Expressing Gratitude In The Workplace

With Thanksgiving around the corner, gratitude is on everyone’s mind. But it doesn’t need to take a turkey dinner to show your appreciation. A little gratitude goes a long way year round—especially in the workplace!

The National Alliance Of Mental Health (NAMI) of California shared multiple studies showing how expressing and receiving gratitude can improve mood, reduce stress, and build morale. Employees want to feel valued at work, and expressing thanks is a great way to build a culture of value. Whether you’re a manager or simply a team member, expressing gratitude will always have a positive influence on your coworkers. Express your thanks by holding close to these thoughts.

Be specific

A simple “great job!” or “keep up the good work!” may provide a slight boost, but the more specific you can be, the more your expression of gratitude will be taken to heart.

Focusing on a tangible accomplishment will give your thanks more merit and really feel personal. This doesn’t have to be a massive, earth-shattering accomplishment necessarily. SnackNation’s Connor Garret writes to highlight the little things so people know that doing their job well is appreciated. You may even highlight something the person didn’t think was a big deal themselves and really give them a boost!

“Sometimes, the things worth celebrating aren’t even quantifiable. For instance, you could even celebrate a team member who spreads consistent positivity in the workplace.” -Connor Garret

Focus on those not in the spotlight

Not everyone likes to be in the spotlight or gets the chance to be in it. Not every accomplishment is flashy, but everyone keeps the foundation of the organization running. Everyone deserves to feel like a valued member of the team!

Forbes’ Kyle Bailey mentions an award his company created to highlight behind-the-scenes accomplishments. The “NuWarrior” award is given to those who “sustain the backbone of the company” that may not otherwise receive recognition. This assures that those not always in the spotlight have their accomplishments recognized and feel like valued members of the team.

Think of those in your organization that might not always receive the glory. Take time to go out of your way to at least thank them or recognize their efforts, and your appreciation will go a long way.

Express through actions

Awards like Bailey’s “NuWarrior” are an excellent way to show appreciation. Not only did you take time out of your day to thank someone, but you did so in a tangible manner.

Enertia Software CEO Vince Dawkins recommends verbally offering a “thank you” (especially publicly!) but also finding a way to express gratitude in a way beyond words. This could be direct financial compensation or a reward of some kind. But even if you aren’t in a leadership role, you can still offer a little extra by offering assistance, acts of service, or some way to make their job easier, says Herzing University.

“People remember kind words of gratitude, but they also feel respected and extremely appreciated when something more is given to them.” –Kimberly A. Whitler

Employers can offer things like care packages (great for remote team members), awards, gift cards, and shoutouts, but they can also encourage a culture of gratitude, writes Connor Garret. Encouraging your team to regularly express gratitude is an excellent way to show that appreciation starts from the top and that you have a culture of value.

Write handwritten notes

One of the most well-received tokens of appreciation is one of the most old-school and traditional. It’s hard to beat a handwritten letter when it comes to expressing gratitude.

Headsup Corporation cited Dr. Martin E. P. Seligman, a psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania who studied positive psychological therapies. He found that receiving a hand-written letter of appreciation had a bigger effect on happiness than any other method.

Not only does a written thank you note show appreciation, but the extra effort taken to write out the accomplishment shows, and it gives the recipient a tangible token to look to. And Forbes’ Kimberly A. Whitler suggests that a physical copy won’t get lost in the abyss the way an email might.

“It really shows you care enough to go the extra mile to ensure the recipient feels appreciated.” –Sheldon Yellen, BELFOR Property Restoration

Wrap up

No matter what the season is, there’s never a bad time to express gratitude at work. Expressing and receiving thanks is a great way to build morale and create a positive culture. You don’t have to be a manager to take charge—it’s always good to be recognized by your peers as well! Take time to express sincere thanks, and you’ll be building toward a wonderful work culture.

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Job Search Behaviors To Avoid

A job search can be challenging in today’s climate. You need to commit time to do the proper research, prepare your resume and cover letters carefully in a way that makes them readable by both humans and tracking systems, and learn the best networking practices in order to find the job of your dreams. This is difficult enough, but it can be even worse if don’t mind your behavior during the process!

