Newjob changes too soon after hire
Q: I went through a formal interviewing process and accepted the job offer soon after. At the interview I was given a complete job description and told to read it carefully so if I were to be chosen for the job, the work and procedures would become second nature. I was fine with that, and studied it when I was hired. As I became more proficient in the job, only four to five months in, my tasks and responsibilities increased tenfold.
I had taken the job and accepted the salary based on the type and amount of work. As it has changed, my salary has not. I casually mentioned the situation to my boss, who said that would be considered at year end. I would not have taken the job had I been told about the increased workload and changes in job duties. I didn’t think a company could make changes that soon after hiring a person.
It is the year end now and not a word has beenmentioned tome about a raise, a bonus, or a salary adjustment due to the changes. I’ve worked for nine months waiting to see what would happen, and I stopped my job search after accepting this job. Is it too soon to start another job search? How long do I have to wait before looking for another job? I don’t necessarily want to leave, but I’m not pleased about the situation. I like the company and my coworkers. I just don’t like being put off or lied to by my boss (assuming these tactics of false promises are intentional). The trouble is I don’t know. We have our annual reviews according to our hire date, not the year end, so I don’t know why the boss said this. Do I remind her of her promise?
A: A casual comment about reviewing the job situation is not a promise for a raise. You have too many questions and conditions regarding your job to discuss it with your boss, to begin a job search, and to make changes of any kind. You are also too new on the job to make demands for more money or job changes, even though your tasks and workload substantially changed soon after your hire. Perform your duties as best you can; complain to no one, and prove your worth. You have three months until your annual review, and that’s the time you’ll find out where you stand.
At the same time, make a list of priorities, your wants and your needs for a job, as well as a preferred type of company. Look for similar job titles and their salaries, but don’t send out resumes. You’re performing due diligence only. At your first year work anniversary and performance review, your questions will be answered. Keep track of which needs and wants are met and what gets passed over. If you are not pleased with the outcome and not compensated according to the current job market, you can start a discreet job search. Don’t announce to anyone at the company that you are looking for a new position. Workplace friends can change overnight depending on position changes and any gossip could be your undoing. The number or lack of interviews you receive will tell you if your job skills and salary expectations are realistic. Go on the interviews even if you’d rather not leave. The new job search will show you’re your potential and save you from delivering unreasonable requests or embarrassing ultimatums. In fact, ultimatums usually net an employee a quick and untimely exit, which defeats your ultimate goal.
Q: I work in a legal department where all of the employees are smart.
The problem I have is only with one of the lawyers. He uses words that most people don’t use or even know. He has an extensive vocabulary filed with less commonly used or archaic words. Most of us, even though we are intelligent, are not familiar with the words he chooses and have to continually ask him what each word means. Others just let it go by without asking, which is what I did at first.
He seems kind and considerate, so I don’t think he uses such words to make us feel like dolts. I think he uses language just because he can and he wants to. Once I started asking him the meaning of every word he used that I didn’t know, he would define them using clearly understood and commonly known words.
Despite he being nice, this is a ridiculous and ineffective way to communicate. Each unfamiliar word I have looked up has had many common synonyms, and the word he has used is listed as the least preferred. These are not legal words; they are regular words not commonly used in daily language. When I asked him why he doesn’t use more commonly known words, he said he doesn’t want to appear “simple.” Perhaps he thinks his vocabulary raises him above most others. I think it’s inconsiderate and ineffective, as the point of communicating is to get a clear message across. How do I convince him that most people don’t share his use of the language and he should make clarity and brevity his goals?
A: Because he has an extensive vocabulary, he certainly is familiar with the more commonly used words that convey the same or similar meanings. That means his choice of elaborate and archaic wording is intentional. Because most others in your department are probably too embarrassed to admit they are unfamiliar with a word and need the definition, he may not realize that his word choice puts others off. This may also be a way of individualizing himself. Of course, no intelligent adult wants to use language equal to the wording in a children’s book, but there is a happy medium for communicating in the workplace. Language is to express, not to impress.
You’ve already asked him to use everyday wording and he refused. Privately ask the others in your department, especially those who have daily contact with him, if they are experiencing the same problem as you. If the group shares your feelings, suggest that, in the interest of improving the lines of communication, you address the situation as a group.
No one in the department should have to carry a dictionary on the job to be able to fully understand this man when he speaks. As he knows and uses obscure, archaic and less commonly used words, he also is familiar with word choices that are commonly understood. By presenting the problem to him, your group will discover whether he is using his vocabulary as a way to appear superior to others. He will either again refuse to do what he considers “dumbing” down the way he speaks, or he will claim he is unaware of the problem. If he chooses to be a clear communicator who gets his messages across quickly, he will acquiesce and use language familiar to others in the department.
When he does refuse again (as he most likely will), bring the problem to the head of your department. You and your colleagues may then have two options: to study each unfamiliar word you hear so you increase your vocabularies or to tell him that if a message is misunderstood by his use of archaic and less commonly used words, the miscommunication and whatever results it may have will be his responsibility.