Ask a Manager

A reader writes: My organization recently replaced merit increases with capped bonuses. While I think this is a bad policy and I’m pushing back on it, in the meantime I’m concerned about my responsibility to new hires. I would never have thought to ask about this as a candidate. I’m hiring a new junior staff […]

So, you’ve been asked to interview someone, and you’re not sure where to start. Maybe it’s your first time on the interviewer’s side of the desk, or maybe you’ve hired before with less than desirable results. Maybe you’ve been faced with bad interviewers yourself and you want to avoid making someone else suffer through that […]

A reader writes: I work for a law firm and have significant input in hiring (including interviewing candidates). I have a question about how we talk about salary with candidates. None of the job ads we publish specify a salary range. They say something like, “We have no fixed salary for the position, but intend […]

A reader writes: I am hiring someone for an entry-level position. It is meant for someone straight out of college and new to the field who is interested in learning a lot, meeting loads of highly connected people, and launching a potentially awesome career. I’ve set the salary to be a little above what other […]

A reader writes: I recruit for a large company that staffs festivals, conventions, and sporting events. A lot of our applicants are young university graduates or recent high school graduates, ranging from 18-21. Our younger candidates will have their parent(s) call on their behalf, asking why an application is taking so long, why they didn’t […]

A reader writes: The admin team at the front of our office is very sensitive to strong smells (good or bad). Our company is currently hiring for an off-site position, but the interviews are happening in our office. The last few candidates who have come in for interviews have been bathed in perfume, to the […]

A reader writes: I like to think I’m pretty good at judging technical abilities, but I’m wondering if I’m actually only looking for the cues that people like me (male/western culture) show. If so, I’m wondering how I can get better. Here’s the situation that makes me wonder: At a recent technical conference, we gave […]

A reader asks: My team recently created a new position. A colleague from another department got wind of this and asked when I planned to advertise the vacancy. I’m in no hurry to fill the position, so I said “hopefully by the end of the year.” He let me know that his wife is very […]

A reader writes: I manage a small tourist shop. It gets rather busy during the summer, and I’m planning on hiring two people to help cover shifts. One of my friends wants me to hire her. She said that she needs more money to help pay bills. I’m reluctant to, because she rage-quit almost every […]