I’ve been at my job for two years, and I’m getting bored. The things I’m working on are repetitive, and I’m starting to get increasingly annoyed with day-to-day nuisances. I’m essentially having to restrain myself from biting my coworkers. About a year ago, my direct manager left, and was never replaced– instead, they removed his position and shuffled his responsibilities to me and a coworker. In addition, over the last year, the product I work on has grown a lot: we’ve had some success, which is good, but it comes with a lot more work and responsibility. I’m the only one working on that project, and things keep getting dumped on me, from big tasks to administrative details that someone else really should handle, but which end up on my plate as “I’m the only one who knows this project.”

My boss meanwhile seems to want us to keep growing, and wants more results, faster, with tighter deadlines and more elements. I’m starting to feel a bit burned out. It’s gotten to the point where I can’t even really manage to take a sick day properly — there’s too much to do, and all the eggs are in my basket, and can’t be left unattended even for a minute. Most troubling, I’m bored with the work I’m doing: so more’s expected of me, but I’m feeling pressured and lethargic about producing the same stuff over and over again.



As I’ve felt the burnout approaching, I’ve tried to halt it: I’ve spoken to my boss about getting some help and she’s made sympathetic noises, but nothing has come of it, other than to actually add more work to my plate. I’ve tried to find ways to get excited about my tasks again, trying new things and new ideas, but they all tend to fizzle in this general funk of gloom. So, I think the time is coming for me to move on. . . only I can’t. I’m planning to go to grad school next year, to help get me to the next level of my career which will excite me again. In this economy, I can’t imagine finding another job that pays as well as my current position, and I wouldn’t want to take a job for the nine months between now and school, only to leave so quickly.



Any advice about not hating my job as much as getting through till May? I’d really like to get there without stabbing a coworker with a pen or crying in my shower on a daily basis.

Answer from Alison Green:

You need to talk to your boss. It’s not uncommon for managers to pile more and more someone’s plate, until and unless they’re told to stop. You’re being very accommodating, but no good manager would want you to take on so much that you’re getting burned out. And not simply out of compassion –if you’re overloaded and getting burned out, your work quality is going to suffer, and that’s bad for your manager. But if you never set boundaries, many managers will simply send more and more work your way.

So you need to talk to your boss. I know that you’ve already tried, but you need to be much more direct and assertive. Go back to her and lay out very clearly that you’re overloaded, you’re not able to continue at this pace, and something needs to give. Tell her exactly what you are and aren’t capable of doing – for instance, that you can do X and Y, but you can no longer do Z. Or if it’s essential that you do Z, then Y will have to move to someone else. You can also say that you’re not able to continue working overtime, and so you’ll only be doing the amount of work that can be done in a normal workweek, here’s how you plan to prioritize, and that means that the items on the end of the list probably won’t get done, so she should probably make other arrangements for them.

You also need to say that you’ve felt unable to take even a single day off, but that paid time off is part of your benefits package (assuming it is) and that you are going to start using it when you need to. You’re not seeking permission here; you’re letting her know that you’ll be taking this very reasonable action.

Be assertive, set boundaries, and stick to them. While there are some managers who would penalize you for taking this stance, there are far, far more who will respect you for it.

Answer from Alexandra Levit:

I’m sorry to hear that you’re experiencing so much stress.  Job burnout is very common in a business world where one employee is still doing the work out many, but that doesn’t make it easier on you as an individual.

It sounds like you have already spoken to your manager with less than satisfying results.  I would revisit that conversation and this time, be a bit more assertive.  Ask for something specific to relieve your pain, such as the elimination of a particular task.  Phrase potential consequences in the best interest of the company (e.g. “I’m concerned that something critical is going to slip through the cracks because I’m so overwhelmed”).

If you aren’t doing this already, please keep up your exercise regimen and social calendar outside of work.  Getting enough sleep, eating well, and making time for the things that are important to you will protect you against the physical and psychological damage of burnout.

I also think you have to look at the big picture.  Nine months is really not a long time in the scheme of things.  If you view each completed work day as one step closer to your dream of graduate school and a better job, you may be able to recapture some of your enthusiasm.

Finally, and this may be a controversial point – since your job has a clear end in sight, maybe you don’t need to jump through quite as many hoops to keep everyone happy.   You can meet expectations and do a great job, but without the insanity of struggling to hang onto the job for the long-term.

