Q. I’m extending an offer to a candidate soon. They’re a perfect fit for the job, but I know a promotion is on her mind. And she hasn’t even started yet. How can I manage her expectations that she needs to learn this job first before advancing?
A. It’s a Catch-22 — terrific that you have an ambitious new hire who’s a perfect fit as you say and you don’t want to diminish her motivation and ambition. I’d meet with her in the beginning to set goals for the year and outline the path to promotion and what type of skills need to be developed and metrics/goals that need to be met for that to potentially happen. This way, she has a clearly defined road map, but is also aware of what needs to be accomplished.
You may or may not want to include a timeline. She may be on the fast track so a promotion two years from now may occur sooner than that; or there may be budgetary constraints so you may say one year but a year from now, it may not be possible. So, you may want to leave the timeline open-ended. But be sure to recognize top performance — and this goes for your other direct reports, not just her — along the way with spot award bonuses, etc.
Q. I’m going to resign in a few weeks. I know this is early to plan this way, but I want to have the holidays off and start looking in January. I so need downtime. I’m going to work some seasonal retail jobs through New Year’s. Everyone in my family thinks this is crazy. “Don’t ever leave a job until you have another one lined up.” What do you think?
A. Your family wants the best for you and they may be concerned about cutting off your source of income. But it sounds like you have a solid plan. I’d begin with the end in mind: Crunch numbers and talk to a financial adviser and a partner if you have mortgage payments together, etc.
You may have already done this; then figure out how much you would earn during those retail jobs and start applying. (Typically seasonal hiring for the holidays starts as early as September.) You may want to start prior to November if you have time and availability while you’re still working full-time.
Oftentimes people leave without having another one lined up because it’s horrid and wreaking havoc on their health and personal life. So, without knowing the level of toxicity in your current job, will you be able to last there until November or is it chipping away quickly at your health, self-esteem, confidence, etc.?
It’s good to have a plan and incredibly smart, so assess your comfort level at your current job. I would start looking for a new full-time job now though. You may end up in a better situation whereby you can resign from this job and pivot into a new full-time one without a lag in salary. Since you need some downtime, you can always factor that into your start date, such as a two-week lag in between. Check out benefits though to see when your current coverage ends and new coverage kicks in.
Do what’s best for you and if you have financial obligations with a partner, consult with them and again, with your financial adviser. Good luck.
Tribune News Service