One in two employees makes these mistakes at work.

Some psychologists claim that lying is a social skill, but sometimes human resource managers consider dishonesty a sign of a limited mind and advise management not to hire or fire these employees. We collected a series of situations in which it is better to think carefully before giving an answer to the company.

O awesome.club hopes that you never have to get involved in some of the difficult situations described in this post.

External perspective:

Taking on a complicated task without evaluating your skills is, to say the least, unethical. Remember that there are other obligations besides professional ones, such as moments with your family, vacations, etc.

What to do right now:

Ask your boss how he envisions the outcome of the project and what the measurement should look like at each stage. Another crucial aspect is the success indicators, such as the number of new customers, increase in income, etc. Ask how he imagines the realization of this idea will be. Ask about their responsibilities and role in the project. This is one of the most important moments, since its success depends on the project to be carried out. Together with your boss, define the assigned resources. Try to plan them for each stage of project realization. Ask if there are people in the company who believe in the success of this idea. If there are, don’t hesitate to ask him to include them in the work. Check with your boss for a list of experts involved and try to avoid pessimistic people on your team.

In this way, you will be able to reflect on whether it is possible to carry out the project and whether you can accept it or if it is better to reject it.

External perspective:

Constant optimism will make colleagues think one of these things: that you know very little about internal processes, that you cannot be a reliable source of information, or that your industry will be one of the first to be fired. That way, the other employees will start looking for another job.

Acceptable solution:

Experienced employees can see if the company is on the brink of bankruptcy 3-4 months before it happens, as owners and managers take a different stance in this crisis period. In general, the company’s future does not depend on specific people, but on the position of the directors with creditors and customers, who can understand the company’s situation and help it, so that it continues to exist. The best argument in this kind of conversation will be the truth. An honest conversation will help to understand what is happening, clearly explain the company’s temporary difficulties and inevitable bankruptcy.

External perspective:

At a seminar, a distinguished business technician and economist with an MBA degree explained: Just like people, money doesn’t have to please everyone; one person may be happy for having only 100 reais and another for having 500 reais, while there are those who need 10,000 reais to be happy, and so on. And the recruiter can understand this perfectly.

Your task is to perceive the person’s suitability for this position and the ability to work well in a team. The future boss is interested in your productivity and ability to handle minimal conflicts, as they cannot be avoided in a lasting collaboration. Remember that statements that are not verifiable will not work in your favor.

Acceptable solution:

There are no perfect companies and bosses. In offices where they value respect, specific details of behavior are evaluated and interviewers literally check every sentence uttered by the candidate. Don’t criticize your previous boss, even if he “deserves it”. Count 3-4 situations without using metaphors or naming people from your previous work. It is best to tell both positive and negative facts equally. This will demonstrate to them your approaches and goals when performing tasks and working in a team. Don’t be afraid to admit some mistakes. Under current rules, an employee is eligible to occupy his position if he performs 80% of his work successfully.

External perspective:

There is a popular saying that goes: “We shouldn’t take a step bigger than our legs”. Big desires can cause great discomfort, especially if your salary is the same as the company’s director. But if you say that you intend to earn a low salary, there is a chance it will backfire: the interviewer or human resources manager may think you lack motivation.

Acceptable solution:

After the first year of work, the employee already knows the level of wages in his sector. Obviously, experience, qualifications, knowledge of languages, education and other factors influence the amount of salary. It is normal to ask for 10-20% more than the previous salary. In the final interview, they will try to take double the agreed amount. For professionals who are related to negotiation, it is an important test to defend their positions when concluding the contract.

External perspective:

Companies fire employees who are indifferent. Enthusiasm is something highly valued in companies and by bosses. For everything there is a balance: those who love what they do are always busy.

Acceptable solution:

If you no longer feel enthusiasm, try to understand and discover the reasons or causes of this change. Psychologists consider that some of the most common reasons are:

Burnout syndrome is personality disintegration caused by the accumulation of negative emotions without the ability to get rid of them. In this sense, the loss of interest in your work is the first alarming sign. Special psychological therapies and sports can help you. It’s important to have communication that doesn’t touch work-related issues.

Any professional occupation can cause fatigue if there is no rest, especially emotional, with new impressions and experiences lived in a positive way. Leisure and distraction are different for each person. For some, playing 3 hours of their favorite game is enough; others prefer hiking, while there are those who need to travel to relax.

The exhaustion of professional capacity – burnout – is a relative concept. Having reached the limit of capacity in a company, it makes the person think about going to work elsewhere and getting an absolutely new experience.

External perspective:

If you don’t know what to ask, then you are definitely not in the right position to carry out the task proposed by the boss. Due to his position in the company, he is limited to only receiving privileged information.

Acceptable solution:

Ask your boss directly about the benefits to the company. Thus, for example, social projects do not bring direct income, but increase the recognition and visibility of commercial activities, in addition to improving the company’s image.

External perspective:

It doesn’t matter how long it takes, but at some point it won’t be good for you. The resentment that is kept will hinder your productivity, and end up interfering with work relationships.

Acceptable solution:

Be frank with your boss, but do it outside of work hours, with a pen and paper in hand: draw a vertical line, dividing the paper in two. In the first half, write down your knowledge and skills (the ones you have certificates, diplomas, etc.); on the other side, write down the roles corresponding to your qualification. Are there incompatibilities?

In this table, also include the roles that were recently added by your boss. There can be 2 variants:

Innovations either augmented existing work or expanded its scope. For example, a salesperson has also become part of the company’s product purchase choices, as he knows his customers’ needs. Management needs to reallocate the work as there is no one who can do it or the company does not want to hire another employee. For example, in addition to being responsible for the Human Resources sector, the employee is assigned to control the entire financial sector of the company.

In the first case, the increase in responsibilities motivates professional development, as it will have a positive effect on both salary and ego. In the second, it is worth thinking about whether it is still worth continuing in this company.

External perspective:

A confused employee is like a saboteur: he doesn’t do his job and gets in the way of others. Directly refusing the work you have been asked to do may be unacceptable.

Acceptable solution:

A successful project cannot be done without a team. So, without fear, ask your bosses for help, but only for the essentials. It is advisable to divide the work into tasks, based on the result and the deadline. For example, preparing for an exhibition generally includes creating brochures, displays, product samples, advertising materials and business cards. A part of what was previously listed can be delegated to the team, another part can be requested from other companies. And your attention should be focused on organizational issues.