Answer from Anita Bruzzese:

I see you falling into a trap that many people do: You believe the grass has got to be greener on the other side, and going back to school will solve all your problems.

Every job can have repetitive tasks that can make you bored and crazy. Every boss will pile work on you if given the chance. Going back to school or finding another job probably won’t change any of those aggravations.

Here are some steps I’d recommend: If you’re bored with certain tasks, see if you can delegate them to someone else, or switch tasks with them to liven things up. If you see something that interests you, go for it. Make a case to the boss why you’re the best person to do it and how your other tasks can be taken up by someone else, or even outsourced to a freelancer. (Since you’ve just been given a raise, your time is probably worth more than some others so she’ll see the bottom-line sense in having you perform more valuable work.)

I would also say you need to get a clear handle on how much time you’re spending on certain work, so that you can clearly show the boss how some tasks are overloading you or are inefficient. Start tracking your hours through the various online time management tools.

That  also will help you point out that your schedule is full next time the boss tries to dump something on you. “Hmmm,” you say. “I’m looking at my schedule and I don’t see a place to fit that in. I’d love to help, but do you have any suggestions on what I might be able to drop to accommodate that?”

While your intentions are noble that you can’t possibly take any time off, it’s just another way you’re sabotaging yourself. Of course you’re headed for burnout! Who wouldn’t be if they never took time off? Arrange to have work covered while you’re gone and give the boss advance notice.  If the boss freaks, offer to call in once a day to check things over.

I think you also need to attend more industry events or conferences as it’s another great way to recharge your batteries. As I said before, if the boss is willing to give you’re a raise, that shows she wants to hang onto you and will do what is reasonable to keep you happy.

As for school, this is something only you can decide. But if you believe it’s the only way to be happier in your career, then you may need to consider whether the source for that already lies within yourself.

Answer from Eva Rykrsmith:

You have already done what you can to try to improve the situation and, anyway, your plans for this job are very temporary. Because of this, it seems the best course of action is to find a way to cope with the job, collect your paycheck, and avoid burnout and preserve your mental well-being throughout that process. Here are some things you can do that might help that goal:

• Write down a list of things you do like about your job (for example, you mentioned the pay is good). Keep this list handy and take a look at it from time to time to keep perspective.
• Take breaks during the day when you feel yourself getting stressed. Use that time to find a way to shift your mood back to a more positive state.
• If there is too much work to do that you can’t get it all done in a working day, allow the least important to drop off, or ask your boss for help with prioritizing tasks.
• To deal with boredom, focus your drive and ambition on your personal life, side projects, or getting ready for graduate school.
• Find something fun to do each day in your personal life so you have something to look forward to and be excited about.
• Leave work at work. Don’t check email, don’t complain about your job, and don’t think about your current projects.
• Get to know the people in your office. Having someone there to chat with can help you get through the day to day until it is time to leave.
• Start a countdown to remind yourself that this situation isn’t permanent.

To make these changes, we’ll be taking the blog offline this evening for up to an hour between 6:30 and 8:30PM EST. So come check out the new design tomorrow morning!

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I hire and manage a number of entry level nonprofit employees (permanent full-time staff as well as AmeriCorps members and college interns). When I hire these folks, it’s often pretty tough to identify the best candidates — so many of them don’t really know how to give me the information I need to evaluate their abilities. The best person I’ve ever hired in this kind of position had a resume so bad… well, let’s just say that I did a Google image search for “bad resume examples” and couldn’t find a resume as badly put together as hers. (Why did I hire her? We had an incredibly short turnaround time to make a decision – one week from posting the job to signing a contract — so I read every resume super carefully.)

Any advice on how to see the superstar-in-the-making when she’s hidden by the uninspiring cover letter, light-on-the-details resume, and jangly interview nerves that often come along with someone new on the professional scene?

Answer from Alison Green…

I feel your pain! But there are a few things you can do to get beneath the surface of the inexperienced presentation to see what substance is really there:

1. Look for candidates who have a track record of achievement. Since these are entry-level candidates, look at what they’ve done in school, hobbies, extracurriculars, and internships. Look for the people who have a track record of taking something from A to B, where B is greater than A. That’s the kind of track record you want on your team.

