What to talk about at work Dealing with a Boss and Blogging.
8/3/2008
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The Staffing View
On business, the workplace and employee relations
_August, 2008
In today’s economy landing a new job is the hard part Once you’re in, you can relax Or can you? A lot more goes into a new job than just learning your responsibilities You’ve got to “learn” your new boss, too To make sure that you make a good impression on your new boss and portray yourself as an integral member of his or her team, consider the following:
Don’t assume your “star” qualities are obvious You may have been the “go-to” employee at your last job, but your new boss needs time to observe you and recognize your skills Be subtle Rather than professing all of the responsibilities you assumed at your last job, offer to assist coworkers and volunteer ideas that could help your new employer achieve its goals
Decide how your new boss likes to communicate Is the office door always open? If so, your new boss might be the type who doesn’t mind is someone pokes their head in and asks for a short meeting But if the door is often closed or if you seem to get quick answers by email, try that route for your day-to-day communications
Still waiting for your first one-on-one? Don’t let too much time go by without asking for a personal meeting Let your new employer know that you want to understand how you fit in to the team Ask whether there are any special objectives you should work on in your initial work period By engaging your new boss in a dialogue about his or her expectations, you’ll demonstrate your professionalism and dedication to the job without having to toot your own horn
Understand what the boss likes, but be yourself Managers from the president on down often have in mind the type of people they want on their team If you’ve just been hired to a new company, your employer saw something that suggested you’d be a good fit If you’re older than your boss let your experience show through, without trying to act 10 years younger Being genuine helps to build relationships
Four Workplace Taboos to Avoid
There are some generally accepted workplace-governing rules of which most people are aware For instance, we all know we’re not supposed to download offensive files onto our desktops, blast others with rude emails, or saunter around in flip-flops
But, there are many more taboos that could land you in hot water Generally, you should stay away from political discussions because politics is one of those hot-button topics that can un-do years of relationship building That’s because talking politics has a way of pitting people on opposite sides of a fight, and fighting is the last thing anyone wants at work unless your job entails boxing in the ring
Complaining about how the troubled economy is affecting you most likely won’t draw sympathy What could potentially have a positive impact, however, is using the staggering price of gas as one of your bases for asking for a raise Even if your request is denied, engage your employer in a discussion about the possibility of having your team alternate days on which they work from home to boost productivity and keep costs down
In addition, stay clear of the title “office gossip” While water-cooler banter with your colleagues is expected, no one wants to be known as the grapevine through which all rumors pass Plus, there’s a good chance that if you run your mouth off too much you won’t be taken seriously by coworkers or your boss Portraying yourself in a professional light when that happens can turn into an impossible uphill battle, so why take the chance of having to make that trek?
Finally, if you make a mistake, own it If you think that covering up an error or downplaying the effects of your faux pas will help you, you’re likely going to be wrong While instances do arise when people “skate by” without having to take responsibility for their errors, it’s better to fess up and work on correcting the problem In an employer’s eyes, often more important than the mistake happening is the assurance that it won’t happen again
Losing the Economic Olympics
Our Olympic athletes may bring home the gold when they compete in the Olympic Games in Beijing later this month, but according to a new study the US has been losing the economic games to China since the start of the decade
The Economic Policy Institute (EPI) in Washington, DC, says the growing US trade deficit with China caused the loss of 23 American jobs between 2001 and 2007, including 366,000 last year alone The reason for the US job loss is that more of the products that were once produced here are now being produced in China and exported back to the US Those displaced workers lost an average of $8,146 in wages last year, a total of $194 billion as they took lower paying jobs The report also said that the jobs were not predominantly in low-skill, low-pay industries, but that the trade deficit has forced workers from better-0paying jobs to lower-paying sectors
In total numbers the big losers in jobs were the largest states California was first with 325,800 jobs lost since 2001, followed by a loss of 202,900 in Texas and 127,000 in New York Florida, 100,900; North Carolina, 79,800 and Georgia, 73,600 were also in the top 10
But the damage was worse in smaller states when measured as a percentage of total employment Idaho lost only 14,700 total jobs to the China defici during the study period, but that amounted to 259 percent of its state employment, the worst loss in the country New Hampshire lost 15,700 jobs, about 25 percent,; South Carolina fell by 42,600 jobs or 234 percent of total employment and Oregon was down by 229 percent or 36,800 jobs
Think Globally, Blog Locally
Some HR and employment blogs from cities and states of our interest
Boston ERISA Law Blog
Florida Employment Law Blog
The Laconic Law Blog (Virginia)