Even if everything else is going well, certain behaviors can harm your chances of getting the job before you even sit down for an interview. While some practices like watching the language you use or not being rude should be obvious, not every faux pas is intuitive or obvious to a job seeker.

During your next job search, don’t shoot yourself in the foot by making these common behavioral mistakes:

Being unprofessional

Obviously, you shouldn’t be swearing at or insulting hiring managers. I highly doubt any of you are engaging in knowingly rude behaviors during your job search, but this does need to be said. But being unprofessional comes down to more than just obvious rudeness.

One of the easiest ways to get rejected is to appear unprofessional before even speaking with a recruiter or very early in the process. If your resume, cover letter, LinkedIn, or email are riddled with typos, you’ll already appear to be massively unprepared for the job. This can quickly turn the hiring manager against you, even if you’re otherwise an ideal candidate. Make sure to proofread carefully and use tools like Grammarly to assist.

“Almost every job description includes “excellent communication skills” as a requirement. If your communications with the HR manager include spelling or grammatical errors, you’re shooting yourself in the foot.” -Recruiter.com

Recruiter.com also says to make sure your social media posts are up to par. Remove any unflattering photos, edgy posts, controversial opinions, and even negative posts about your current/old position. Refer to our social media guide for further details.

Finally, LinkedIn says not to beg for a job or expect others to help you for free. Not only will you appear unprofessional, but you’ll reek of desperation, another trait recruiters detest.

Being insincere

Even the most professional-looking recruits can still annoy hiring managers with their bad behaviors. Employers are seeking someone that adds value to their organization, and it’s hard to look valuable if you’re insincere or disinterested.

If it sounds like you’ll take the first job you’re offered, it’s going to be hard for a company to be excited about hiring you. Judith Humphrey lists authenticity as the most important quality a job seeker can possess. Recruiters don’t want canned responses or to be pandered to.

“I want to find out more about the candidate personally, and I find there is often this wall, and people are not letting me see who they really are.” –Amanda Luthra, recruiter

One of the quickest ways to appear insincere is by embracing the common “spray-and-pray” technique used by many inexperienced job seekers. Forbes’ Jack Kelly writes that while job seekers think a numbers approach will work in their favor, it does the opposite. Your generic resume will make you appear insincere.

Fight this by tailoring your approach to each specific job. Find a reason why you’d be excited to work for the company. Otherwise, you’re wasting their time and yours.

Being arrogant

Employers want an employee who wants to work for them and is confident about their skills, but don’t let that confidence become arrogance!

Reporter Morgan Smith cites Microsoft head of global talent acquisition Lauren Gardner, who said the number one red flag she looks out for on resumes is being a know-it-all. “We’re looking for folks that are motivated to constantly learn and grow.”

It’s good to demonstrate knowledge, but how you communicate is crucial. A candidate who talks down to others or acts pretentious is likely to be looking for a job elsewhere. Often this type of behavior shows a lack of confidence in your abilities and that you need to be pretentious to appear more successful than you actually are.

“No one wants to subject their staff to having to deal with an arrogant, self-aggrandizing windbag.” –Jack Kelly

Passion and humility are two traits hiring managers want to see, so express your desire to learn and grow and acknowledge that the people in the room can assist in that growth. Be confident while showing respect, and you’ll stand a much better chance of getting the job.

Wrap up

Self-awareness is one of the most valuable qualities a job seeker can possess. Some of these poor behaviors may seem like no-brainers. But sometimes we might not realize our small actions may be unprofessional, insincere, or arrogant. Take some time to really reflect on how hiring managers will see your communications, and it will go a long way towards finding a job you can be excited about.

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Four Reasons Not To Take The Job

Not every job you’ll get an offer for will be your dream job, unfortunately. We can’t always be picky about every opportunity that comes our way. Sometimes we need the money, and sometimes we need to gain experience so we can get that dream job down the road. But even with these truths, there are plenty of good reasons to decline a job offer.

We’ve previously covered red flags to watch out for in job descriptions, but things won’t always be readily apparent, and a good interview won’t always mean a good workplace. With any job offer, you’ll need to trust your gut on whether it’s the right fit for you. With a little help from the experts, we look into four of the most common and powerful reasons to decline a job offer.