2. Ask a ton of probing questions. Figure out what the must-have skills and qualities are that you need in the role, and come up with questions designed to ferret out whether a candidate has them or not. For instance, if you need someone who’s highly organized and able to stay calm in a crisis, ask candidates to tell you about a time when they had to use those skills. Then ask a ton of follow-ups: “What did you do next? How did you handle X? Why did you decide to do it that way? What was the hardest part? I imagine Y must have been a challenge; how did you handle it? Walk me through how you made a decision about Z.” The idea is that you want to get beneath the surface and into the nitty-gritty of how the candidate thinks and operates — and how she really did think and operate in a specific past situation, not how she thinks she might handle a hypothetical future situations (which are a lot easier for candidates to bluff their way through).

3. See candidates in action. Not even the most thorough interview can substitute for actually seeing candidates doing the work. (A colleague of mine compares this to being a football coach holding tryouts. You wouldn’t ask a player whether he could make a tackle, you’d ask to see him do it. The same is true here.) Have your top candidates do an exercise that will simulate some of the most critical work they’d be doing on the job. For instance, if you need someone who can write persuasively under pressure, give each candidate a set of talking points and 30 minutes to draft a memo. The results of exercises like this can give you a huge amount of insight, often strongly differentiating one candidate from another.

Answer from Anita Bruzzese…

Even though your job candidates may lack professional savvy, you do not. That means you can be more proactive in recruiting the best candidates possible.

Do you use social media to connect with potential candidates? Are you using employee referrals to find talent? Are your job descriptions well-written, specific in the skills needed and maybe even a bit fun to attract better applicants? I think you can’t expect the cream-of-the-crop to apply unless you’re doing your best to attract them.

Social media is also a great way to connect with candidates before an interview and see how they interact with others. Are they up on industry news or show a hard work ethic by volunteering time to a community event while also attending school? (Even if they have a photo of a tipsy night with friends, don’t discount them immediately. One or two photos shouldn’t make you forget what it’s like to be young — but more than that and lots of Twitter posts about drunken escapades should make you move on to the next candidate.)

What do their references say about them? Even though human resources may only be willing to verify dates of employment, ask to speak to the person’s supervisor. They’re often very chatty — as are professors — and willing to discuss whether the person finishes a project or has a bad habit of showing up late and bailing out on assignments. Is the applicant willing to go above the call of duty? Does he or she see something that needs to be done and pitches in without being asked?

Finally, consider giving your applicants a test run. Pay them a small fee to take on an assignment and then review the final product and the processes they used to work through the problem. This can be a key indicator of a diamond in the rough just waiting for a chance.

Answer from Eva Rykrsmith…

I have always thought that a resume and a behavioral interview, while a common combination for hiring professionals, is a poor way to evaluate entry-level candidates. Resumes and interviews aren’t very good at predicting high performers in the first place, but when a candidate doesn’t have much of a background of professional experience to draw from, it’s even more of a problem.

Your experience mirrors this; cover letters, resumes, and interviews are not providing the data you need to make your decision so you need a different way to evaluate whether candidates can do the job. First, make sure you have defined what skills, characteristics, abilities, or competencies the new hire must possess. Leave out anything that you can and are willing to provide training on.

You can then seek to evaluate them on the criteria you identified. Here are three less common, yet effective methods you can try to get the information you need:

• Situational interview: rather than asking what they have done previously, ask what they hypothetically would do in a certain situation.
• Written interview questions: instead of (or in addition to) a verbal interview, create a questionnaire and allow them to fill it out in written format (especially effective for introverts!).
• Work sample or job task: assign a typical job task and see how well they perform.
• Define the deal-maker: the opposite of a deal-breaker, this is the quality that reliably predicts success in that specific position. Entry-level non-technical position? Personally, I’d hire the one with passion and an eagerness to learn!

Answer from Alexandra Levit…

I understand your concerns about evaluating entry-level candidates and being afraid you’re going to miss a “diamond in the rough.”  If you can do it, mitigate your risk by bringing them on as temporary interns first.  By paying them, you’ll avoid trouble with the government, and I feel that it’s very easy to tell if hires are going to work out within a few months on the job.  When you present the internship opportunity, make clear that you fully intend to hire full time after an initial trial period.

Should this approach not be possible, I echo Eva’s suggestions and would also add to check references carefully.  This means actually speaking to someone on the phone, and getting their perspective on the candidate’s strengths and weaknesses as an employee.  In this respect, you should ask open-ended questions about accomplishments, intellectual ability, personality and character, interpersonal and technical skills, business judgment, level of commitment, management style, and areas for development.

