would like to negotiate for more vacation time. However, I am simply unsure if it is even possible to negotiate when positions are overseen by a union. Can this be done? What would your recommendations be?

Ask! There’s no harm in asking, and if the union prevents it, they’ll tell you that.

4. Should I mention I’m leaving a job after two months?

Having been at a job for less than 2 months, I would not put it on my résumé because, as you have stated, I have not accomplished anything. However, I did apply for a job and have an interview. I assume they will bring up the question of what am I currently doing. Do I say I recently started a position but this position I am interviewing for is more in line with my goals? Or do I omit talking about this recent position all together since it is not on my resume and I could still talk about the part-time job I am currently at? My fear is that mentioning the recent position will make the interviewer think I am flippant about jobs, which my résumé proves I am not.

Don’t mention the job you’ve only been at for two months; instead just mention your part-time position. Whatever good mentioning the two-month job could possibly do (which is probably none) is outweighed by the questions it would raise.

5. Noting an out-of-business employee on a resume

How do I specify on my résumé that I am no longer at a retail position because the store closed? Can I say October 2010-July 2012 (store closed)?

Yes, that’s perfect.

6. Ridiculous performance evaluations

I know all companies do things differently, but I have to say that I’m a bit jealous of all the letter-writers that mention “stellar” performance reviews. At my company, managers intentionally low-ball an employee’s ratings. In fact, in digging out my notes from last year’s review my boss specifically told me I can *never* achieve anything higher than “Met Expectations” on specific categories, like Job Focus and Company Values, so I shouldn’t even try to self-rate higher than that. Also, there were several categories last year where I clearly was “Above Expectations” and rated myself so, but my boss’ rating was “Met Expectations.” When we met, the only explanation he could give me was that I couldn’t be rated “above” in every category, even if I performed that way. Therefore,his official ratings of my performance seems completely arbitrary.

Is this common? What’s the point of doing this? I realize if the reviews are tied directly to raises, and everyone has “stellar” reviews, that they can’t give everyone a raise or promotion. Even with my lackluster review last year, I received a significant (~12%) raise, so that can’t be it. I guess I can take solace in the fact that my comments/assessment clearly show I performed above average, but it’s really a bummer to be told officially you were just average.

Your manager sucks. Handling evaluations that way isn’t uncommon, but it’s ridiculous. Performance evaluations can be valuable when they’re done well, but unfortunately way too many companies horribly mishandle them, leading everyone to hate them for the most part — when in fact it’s possible to make them really useful.

7. When your relevant experience is several jobs back

What do we do if our most relevant experience for a posting is also several jobs back on our work history?

I was laid off from my last job just over two years ago. It was in a new-to-me field, and as I was only on staff for a little over a year, I have neither enough experience nor certifications to be competitive for another position in the same field. I have recently decided to expand my search to include applying for retail positions. I do have four years of prior retail experience — however, it’s twelve years old, and the none of the jobs I’ve had since are even remotely relevant. Is there any good way to handle this kind of situation? If so, what do you suggest?

It’s not ideal, but you could put the relevant experience at the top in a section called Relevant Experience and put everything else below that in an Other Experience section. Also, it’s going to be even more important than normal to write a really good cover letter to try to combat the fact that the experience isn’t very recent. Good luck.

It’s fast answer Friday — seven short answers to seven short questions. Here we go…

1. Changing your title on your resume

Is it ever ok to change your job title on a resume? My friend is up for a new position, but her title will be program assistant, since she’s had stints at other positions with the “assistant” title, she plans on listing this job on her resume and LinkedIn as “program associate.” She’s not trying to be disingenuous, but she doesn’t want her resume to look like she hasn’t advanced a bit. Plus, the ‘assistant” title at her new gig requires a Masters degree, something that potential employers in the long-run may not know and judge her negatively for.

I think I’m with changing titles when it comes to more accurately portraying your duties in a position, like my friend is doing here.
If she were saying she was a senior manager, then that would be especially wrong. What do you think future employers will think?