The offering isn’t good

Ultimately, we work so that we can live our lives. We hope you can find a job that feels like a calling, but even the people with the best work-life balance need to eat. Generally, if a job is paying below market value or not willing to provide what you’re worth, you won’t want that job.

Monster’s Mark Swartz says that although there are sometimes good reasons to take a pay cut, it isn’t ideal. And it isn’t just salary, but the job title, the benefits package, and potential vacation time all fall under this category. If you feel you didn’t get what you deserved, it might be a while before you can schedule a change. This can lead to anger and resentment, making the position even worse.

Thankfully, this is something that can be fixed or acknowledged early in your interview process according to Indeed. Despite what others might say, don’t be afraid to ask about salary early in the process. If it’s not to your liking, you have options to fix things before declining the offer, including:

  • Try to negotiate the compensation package with the prospective employer
  • Request that a salary review is done a few months into the job potentially after probation
  • Decide if the employee benefits on offer compensate for the lack of salary

The people aren’t great

But money isn’t a cure-all for everything, and plenty have left jobs that paid well that were otherwise unpleasant. If your bosses or coworkers don’t seem up to par, you may want to save yourself the headache and decline.

Jen Hubley Luckwaldt mentions the old adage “Workers don’t quit companies. They quit managers.” Studies consistently back this up, with bad bosses being a common reason for employee departures. Your direct supervisor should be one of the people in your interviews, so pay close attention to them. What are they like, and how do they describe their work style? Luckwaldt says that while you won’t be able to tell everything about them in one quick meeting, you should be able to get a good picture of whether you can work with them or not.

Your potential coworkers can be a great clue as well. What is the energy like in the office? Do people seem engaged with one another? Pay attention to body language and try to pick up on any clues you can.

“If the job is in Engineering, for example, it matters who is running Manufacturing and who is running Sales. If these latter managers are not competent, what the Engineering team designs may not be fully realized as viable products, and Sales may not be able to sell them.” Nick Corcodilos

The company isn’t a good fit

Most companies have good people, but if the culture isn’t great, it will trickle down. People want value in their jobs, and if a culture seems off or the company appears to be failing, you’ll be hard-pressed to find any value.

If you found yourself getting ghosted or the communication felt poor during the interview process, that’s a bad sign. The mission statement might not be something you agree with, or you might have different priorities. And sometimes, what works for one person doesn’t for another. A fast-paced office might be the dream to some and a nightmare to others. The company might not be bad—just not right for you. And that’s okay!

Beyond culture, there are many other signs a company might not be right for you. Beth Braccio Hering lists a revolving door of employees, a bad reputation, and no clear path to advancements as signs the company isn’t doing things right. Meanwhile, Ask The Headhunter’s Nick Corcodilos suggests looking up the company’s finances and trying to talk about them in the interview. It won’t do you much good to accept an offer if the company is close to bankruptcy!

The quality of life is poor

Sometimes a job might look fine on paper, but enough little things add up, and the job might be a poor fit for your lifestyle.

One of the most common reasons to decline a job is because of the commute. Maybe the job is amazing, but it’s just too far away to reliably get there or your kid’s school is in the complete opposite direction. You’ll have to ask yourself if it’s worth it.

“Getting to and from work should not be the most exhausting part of your day. If it is, you’ll arrive to your job with frayed nerves and get home in a bad mood.” Mark Swartz

Another example is if you can’t agree on remote or hybrid work model. If you’re looking for some sort of balance and the employer isn’t offering what you need, it’s okay to look elsewhere.

Wrap up

In the long run, it’s better to decline a bad job offer than to accept and quit shortly after. Constant quitting can affect your pay grade and career trajectory down the road. If the money, the coworkers, the company culture, and the effects to your quality of life seem poor, don’t feel bad about declining an offer. We hope that knowing there are good reasons not to accept a job and knowing your worth as an employee can help steer you to a job you’re excited about, not just one that pays the bills!