If you’re getting a nice but generic image of the candidate, re-phrase your questions so that you’re presenting the topic of a candidate’s weaknesses in a non-offensive manner.  For instance: “We are really excited about the possibility of bringing John on board.  If he is selected for the position, what are some areas in which you think he could use some development?’”

Since some recent grads may not have had professional jobs before, you may need to rely on internship or volunteer supervisors.  The level of the person doesn’t matter as much as the fact that they witnessed the candidate using some of the skills you are looking for.  If the candidate truly is a superstar in the making, I guarantee someone has witnessed it.

What may come as a surprise is the region where most D.I.Y. workers are based. While most consider the Silicon Valley or New York as the primary tech hubs of the country, the study revealed that more than one-third (35.5%) of D.I.Y. workers are located in the South. More specifically, the southern states led the pack compared to the other regions, which include the West (24%), Midwest (24%) and Northeast (17.5%).

While cities such as San Francisco are traditionally known for their volume of savvy technology workers, some areas in the South are actually catching up, if not surpassing these leaders. For example, the Austin Chamber of Commerce just announced AustinTechSource, an online talent community designed to attract experienced, out-of-market technology talent. With resources such as this in place, Austin is encouraging their residents to work in the information technology field and bolstering the technology community in their area.

Do these findings come as a surprise to you? If not, what are some of the reasons you think the South has such a large group of D.I.Y. workers? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

“How should I approach it when I need to chase down my fellow colleagues and manager about matters that require their prompt assistance and attention? For instance, my senior colleague, who is based in another state, usually emails me to follow-up on certain issues that require clearance on my end, that is, I need to obtain approval from my boss. But despite sending 1-2 email follow-up emails to my boss asking for his approval on the issue on hand, every time I check in with him (face-to-face) his reply is, “I haven’t seen it yet.” How do I go about asking him to please take a look at my email that contains some editorial feedback from him before I can forward it down to my senior colleague?

Honestly, I have been “complained” about once or twice by my colleagues to my direct supervisor that I had been too “fierce” when it comes to asking them to reply me on certain emails. Since then, I have toned down my way of asking them things, but it hasn’t brought much good to me either, since they’re not taking my requests seriously when I’m very nice about it. Please help me out here!”

From Alexandra Levit…

I feel for you as unresponsive colleagues were one of my biggest pet peeves about working in an established company.  The first thing I would do is look carefully at the way you are wording your e-mails.  You don’t want to be too demanding (or fierce, as you say), but you also need to be direct.  This means clearly delineating what you need, when you need it by, and the practical consequences of not meeting the deadline. Think of what would make the person want to respond to you promptly, and phrase your request in that matter. For example, if your boss is all about great customer service, you might say:  “Customer X seems really eager to receive this and I’d like to get it back to him while his attention is focused on it.”

You can also mention that you are happy to stop by to get the answer if he or she is too busy to respond in an e-mail.  Along those lines, sometimes it helps to set up a meeting with the unresponsive person expressly for the purpose of reviewing the document in question.  That way, you can get the feedback you need right on the spot.  And finally, it can never hurt to include read receipts and follow up flags on your internal messages.  These tools help you and the unresponsive colleague to keep track of what has been seen and what needs a response.

In the long run, it may be appropriate to revisit this approval process entirely and assess whether there is too much red tape involved and whether everyone is empowered to do their jobs effectively. For instance, perhaps it would make sense for your out-of-state colleague to communicate directly with your boss so that you are not unnecessarily put in the middle.

From Alison Green…

Here are a few tips that might help:

1. Be direct and specific about what you need, with a timeline attached. For instance, “Could you give me your okay on this draft by close of business Thursday?”  You can also try explaining why it’s time-sensitive, e.g., “I need to get back to the vendor by Friday morning in order to get the early-bird discount, so could you let me know no later than Thursday?”

2. Make it as easy as possible for people to respond to you quickly. Ask yes/no questions, keep emails short, and provide a quick proposal so that people can respond quickly with a yes or no. If you write, “How do you want to handle this?” your recipient needs to spend time writing out a detailed response — and is more likely to put the email aside for later (and maybe never come back to it). But if you write “I propose we do X. Does that sound okay to you?” then the person can simply write back with “yes” or no” — so you’re more likely to get a quick answer.

3. In some cases, it’s appropriate to say, “If I don’t hear from you by the end of the week, I’ll plan to do X.” If you take this route, make sure to give the person a reasonable amount of time to respond (not, say, two hours), and don’t do it if the stakes are very high.