Nope, you can’t lie about your title — and that’s how employers will see it. And when they call to check references, it’s very likely to come out, and could potentially be a deal-breaker, since a lot of hiring managers will see it as integrity issue: If she’s lying about this aspect of her candidacy, what else might she be misrepresenting, and what might she bend the truth on in the future?

Plus, if she’s using it on LinkedIn, it’s likely that current coworkers or her boss will see it, and it will not reflect well on her.

(To be clear, if she had a really vague title that made no sense to the outside world, she could get away with using a clearer description, as long as it was accurate. But in this case, she just wants a more senior-sounding title. It’s a no-go.)

2. Can my employer share my resignation letter with coworkers?

I recently sent my resignation letter through our office email to the physicians and administrator who I was working for. When I returned 2 weeks later, I found out that the administrator had forwarded my letter to my coworkers. I feel this was a breach of confidentiality. Is that legal for him to do that? Our policy and procedure manual says nothing about sharing this type of information.

Yes, it’s legal. You don’t have many privacy rights at work, and your employer can certainly show your work-related emails (or even non-work-related emails, for that matter) with your coworkers. In this case, I imagine he did it in order to inform your coworkers that you’d be leaving — a very normal thing to communicate. I could see how you’d be upset if the letter contained personal information you didn’t want shared (outside the fact of your resignation itself), and certainly there are SOME resignation letters that it would be inappropriate to share with the whole office (angry ones, for instance), but even then, there’s nothing illegal about it.

3. Is being asked for references a good sign?

I just had a pretty good second interview (all thanks to your awesome e-book!), and at the end they asked for my references and had me fill out a background check form. I know I have stellar references and nothing should hold me back in the background check, so I find this pretty hopeful, but I don’t want to get too excited. Is it normal practice to asking this from all/several candidates? Do hiring managers typically plan on calling references for more than one candidate?

Unfortunately, you shouldn’t read anything into it. Many employers have all candidates who are still in the running after a certain stage in the process provide references and fill out a background check form. They might end up only checking the references and background on one final candidate, or sometimes they’ll do it for several, but there’s no way to know if you’re the top finalist or not.

4. Applying through LinkedIn vs directly with an employer

What is your opinion on applying through LinkedIn, or directly on an employer’s website, or both? I like applying through LinkedIn when it is an option because your profile is there if they want to view it, there is an image, etc., but I know some employers might prefer you send you resume directly to the HR, even though they have it listed on LinkedIn. What are you thoughts on this? Go ahead and send to both, or overkill?

Don’t do both, since that’s duplicative and potentially annoying. I’d apply directly with the company, so that you can send precisely the customized materials you want rather than just what’s in your LinkedIn profile, unless they’ve made it clear in some way that they favor LinkedIn.

5. Fired in retaliation for reporting manager’s policy violation

I was recently terminated for not completing my Performance Improvement Plan (PIP). As far as I can tell, I completed each task in the PIP, but I didn’t document the completion of the tasks. I didn’t know I was supposed to; the person who put me on the PIP never explained that part.

The fact that I was on a PIP in the first place is a problem. I had seven years of annual and mid-term reviews in which I either met or exceeded standards. Then I was placed under a new supervisor. This supervisor and I did not get along, and this was widely acknowledged within the organization, even by those within HR. The friction became worse when I was publicly insulted by this supervisor (he never apologized nor even admitted to it) and I became aware that he was accepting gifts from clients (in violation of company policy). I shared my concerns with HR, but asked that they not fully investigate the issues as I wanted to give the supervisor the opportunity to redeem himself. The supervisor somehow became aware of my concerns and the next thing you know I’m on a PIP.

How should I proceed? This is clearly an abuse of authority. Is there any legal recourse (the insult and the gifts are documented)? I would prefer not to go that route, but I do have to look out for my interests.

I don’t see any legal issues here. It’s illegal to retaliate against an employee for engaging in legally protected activity (such as reporting harassment or discrimination), but retaliation for other things isn’t illegal. More specifically, it’s not illegal to retaliate against an employee for reporting something that isn’t illegal but only against company policy. (I’m assuming your company’s gifts policy falls in that category; if your manager was actually breaking the law, then this answer would be different.)

