Thursday, April 21, 2011

The Work Buzz's Latest News: Is your office full of mean girls? You’re not alone

Is your office full of mean girls? You’re not alone

Posted: 20 Apr 2011 02:50 PM PDT

Think about bullies and you probably think about school: movies like "Heathers," "Mean Girls" and "Revenge of the Nerds," or the kid on the playground who told you hair bows were for babies or that baseball was better than band camp.
Unfortunately, though, bullying isn't just a schoolyard problem and — no matter what our parents told us — bullies don't always grow out of their mean-spirited ways. In fact, there's a pretty good chance that you'll face “Mean Girls” at some point in your professional life, too.
According to a new CareerBuilder survey on workplace bullying, 27 percent of workers have felt bullied on the job, a problem that is more commonly reported among women (34 percent) than men (22 percent).
Unlike the obvious teasing and taunts of childhood bullies, though, adult antagonizers are often more subtle and passive aggressive in their tactics. Of workers who have been bullied, the following were cited as the most common forms of harassment:

My comments were dismissed or not acknowledged – 43 percent
I was falsely accused of mistakes I didn't make – 40 percent
I was harshly criticized – 38 percent
I was forced into doing work that really wasn't my job – 38 percent
Different standards and policies were used for me than other workers – 37 percent
I was given mean looks – 31 percent
Others gossiped about me – 27 percent
My boss yelled at me in front of other co-workers – 24 percent
Belittling comments were made about my work during meetings – 23 percent
Someone else stole credit for my work – 21 percent

Another difference in adult bullying? Most people are prepared to stick up for themselves. Nearly half of workers who said they'd been bullied also said they'd confronted the person head on, and 28 percent said they took their concerns to human resources.
If you're facing a bully at work and have yet to confront the issue, take note: "Bullying is a serious offense that can disrupt the work environment, impact morale and lower productivity," says Rosemary Haefner, Vice President of Human Resources at CareerBuilder. "If you are feeling bullied, keep track of what was said or done and who was present. The more specifics you can provide, the stronger the case you can make for yourself when confronting the bully head on or reporting the bully to a company authority."
For more on bullies in the workplace, see:
Dealing with the workplace bully
5 ways to deal with the workplace drama queen

Could You Do a Better Job Than Your Boss?

The Monster Blog

Could You Do a Better Job Than Your Boss?

Posted: 20 Apr 2011 11:58 AM PDT

In a recent Monster homepage poll, we asked, "Could you do your current (or most recent) boss's job better than he or she does?" Here's what you had to say:

Of 3,032 U.S. respondents, 69.23 percent think they could outperform their boss (and more than half of those respondents would describe their boss as "incompetent"). And less than 12 percent think of their boss as "brilliant."
It seems there are fewer incompetent bosses in Canada (35.6 percent) and more brilliant ones (13.5 percent); overall, 66.4 percent of Canadian respondents said they could do a better job.
European bosses fared just slightly better and slightly worse than that: 34.5 percent of respondents said they had an incompetent boss, but 12.6 percent said they had a brilliant boss.
The results from our Asian Monster sites including Malaysia, Singapore, and India were slightly more flattering to bosses: 28.8 percent said they had an incompetent boss, 61.3 percent said they could do a better job, and a relatively whopping 18.4 percent claimed to have a brilliant boss.
It seems that we can safely say that perceptions of boss incompetence are universal. Of course, to be fair to bosses, we should also note that other people's jobs always look easier from the outside -- and half of the responsibility for the boss-employee relationship is the employee's. For tips, read "What to Do If Your Boss Is Incompetent."
What's your boss like, and how do you cope with him or her? Let us know in the Comments section, or find us on Twitter or Facebook and be in touch.

Can a Layoff be a Blessing in Disguise?

Posted: 20 Apr 2011 11:00 PM PDT

How can you consider a layoff to be a good thing? Believe it or not, there is good that can come out this seemingly scary situation.

To get this useful advice and many other helpful career resources, visit us now at CAREEREALISM.com.

If You’re Not Happy at Work, You’re Not Powerless

Posted: 20 Apr 2011 10:30 PM PDT

If you're not happy at work, you're not powerless. Your mind is a powerful tool but if you don't actively manage it, all kinds of junk can take over.

To get this useful advice and many other helpful career resources, visit us now at CAREEREALISM.com.

A Case Against Multiple LinkedIn Profiles

Posted: 20 Apr 2011 10:00 PM PDT

Whatever you do, don't create two LinkedIn profiles! LinkedIn is not your personal website. Two profiles will make networking harder.

To get this useful advice and many other helpful career resources, visit us now at CAREEREALISM.com.

Nightmare Job Interviews, Had One?!

Posted: 20 Apr 2011 09:30 PM PDT

Have you had a bad interview experience? If we pay attention, we can usually learn something valuable from these situations. Share your story!

To get this useful advice and many other helpful career resources, visit us now at CAREEREALISM.com.