4. If you’re still not getting the responses you need, talk to people about it in a non-accusatory way. Say something like, “I’ve noticed that you’re not always able to get back to me in the timeframes that I need on my end to move work along. Is there a different way you’d like me to handle these things?” You may find out that they’d prefer a phone call, or for you to stick your head in their office. Not everyone is an email person, or as organized as they should be!

5. If none of the above works, talk to your boss. Explain the issue and ask for advice on how you can get what you need without being overly aggressive.

From Anita Bruzzese…

For colleagues, part of the issue may be that your emails are simply overwhelming and they don’t want to deal with them. I’d remember to keep them concise. That means you say exactly what you need, why you need it and the date you need it by. I would also boldface and underline the due date. Then, set reminders to follow up in a day.  Something else to ask yourself: Am I sending emails when I could just stick my head around the corner and ask a question? Your co-workers may prefer a 10-second question from you in person rather than slogging through a long email they know will take 20 minutes to digest.

As for your boss not responding, this gets a lot trickier. Most bosses are inundated with emails. They get cc’d on just about everything, and they often don’t respond to emails until their backs are against the wall. However, most live and die by their calendars. I would try and get your due dates put on his/her calendar – you can do this either through an assistant or through an online calendar like Google. I would also see if you can’t get the office connected to some kind of collaborative system. Check out this post I did on social collaboration and idea sharing. This would make it easier for everyone to track the progress of a project. I’m not sure why you’re getting caught in the middle of this issue between the senior colleague and your boss, but I would always cc your colleague in reminder notes to your boss so that she’s aware of your efforts. Honestly, it may be time to step out of the way and let the two of them handle the time crunch issue.

From Eva Rykrsmith…

The first thing I would recommend is setting a deadline for your request. Without a firm date, an ASAP request can mean varied things to different people. Some will rush and get it done within an hour, while others will prioritize other things first and this will fall in their ‘eventually’ pile. In my experience, simply setting a date or time ensures you will get a response sooner. It also makes it easier to follow-up on once the date you set has passed.

My second recommendation is to change the method of communication. Nothing wrong with what you did, but it seems email with an in-person follow-up isn’t getting the best response. Do you have a weekly meeting with your boss where you can request and obtain approval? Or perhaps reverse your strategy—approach him in person and then follow-up by email instead.

Last, mention consequences. What, exactly, will happen if X doesn’t get done by Y? Does it slow down a project? Does your senior colleague miss a client deadline? Nobody likes being the one who drops the ball, so if your manager realizes the negative implications of taking an extra day or two to get around to it, he may shift his priorities to get it done sooner. This is also a good check for yourself to determine if you are, in fact, being overbearing with requests. If consequences don’t change whether your boss responds tomorrow or two weeks from now, let it go.

My organization seems to make a habit of not following the chain of command. Even in our small division of 10 people, I routinely find myself in situations where the division head gives orders directly to me (bypassing my manager, who is his direct report), or makes decisions that he doesn’t actively support afterwards (e.g., makes a decision and puts me in charge of implementing it, but doesn’t become actively involved when his own direct reports – who outrank me and who are affected by his decision – are dissatisfied with it and start challenging it). As a result, I find myself fighting to support decisions that our big boss made (sometimes without even telling his own direct reports about it), that my boss doesn’t have any knowledge of (except through me, as I usually do my best to keep him in the loop), and that our big boss’s direct reports are completely unhappy with. However, because the big boss didn’t make it clear to anyone that this is his stance on the matter, I lack the credibility to enforce and implement his decisions.

When I go to my boss about it, I get told that a) our big boss is too busy and too overwhelmed with work to be dealing with this and b) that this is all very political anyway. And I don’t want to go over my boss’s head to complain to the big boss about these issues when my boss told me to suck it up.

Question: Am I thinking too rigidly when I expect a clear chain of command to be followed? E.g., Big Boss has a Big Idea, Big Boss talks to My Boss, My Boss talks to me, I execute and deliver within my authority, and where enforcement or selling is needed, delegate upwards to My Boss. Alternatively, Big Boss has a Big Idea, Big Boss talks to me, Big Boss backs me up with his own direct reports (who outrank me completely). I should note that I am under 30 and that this is my first real work experience in a big organization.