It sounds like your manager was a jerk and your HR department chose not to stop him, which is unfair but not illegal.

6. How long should I pursue an employer who reached out but now isn’t getting back to me?

I am currently employed in my first job out of college, but searching for a position in my desired field. I got an email on Wednesday, January 16 regarding a position I had applied for. The email informed me that I had been selected to interview for the position, and requested my availability for that week and the following week (which is actually now this week.) Still with me? Great!

I replied that to the email that evening after work stating that an afternoon time slot would work best if possible due to my work schedule. I also told her that I could arrange to come in Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday of the following week (aka this week).

Fast forward to today, and I still have yet to hear anything back from the recruiter. I should also note that I called the office last Friday afternoon and left a message for the recruiter as well, but still, nothing. I guess my question is, how long do I continue to pursue this opportunity, and how do I go about doing so? What else would you do if you were in my situation? This position happens to be the one I was most excited about applying for, so I am a bit hesitant to let it go too quickly.

I would send one more follow-up email and call one more time today, but after that, it’s in their court. They might have ended up moving forward with different candidates, or they might be disorganized and taking longer than planned to get back to you. Your best bet is to mentally move on after making that last contact today, and let it be a pleasant surprise if they do contact you.

7. Mentioning in an interview that I’ll need time off for my wedding

I recently moved to a new area to begin grad school and have been searching for a job. I am engaged and the wedding date is within the next six months. Is it appropriate to tell the interviewer I need time off for that? We had to book the trip a year in advance so I wasn’t sure where I would be at the time. I realize this is putting the cart before the horse in an interview but it’s my wedding…

Don’t mention it in the interview, not unless you’re directly asked if you’ll need any specific time off in the coming months (unlikely). Wait until you have a job offer, and at that point you can negotiate the time off as part of your overall negotiations. It probably won’t be an issue at that point, but it’s a little weird when candidates bring this kind of thing up before there’s even been an offer. Bring it up when it’s relevant to them, which is when they’re planning to hire you. (But definitely bring it up then — don’t wait until you start, like some people do, not that it sounds like you would.)

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

1. Asking job candidates, “Tell me about yourself”

I am a manager for a small nonprofit organization and I am responsible for a lot of the hiring that we do. I feel like saying, “Tell me about yourself” is a pretty standard entry point for initial phone screenings, and I always assumed that a standard answer would include a brief summary of where you are from (if you feel comfortable sharing that), where you went to school, and maybe a general overview of the most recent roles that you’ve played or (depending on your experience) a brief description of your overall career trajectory that explains how you got to where you are.

Today I interviewed two candidates for an opening we have. One gave me a 30-minute-long dialogue about her education, her very first job (she has several years of experience and several positions on her resume), and her master’s degree experience, without telling me anything about what she is doing currently or what she has done since 2010. The second completely skipped over her education and early work experience altogether to discuss what she’s been doing for the last 10 months (she finished a master’s degree in August 2011). This had me wondering, both as an interviewer as well as from a candidate’s perspective, is there a better way to ask, “tell me about yourself?” And also, is there a preferred or more helpful way to answer that question?

Personally, I don’t ask it. You rarely get information that isn’t on the resume — and in fact, if you look at what you say you’re expecting in an answer, it’s all stuff you already know from reading the candidate’s materials (minus where they’re from, which isn’t really useful anyway). But if you’re going to ask it, I definitely wouldn’t ask it in phone interviews — since they’re usually much shorter than in-person interviews, and you presumably have a slate of questions that you want to get through, and thus want to be more directive in how the conversation goes than “tell me about yourself” might allow.

But why ask it at all? I know some interviewers think it’s a good softball opener, but why not ask something like, “So, what interested you about this opening?” to start off with?

(And while we’re on the topic, here’s how I recommend candidates respond to “tell me about yourself.”)