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Making Remote Workplace Friends

The rise in remote work brought a lot of convenience for workers, but one of the few downsides is the lack of social connections. While an open office could be a distraction, the ability to talk with coworkers and partake in “water cooler” chat was a perk of going to work.

Those relationships are much harder to form in remote positions, especially if you never meet your coworkers in person. Having a friend at work is good for both your personal morale and for the company itself. Business News Daily cited a 2021 Workplace Friendship & Happiness survey that found the following:

“57% of people say having a best friend in the workplace makes work more enjoyable, 22% feel more productive with friends, and 21% say friendship makes them more creative.”

Just because you’re not working in the same office doesn’t mean you can’t find a work BFF, however. Online communities are common on message boards, in video games, and in fantasy sports. You can form meaningful work friendships, too. It may take a little extra effort, but if you follow these tips, you can make workplace friends with ease!

Why are virtual relationships more difficult?

Harvard Business Review found that many workers view the virtual connection as a barrier to forming real friendships. When you aren’t spending time directly interacting with someone, you may miss out on visual clues that are often vital in interpersonal relationships. The researchers at HBR state that coworkers need to build cadence with one another, essentially a good back-and-forth based on being able to predict behavior. You can build that cadence virtually, it just takes a little more time and effort than it would in person.

See what the company can do

Hopefully, your organization has adapted to the remote atmosphere and can provide a welcoming remote onboarding. A good onboarding not only gives you valuable insight into the company’s culture but can fill you in on any virtual events. Your company or department may do virtual get-togethers, or maybe even after-work virtual happy hours.

Employers Advantage believes a savvy workplace can take even more steps to provide an atmosphere conducive to friendship. Employers can arrange all sorts of remote gatherings without the bosses being present to provide a safe space for employees to bond and discuss without an authority figure nearby. If your workplace uses Microsoft Teams or Slack, employers can create channels for similar interests, like sports talk or running.

Find a buddy

If you’re in luck, your company may provide you with a work buddy. If not, don’t be afraid to ask for one. If you’re new to the company, having an experienced coworker that isn’t your direct supervisor can be a great way to learn the ins and outs of the organization, and they could become your first friend.

Career coach Octavia Goredema suggests looking through your employee handbook or company website to find resource groups, mentorship programs, or volunteer opportunities. She also thinks one of the best options is to ask for other recent hires as a buddy.

“Someone who is just a few months ahead of you has a perspective that will be so helpful,” –Octavia Goredema

Take initiative

Maybe you don’t work for a large company with a lot of resources dedicated to these types of group activities. That’s okay! You can still make friends. You’ll just need to take initiative.

Ask your supervisor if there are people they think would be good connections for you. Go out of your way to strike up conversations. When you’re finishing a meeting or discussion, ask personal questions or try to learn about shared interests. It may be awkward at first, especially without physical interaction, but these same principles apply to in-person conversations as well. Someone needs to be the first one to dig a bit deeper, it may as well be you.

If you need initial ice breakers, Employers Advantage suggests asking a coworker simple questions rather than a supervisor. For example, asking about dress code expectations. These innocent questions allow you to build a dialogue, and the person being asked feels valued. This can lead to other informal chatting down the road.

The Muse suggests if your team doesn’t have planned virtual activities or communication channels to be the one to plan them. These virtual events can be one-on-one or with a larger group and don’t need a specific purpose other than general chitchat and a place to set work aside for a moment. These conversations will not only allow you to get to know your coworkers but can increase team morale.

Finally, Psychology Today believes being open to sharing more of yourself and offering praise will go a long way. If you’re willing to share, others will feel more comfortable sharing, and sharing and offering praise will make them feel more human. The smallest bits of effort can make a fellow employee feel more appreciated.

Wrap up

Just because you don’t work in the same building doesn’t mean you can’t find a work bestie to chat with, support, and help each other get through the day. Many companies offer resources to help you form relationships, and you may even find a dedicated work buddy. But you always have the power to take initiative and create a space for friendships to blossom. Even the smallest bits of effort will be noticed.

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Watch Out For These Red Flags On Your Next Job Search

In wake of the Great Resignation, many organizations are rapidly trying to attract talent. It’s a good time to be a job seeker, as experts believe 2022 is a year favoring employees. But while many companies are hiring and job seekers have a plethora of options, not all of those options are good. Navigating the job market can be like walking through a minefield as you try to avoid questionable organizations.