Alison Green says…

Chains of command sometimes exist more in theory than in practice, so yes, you’re probably being a little bit too rigid in expecting it to be followed. More specifically, chains of command more often work upward than downward — i.e., you’re expected to follow it and not go over your boss’s head, but the Big Boss? He gets to do what’s most convenient for him, because that’s one of the prerogatives of being the boss.

Now, that said, if someone can demonstrate to the Big Boss that the way he’s doing things is less effective for the company overall – not just for you personally — then he should pay attention to that, if he’s reasonable. (Of course, not all bosses are.)  But the person to make that argument to him should be your boss, not you. Your boss may have done that without success, or she may not have tried because she’s unassertive, or she may not have tried because her position gives her a different perspective than you have and she understands perfectly why the Big Boss is operating this way.

But you do have a legitimate problem in that you’re being directed to implement decisions that don’t have team-wide support, and you don’t have the authority to enforce those decisions yourself. So the next time the Big Boss tells you to implement something, say this:  ”I’d be glad to. I suspect that Jane and Bob are going to push back on this though — do you have any advice on handling that?”   You can also get more information from him about how he wants the chain of command to work by asking him, “If I encounter any pushback from people on this, should I come back directly to you about it, or should I go through my manager?” In other words, anticipate the problem and involve him in solving it up-front when he first gives you the directive.

Eva Rykrsmith says…

First, kudos. You seem to have a very good understanding of the dynamics of a complex situation. I have been in similar circumstances so I understand your frustration in this scenario. I think you have also taken a good first step by discussing concerns with your immediate boss.

However, I question where your expectations for the chain of command come from. If your boss serves as an intermediary for communication between you and Big Boss, there would certainly be some details lost in the translation and besides, doesn’t your boss have other things to do than play telephone? It also seems overly bureaucratic for a group of ten people within a division.

Let me offer a new perspective: Big Boss coming directly to you is an opportunity. The underlying message is that he trusts you in getting a project done and is willing to take a risk to allow you to practice a leadership role. If you succeed, you stand a better chance of getting more projects with greater scope of responsibility and eventually obtaining a promotion and directly reporting to him in the future. Is this something that is in line with your career goals?

If so, the burden of responsibility now shifts to you. What can you do to impress the Big Boss and show you are capable? Identify problems (I think you got this part down) and work to create solutions (your next step is here).  There is a big difference between complaining and expecting others to fix problems for you and identifying a problem, generating possible solutions, and working past difficulties to get things done. Good luck!

Anita Bruzzese says…

One of the results of a down economy has been that organizations have been stripped down to the bare bones and each person has been asked to do sometimes two – or three – times the amount of work as before. It could be that this is what has happened to your workplace – job duties and expectations have changed even though they’ve not been put into writing.

Like Eva, I see this as an opportunity. Embrace it. Run with it. If you’re worried about covering your assets, so to speak, put your actions in writing and shoot off emails to concerned parties so that it’s clear who gave you the directions and how you’re following them. Keep a journal for yourself of any personal comments that are being made by unhappy coworkers because you always want documentation in case there is a dispute later. Writing it down will also help you analyze the information without the emotion involved.

At the same time, think about someone in your life – possibly a former professor or an older family friend – who might be able to serve as a mentor. You’re young and it will be difficult to navigate all of these political shenanigans in your office. A mentor’s advice could be very useful.

Alexandra Levit says…

Hierarchies are on the way out, especially in smaller organizations that are being run, more and more, like start-ups.  Nobody has the time because we’re all just scrambling to get things done.  I understand that you are uncomfortable with the situation, but look at it this way: it will be good practice for more ambiguous arrangements that are certain to come up if you continue working in today’s business world.

You’ve obviously made a terrific impression on the Big Boss – otherwise he wouldn’t be coming to you directly.  Live up to his positive perception of you by being responsive and conscientious and doing a better job than he expects on the assignments he delegates.  Focus on doing your job to the best of your ability and try not to worry about the Big Boss’ grumbling direct reports.  Factually report what you’ve been told to do, and don’t apologize for it.  If they are unhappy, it’s their responsibility to approach their boss.

It’s a good idea to continue to keep your immediate boss in the loop, though be careful about complaining too much about a situation that’s out of his hands.  This will only serve to annoy him.  If you make an effort to be independent and solve problems on your own with a great attitude, he will view you as positively as the Big Boss evidently does.

Do you have questions you’d like our exerts to answer? Ask them below and we’ll consider them for our next 360˚ Answers!