2. Fingernail length in job interviews

I’ve read on your blog somewhere that nails should be neatly filed and slightly over the tip of your finger in length. However, I’m an art hobbyist, and I have to keep my nails very short to keep them from digging into my palm (thanks to my awkward handling of pencils). While I can keep them neat and tidy, they’re lacking in length. Is this going to be an issue with interviewers? Are they going to look at my nails and write me off immediately? I’d hate to give up a hobby for the sake of pleasing interviewers. Thank you for your advice!

You didn’t read me say that they need to be slightly over the tip of your finger. I could give a crap about the length of your nails, as long as they’re not disgustingly long or grossly jagged. Don’t worry about having short nails — no one will care.

3. Can I be fired for refusing to work when I’m not getting paid?

If your employer is consistently cutting you paychecks that bounce, are you required to work? Can you be fired if you decline to work shifts until paid?

There are two separate issues here: the bouncing paychecks, and whether you can be fired for refusing to work. You could indeed by fired for refusing to work, although you’d be eligible for unemployment because not being paid is a qualifying reason for leaving a job in their eyes (and in everyone else’s eyes). But separately, your employer is required to pay you for your work within a period of time dictated by your state government (usually a few weeks or less). If you’re not being paid, and you’d like your money, contact your state department of labor for help.

4. Can I get in trouble for leaving work early because of snow?

I made a judgement on the snow conditions and left work early on Friday, as I was afraid I would not make it home. Plus, I hate driving in the snow and bad weather conditions. Can I get into trouble for this?

Legally? Sure. Will you in practice? It depends on your employer’s policies and/or culture and/or how your manager handle these things.

5. Should I wear a suit when I go for job testing?

I am a recent graduate, and I have been invited to a 2-hour literacy and numeracy test for a government job. This is the first “big girl” job I’ve applied to and had a response, so naturally, I’m quite nervous! I don’t doubt my capabilities in literacy and numeracy, but I do wonder what I should be wearing to the said test. I’ve taken you up on your advice on purchasing a nice suit, much to the teary-eyed joy of my parents, so would I be correct in assuming that I should be wearing this to the test? I don’t know if there will be anyone present who will judge my physically appearance as an applicant there, but I’d like to know for sure before I under/overdress.

Wear the suit. Even if you’re overdressed compared to other applicants, you’ll stand out for being professional, not for being over-dressed, and that’s a good thing. Employers who like suits — and the government falls in that category — appreciate it when people wear them to professional functions even when they don’t have to.

6. Our last bathroom question for a very long time

I have a simple question, but to me confronting the issue is terrifying. I am a supervisor, and I have only two employees. Every time I go into the staff bathroom, the toilet is disgusting to say the least. How do I confront the issue without embarrassing anyone? I am tired of cleaning up other people’s mess so I can go to the bathroom. We do not have a cleaning staff.

Why terrified? You have to deal with far more difficult conversations as a manager. Plus, anyone leaving the bathroom in these conditions has no shame anyway, so there’s no need to worry about embarrassing them.

Either send an email to your staff or post a sign in the bathroom, instructing people to clean up after themselves. Also, consider hiring cleaning staff.

And thus ends our bathroom discussions for a very long time, because I can’t take any more of them.

7. What to wear to a job interview when you have a cast on your leg

I’m a man who recently graduated with a masters degree in economics and am in the process of applying for jobs. A couple of weeks ago, I had the misfortune of rupturing my achilles, requiring a cast from my toes up to my knee. None of my dress pants will fit over the cast so I have been trying, without success, to find information about the right dress code for a job interview under the circumstances. The only thing that I have at the moment that fit over the cast are blue sweatpants. What would you do?

If only you were a woman and could wear a skirt, this would be so much easier. Is there any chance you can find some wider-legged dress pants that will fit over the cast? If not, tell them your situation ahead of time, sound embarrassed, and ask if you’ll make a horrible impression if you show up in the only pants that will fit over your cast, which unfortunately aren’t normal business attire. If they’re at all normal, compassionate, reasonable people, they will say it’s completely fine, and that will be that. (If for some reason they balk, take that as a signal that you’d be working with jerks if you took this job.) Also, make sure that the sweatpants you wear are as nice as possible — don’t wear the kind with elastic at the ankle, for instance. Good luck!