Thankfully, a well-prepared job seeker can avoid these “mines” by recognizing the red flags these organizations put out. Whether in the job description itself or based on statements you hear in an interview, there are telltale signs you’re heading for an unpleasant role. We’ll cover six of these major red flags to avoid during your next job search.

Vague or problematic language

Before you even interact with someone from the company, the job post alone can tell you a lot about the company’s culture. Just as in dating, there are plenty of words and phrases that should immediately set off warning lights.

Being described as a wizard, ninja, or rockstar might be cool in a video game, but avoid companies seeking these fantastical titles. Dice writes that many tech companies used these titles to jazz up descriptions, but now they are commonly used as a vague, catch-all term to describe someone that checks every single box they want. These terms are also often gendered and can indicate a workplace lacking diversity.

Meanwhile, avoid companies that claim to be “like a family”. Families can often be dysfunctional, and while that may be okay for you and your loved ones, it isn’t how you want a company to run.

“Workplaces that claim to be a family can come with the downsides of family—poor boundaries and guilt trips. No thanks.” –Hcareers

Vague descriptions, or conversely overly long descriptions, can be a bad sign, too. The company may not know exactly what they’re looking for, or they may have unrealistic expectations for the position.

Finally, pay attention to words that imply the position will come with lots of extra work or lead to burnout. If the job description mentions “work hard, play hard”, “fast-paced”, “must be a self-starter”, or “unlimited earning potential”, you could be heading for a bad time, writes Forbes. While these terms don’t need to be immediate deal-breakers, feel free to ask the recruiter what exactly they mean when they use these terms.

Avoiding discussing pay

Even if you’re passionate about your career, you’re still getting paid for your work. Ideally, you’ll make a comfortable living. If a job is vague or dances around the subject of salary, it can be a bad sign.

Some companies may use vague language like “based on experience” or “competitive salary”, but when asked, they should be able to provide a range.

“It’s just basic human choice. We would never accept a job without knowing how much money we’d get in it. We cannot make a decision without that core information.” –Katrina Kibben

Lots of turnover

You may need to do extra research on this tip, but if you see the same position in your search multiple times, it may mean the organization has a high turnover rate. Jennifer Parris suggests you may need to dig deeper to find out why this position is constantly open.

It can be worth asking the hiring manager but don’t be afraid to look outside the current organization. Look at reviews on Glassdoor, check LinkedIn to see how long people remain with the company, and if you know anyone that worked there, get the inside scoop.

Lack of communication

If you’ve started the process of applying and the communication between you and the hiring manager is sporadic, this may be a sign of a dysfunctional organization. While both job seekers and hiring managers can be guilty of ghosting, if you’re having communication issues this early in the process it’s a bad look. We all have bad days, but if you’re consistently being ghosted or the manager feels unprepared, you may wish to look elsewhere.

Long hiring process

Glassdoor’s research team found the average hiring process is 23.8 days, though obviously, this is industry and position-dependent. But the longer the process takes, the more skeptical you should be.

Some organizations may ghost you completely after your interview, but if it takes weeks to hear back even when you’ve got the job, it can be another sign of disfunction, writes Jennifer Parris. The position may not be a priority, meaning you won’t get the support you need once you start the job. Or there could be communication breakdowns between different departments.

Expecting unpaid work

For some positions, you may need to provide some extra examples of your work. If you’re a content creator, for example, a company may want to see writing samples. And while skills assessments are frustrating, they do have value. But if it feels like a prospective employer is asking for too much, it’s a bad sign. This can also apply to the phrase “mandatory overtime”.

If it feels like you’re doing free labor, approach the interviewer. Their response can be telling, believes Fairygodboss. Your time is valuable.

Wrap up

Armed with this knowledge, it should be easier to spot job openings that might not be for you. While you should watch out for these potential red flags, it’s always worth asking the hiring manager about them. Extenuating circumstances happen, and some managers may not know why certain phrases can be problematic. Do your research, ask necessary questions, and ultimately, trust your gut.

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