why are employers so bad at training people? by Alison Green on May 19, 2012 A reader writes: I’ve been out of school and in the workforce full time for about four years now. In this time, I don’t feel that I’ve had even one job that adequately trained new employees. The first full-time job I had was in a new hotel, and everyone was trained pretty well on how […] Read the full article →
what’s the etiquette of getting a bonus? by Alison Green on May 18, 2012 A reader writes: I am only a few years out of school, working my first long-term job. I’ve recently been doing some above-and-beyond work for my employer, and a senior coworker mentioned that this sort of work is often rewarded with a bonus. I’ve never received a bonus before, and I’m hoping you would be […] Read the full article →
my very first open thread by Alison Green on May 18, 2012 You asked for it, so I’m delivering it: the very first open thread ever on Ask a Manager. For anyone unfamiliar with open threads, it means that the comment section on this post is open for discussion on anything you want to talk about (unlike on regular posts, where I generally try to keep the […] Read the full article →
asked to give feedback on my manager’s performance by Alison Green on May 17, 2012 A reader writes: I’ve encountered a sticky situation. I have been at my current job for about 8 months and it’s time for everyone’s annual review. I’ve been asked by the director of my organization (my boss’s boss) to provide written feedback on my boss. This feedback is meant to be used in my boss’s […] Read the full article →
7 deadly interview sins by Alison Green on May 16, 2012 Having trouble getting job offers? You might be making one of these seven deadly interview sins. 1. Being late. While occasional lateness can often be excused in other situations, it’s often a deal-breaker in a job interview. Hiring managers assume that you’re on your best behavior while interviewing, so if you aren’t on time for the […] Read the full article →
employer won’t give me a fair chance to interview by Alison Green on May 16, 2012 A reader writes: I am a middle-aged mom who is trying her hardest to re-enter the workforce. I worked part-time when my youngest was in high school three years ago for a year and half, but my job got eliminated. I went back to college for a year and received my certificate as a Medical […] Read the full article →
I’m afraid I’m about to be offered a job I won’t be good at by Alison Green on May 15, 2012 A reader writes: I had a second interview with a company last week and it went horribly, in my estimation. There were a bunch of technical questions, and I did my best to answer them to the best of my abilities, but for the most part, I did not know the answers and I told […] Read the full article →
tiny answer Tuesday: 7 short answers to 7 short questions by Alison Green on May 15, 2012 It’s tiny answer Tuesday — seven short answers to seven short questions! Here we go… 1. Work email account after you’re fired My husband was fired a week ago. He no longer has access to his work email, of course, but his boss does and is reading incoming emails. What is the standard protocol? This […] Read the full article →
when you manage someone who you personally dislike by Alison Green on May 14, 2012 A reader writes: I work in a small company (35 employees) in a team of four people. We are a “young” company (average age around 30) and we get along; many people have become friends and about once a month we go out for drinks, invitation open to all. Some four months ago, I was […] Read the full article →
are you annoying all your coworkers? by Alison Green on May 14, 2012 Talk to nearly anyone about their coworkers, and you’ll almost always uncover a slew of frustrations, often about habits that most of those coworkers don’t even realize they have. But have you ever wondered if you might be that annoying coworker yourself? Here are eight warning signs that you might be pushing your coworkers to […] Read the full article →