how can I keep my star performer, without being able to pay or promote him (while his less competent coworker earns double)? by Alison Green on August 29, 2016 A reader writes: I am a partner in a small engineering firm. Six years ago when I was brought on, I was allowed one staffer. I hired a new grad, Fergus, who turned out to be great. He knew or could adapt to any design software out there, wasn’t lost in the world of theory, […] Read the full article →
employee disregards direct instructions, coworker asks where I’m going every single time I leave my desk, and more by Alison Green on August 29, 2016 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My coworker asks where I’m going every single time I leave my desk I am a research analyst at a small research center. I share an office with two other analysts. One of my officemates is part-time and works unusual hours, so we are rarely […] Read the full article →
weekend free-for-all – August 27-28, 2016 by Alison Green on August 27, 2016 This comment section is open for any non-work-related discussion you’d like to have with other readers, by popular demand. (This one is truly no work and no school. If you have a work question, you can email it to me or post it in the work-related open thread on Fridays.) Recommendation of the week: Today […] Read the full article →
should I take the blame for my manager’s mistake, CEO wants to reimburse us for political contributions, and more by Alison Green on August 27, 2016 It’s four answers to four questions. Here we go… 1. Should I take the blame for my manager’s mistake? A task I do at work entails printing out batches of client forms and entering each into our system. The first batch I did included 50 forms. I got half entered, and the other half I […] Read the full article →
update: can I make getting to the final round of interviews – and not getting the job – count for something? by Alison Green on August 26, 2016 Remember the letter-writer in May who kept getting to the final rounds of interviews but not getting a job offer? Here’s the update. I wanted to send you an update after receiving your advice a few months ago on how to continue the job hunt when getting so close and yet so far on a […] Read the full article →
is there any point in applying to a months-old job posting? by Alison Green on August 26, 2016 A reader writes: I have a question about applying to job postings that have been up for a while. There is a company in a location and field that I am really interested in. They have a job posting for a specific engineering position that is a really good match to my background and skill […] Read the full article →
open thread – August 26-27, 2016 by Alison Green on August 26, 2016 It’s the Friday open thread! The comment section on this post is open for discussion with other readers on anything work-related that you want to talk about. If you want an answer from me, emailing me is still your best bet*, but this is a chance to talk to other readers. * If you submitted […] Read the full article →
managing an overly chatty employee, using up vacation time right before resigning, and more by Alison Green on August 26, 2016 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Managing an overly chatty employee A new employee started in my department just over two months ago (I’ll call her Sarah). Sarah has been struggling to adjust to the work in ways we didn’t foresee from the interview — she seemed very qualified for the […] Read the full article →
company agreed I could telecommute — and then changed their mind once I started the job by Alison Green on August 25, 2016 A reader writes: I’ve been at my new job for just over a month. The job offer was for telecommuting half of the time every month. The home office is 36 miles a day roundtrip. The day I started, I was introduced to my new boss, because the one who hired me had been fired. […] Read the full article →
millennials want peace and quiet just like everyone else (how shocking) by Alison Green on August 25, 2016 Over at the Fast Track by QuickBase today, I take a look at several big work-related stories in the news right now: millennials want peace and quiet just like everyone else, not foosball and snacks (shocking!); how to cut down on back-and-forth emails; and more. You can read it here. Read the full article →