Now we’re unveiling additional data about those employees: who they are, where they work, and what motivates them. As this class of D.I.Y. employees grows, enabled by increasingly easy-to-use development tools, enterprises can’t afford to neglect this population. See and share the infographic below for all the highlights or click here to view a PDF of the press release.

CLICK TO ENLARGE INFOGRAPHIC

Infographic by Column Five.

Embed this infographic on your own site:
<p><a href=”http://quickbase.intuit.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/quickbase-infographic-unmasking-enterprise-diy-employees.png”><img title=”quickbase-infographic-unmasking-enterprise-diy-employees.png” src=”http://quickbase.intuit.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/quickbase-infographic-unmasking-enterprise-diy-employees.png” alt=”" width=”910″ height=”3470″ /></a><br />via: <a href=”http://quickbase.intuit.com/blog/2012/03/21/infographic-unmasking-enterprise-d-i-y-employees/”>Intuit QuickBase Report: Unmasking Enterprise D.I.Y. Employees [INFOGRAPHIC]</a></p>

I’m currently hiring for a policy analyst position. Our position description says that we expect a graduate degree in public policy or related field, and at least 2-5 years of work experience.

In the stack of applications, we’ve received several from people who have significantly more work experience than I do. In an ordinary labor market, I’d say that they were overqualified, and have the standard concerns — they don’t really understand the position, they will want more money than we can offer. But in this economy, I get that there are people who understand the money and the job, are overqualified, but want it anyway. And I don’t want to discriminate on the basis of age. Any suggestions for how to decide if they’re worth considering? What interview questions should I be asking if I do interview them?

Alison Green says…

Here’s the deal with hiring an overqualified candidate: Sometimes you end up with an employee who’s bored and eager to move on to something more challenging, and sometimes you end up with an employee who will excel in the role and accomplish things you never thought you could get from that role before. Not all overqualified candidates are the same, and your job is to figure out which you’re likely to get.

Too often when they’re faced with an overqualified candidate, managers decide that they know what that person is all about, without even bothering to ask. They decide the person is just desperate for a paycheck right now and will leave when something better comes along, or they decide that the candidate must not realize how junior the job is. But in fact, there are plenty of excellent candidates out there who are deliberately looking for something less demanding or more junior than the roles they’ve held previously. Some people take on managerial roles and realize they hate it and want to go back to only being responsible for their own work. Other people want to focus on their families or other interests and don’t want a job that’s all-consuming. And you won’t know who’s who unless you ask.

So ask. Say it directly: “This position is much less responsibility and challenge than you’ve had previously. What interests you about that kind of move?” And then listen to how they respond. Do they sound sincere? Does their response resonate with you? If so, that’s information worth considering.

Eva Rykr says…

Overqualification is an interesting concept. Selection systems are generally designed to eliminate the underqualified and create a comparison of ability between candidates. So someone being overqualified would seem to be a bonus. I suspect your concern is not that someone is overqualified. The concern, instead, is whether they are a good fit for the position, whether you can afford them, and if there will be a retention issue. Fortunately, these are easily addressed. For example, by being upfront with the salary for the position, you can eliminate the issue of pay right away.

When I am hiring for a position, I differentiate between screening questions and interview questions. Screening questions are asked immediately after a resume submission or application and they weed out (“select out”) inappropriate candidates. They have a way of highlighting red flags and obviously wrong candidates. In your case, screening questions might be about their desired salary or their expectations for the position. Interview questions, on the other hand, are presented to the top few candidates and are designed to narrow down (“select in”) the top candidates. Interview questions might include asking them why they want this position and asking them to make a case for why they are the best person for this role. Ask every candidate all the same questions and determine rating criteria and how you will evaluate candidates before you start.

It’s important to be methodical during the selection process because many of the concerns hiring managers have about overqualified candidates are based on stereotypes rather than reality. You do not want to miss out on top talent because of fear and ambiguous concerns. Be straightforward with the pay, the position, and the expectations. Examine the candidate in their entirety and what they can do for the organization—neither discount nor assign any extra weight to the fact that they may be “overqualified.”

Anita Bruzzese says….

First, let me say that I’ve interviewed some of the top leaders in this country during my career, and the one thing they all say is that one of the best moves they’ve made is surrounding themselves with smart people, who often knew more than they did. So I applaud your willingness to hire those with more experience than you – such a move may end up really helping your own career.

Second, while many “overqualified” people are more experienced, of course, chances are good they’re much more in touch with what they really want to do. Gunning for that next promotion may not be as high on their list of priorities, for example, as the desire to do work they enjoy or a need to feel that they’re contributing to an organization.

So, I’d ask things like: “Can you describe your favorite job from the past and what you did?” Or, “What did you not like doing in former jobs?”  Look for things they love to do and you’ll have a better understanding if they’d be a good fit.

Alexandra Levit says…

I suggest doing a phone screening first, and everyone above has great suggestions on what to say and ask during this first conversation.  Your goal is to make sure the candidate understands the situation and is applying for the job for a good reason (e.g. a different sort of challenge, a schedule that allows for more work/life balance, etc.) rather than out of desperation.

If you like what you hear, bring them in and get a feel for how they would mesh with the organizational culture as well as you and your co-workers.  You also want to get a sense of their level of enthusiasm and desire to stick with the organization for the long haul.  Someone willing to take a less prestigious job because they  are one foot out the door to retirement won’t do you very much good.

And finally, in making a decision, remember that overqualified candidates (note that overqualified is sometimes used as a euphemism for “older”) can often add much more value than less experienced ones because they tend to be more mature, loyal, and stable – and they’ve seen it all.  As Anita mentioned, you will probably find yourself learning from them, which is a good thing!

Since this is a new format for us, we’d like to get your feedback on providing multiple answers to a reader question. Do you like this format? Do you have questions you’d like to have answered by our experts? Let us know!

Our customers are a big part of a growing class of knowledge workers that are transforming how software is used in the enterprise. Our recent survey revealed that nearly one in five information workers has built or customized a Web app or software for work purposes without support from IT. The results of these tech-savvy innovators? Improved outcomes for their customers, increased productivity and better collaboration among coworkers. Despite this, 35 percent of businesses still do not enable and encourage employees to create solutions independently. We want to let our customers know: we’re right by your side in the quest to build solutions that are right for you and your customers and not just IT.

They fueled a movement,

Last year, our customers impacted the business technology landscape and their own organizations in a big way. QuickBase heroes built 257,819 new apps and welcomed 293,625 new users to the QuickBase community. That’s close to 300,000 custom-built ways to improve productivity! And we’re delighted to be ringing in the new year with almost 300,000 more QuickBase users. We’ll do our best to give these budding heroes the tools and know-how to become change leaders at their organizations. If you’re a user and want the ability to create applications of your own, just ask your account administrator for “create permissions.”

Impacted every facet of the enterprise,

In 2011 our heroes, or application creators, fearlessly crushed inefficiency wherever it lurked, streamlining workflow processes across industries such as healthcare, construction, banking, retail, insurance, telecommunications, education, and hospitality. They made many functional groups dramatically more efficient by creating applications for operations, sales, customer support, human resources, and billing, to name a few.

And empowered those around them.

By inviting 293,625 new users and creators to their applications, our heroes empowered their coworkers to make a difference by either introducing them to our platform or giving them the ability to create their own solutions. If you’re a QuickBase customer (or just a thoughtful person), give your friends or colleagues the opportunity to make positive impacts at their organizations by sending them a free trial using our referral tool.

Needless to say, they impressed their teams – and us – with their ingenuity and initiative. Check out some of their co-workers’ accolades from the QuickBase Hero Search Contest here.

So, here’s to you, our endlessly admirable customers! We thank you for using QuickBase, giving us your feedback, and demonstrating the power of custom apps in the enterprise. Here’s to an even more successful 2012! Happy QuickBasing!

Based on the topics below, it looks like you all work with some “challenging” individuals (or just like reading horror stories) and are seeking proactive ways to make positive impacts at your organizations. If you have a topic you’d like our experts to write about, please recommend it in the comment section so we can incorporate it in 2012. We look forward to another year of helping you overcome challenges and reach your goals at work!

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3. Five Most Difficult People and How to Work with Them

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4. Big Picture Thinkers: How to Pay Attention to Detail

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5. Becoming a Better Influencer: 4 Most Effective Influence Tactics

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6. Top 6 Burning Questions About Salary Answered

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7. How to Get People to Read Your Emails

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8. Selling Your Bright Idea: the Realities of Innovation

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9. New Report: D.I.Y. Enterprise Apps Hit the Tipping Point [INFOGRAPHIC]

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10. Ten Ways Managers Botch Performance Evaluations

Just in time! Check this out before you do your 2011 performance reviews.