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Ask the Employment Specialist: Do you have any tips on giving and receiving feedback at work?

Drawing of a typewriter with the words "Dear Employment Specialist"Dear Joanna,

I have been receiving ongoing feedback from my manager regarding a recent report that I submitted to her in my role as Office Manager. On one hand, she says to me “Good report; I suggest that you modify sections A and B”. The next time, she simply states “This is no good. Try it this way.” I am so confused and honestly, I’m quite hurt. I don’t understand what I am doing wrong? Then again, maybe my work is just fine! I cannot figure her out and whether this is positive or negative feedback or just plain criticism.

Am I misunderstanding her because of cultural differences between us? Do you have any tips on giving and receiving feedback at work in Canada?

Signed: Feedback Tips (FT)

Dear FT:

Sometimes it is difficult to understand the feedback that you get from employers in a Canadian workplace analyzing what they mean can definitely be a challenge. I will refer to Lionel Laroche, an expert in intercultural communications as well as to JVS Toronto’s Canadian Workplace Communication program that helps internationally trained and experienced professionals from the architecture/design, IT and banking, finance and accounting sectors. This information is relevant to any employee who is facing workplace challenges, such as giving and receiving feedback.

An important part of communicating successfully in any workplace is the ability to give and receive feedback in the form of constructive criticism. In workplace environments where team work is common, the exchange of ideas, reviewing and revising work plans and reports, and debating strategies are part of everyone’s daily activities.

People perceive feedback differently. Some are more sensitive than others; they may also have difficulty giving feedback because they feel they are criticizing someone. Yet, feedback plays a crucial part in the Canadian workplace. Employees are expected to share ideas, give input, and give feedback on team projects.

Some tips in dealing with negative feedback:

1. Listen carefully and know when to recognize negative feedback.

There is a tendency in Canada to mask negative feedback with positive comments in order to ‘soften the blow’. This form of negative feedback is rarely found in other cultures. In Canada, (and among many English-speaking cultures) it might be the first warning you receive that indicates you are having performance issues that need to be addressed. You will need to learn to hear the negative comment and correct your actions before your boss has to come to address it again. Failure to understand that you are being giving negative feedback will likely be perceive by your boss as an inability to follow direction. This is could be considered good reasons for termination.

2. Analyze the feedback: Analyze the feedback statements you receive in terms of these 3 Negative Feedback Categories:

a. The Sandwich (the positive-negative-positive statement)

This type of negative feedback statement is often the first you will hear from your boss. Because it is masked with two positive comments, it is easy to think that you are actually being praised when in fact the opposite is happening. For example:

  • “I really like how you have structured this report, but there are a few oversights I’d like you to address. Great first effort!”
  • “I am really impressed with how much you have learned since you started last week, but a few concerns have arisen regarding the way you deal with clients.It seems that you tend to take a rather brisk tone with people and we’ll need you to soften that up a bit. As you are such a great salesperson, I am sure some of that talent can be applied to dealing with difficult clients as well.”

b. The Open-faced Sandwich (the negative-positive statement)

This will likely be the form of the second warning coming from the boss. The negative feedback will still be masked with positive comments but will likely be a little more prominent.

  • “I see you are still having some difficulties with the processes surrounding reporting. As you have such a developed sense of detail, I am sure that if you focus a little more attention on the particulars, things will come together just fine.”
  • “We have received a few complaints about your briskness with clients. I know it’s hard to deal with disgruntled clients but I’d like you to try to soften your approach somewhat. How about using that great sense of humour you have to keep things a little more diplomatic?

c. Just the Meat (a direct negative statement)

If you hear your boss giving you purely negative feedback, then you can be sure that you are in big trouble. There is a good chance that there will be serious consequences, termination being one of them, if you do not address the problem immediately.

  • “Your reporting is consistently not meeting the standards of this organization. I have given you a number of warnings but have not seen an improvement. If am afraid I have to report this problem to upper management.”
  • “Your manner of dealing with clients is not appropriate. I have warned you a number of times but you have not made any effort to improve. This is your last warning.”

4. Use the Right Words for the Right Situations.

Watch out for the particular words which are used in negative situations. Look at the term “Performance Issues” as an example. This is a formalized way of saying you are not doing your job up to the standards of the organization, and are at risk of losing your job. The word ‘issue’ is being used instead of ‘problem’ which is a stronger and more direct word that more clearly describes the situation. Canadians instead choose the word ‘issue’ to be more politically correct, because it is considered too harsh and personal to say that someone has performance problems.

Using the word ‘problem’ in the wrong situation can make everyone believe that things are really wrong, even when they are not. As a result, it is important to learn how to use the right word in the right situation, as well as to understand the real meaning of a word you are hearing as it applies to feedback you are being given.

5. Check-in and qualify.

You can always ask your manager for a 5-minute meeting just to make sure that you are on the same page regarding your performance. BE OPEN to any feedback; this could be a learning opportunity for you to gain more information, skills and knowledge required for the position.

FT, there is no harm in asking your manager to email you the feedback and what she would like to be improved. You can use this information as a list of areas to improve and start implementing this in your work. The ability to take charge with clarifying your manager’s feedback will be perceived as a sign of a good leader.

Best of success with your job,

Joanna

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Ask the Employment Specialist: Prepare for the Second Job Interview

Portrait of smiling hr manager having interview with candidate. Young Caucasian businesswoman having meeting with businessman in lobby and writing after him. Meeting and job interview concept

Dear Joanna,

I am so excited to report that I have been invited to a second interview for a position as a Human Resources Manager. After a year of looking for work and going on interviews, I really would like to succeed in this part of the process and finally get a job offer.

Please could you provide me with some suggestions as to what I need to know for the second interview. I was told that I would be meeting the person who would supervise me if I got hired for this position.

Signed: Almost at the finish line (AFL)

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Ask the Employment Specialist: Remote Job Search (relocating to another city)

Man standing in front of the Toronto signDear Joanna,

I am planning to relocating from outside Ontario to Toronto in a couple of months, and will need to find work as soon as possible in my profession and area of expertise, which is as a medical assistant. I do not have any savings that I can use. I have already submitted my resignation with my current employer and have some time to dedicate to looking for employment

How do I conduct a remote job search so that I secure a suitable position before I relocate?

Signed: Relocator

Dear Relocator,

Our JVS Toronto employment staff, who often receive requests from job seekers living out-of-town who are looking for work in the Greater Toronto Area and will relocate if they secure solid employment. Together with experts such in blogs such as careerealism, our employment staff recommend the following strategies to engage in a meaningful and successful remote job search:

1. If possible, establish yourself as a local resident.

Many companies prefer to hire locally, to avoid transportation and relocation expenses as well as the risks involved in hiring someone who may decide not to move after all. Try to line up as many job interviews as you can on the same day just like a sales rep does. Hiring managers and recruiters will be turned off if you tell them that you will move once you get the job. The process doesn’t work that way.

If you can get access a local address from a family or friend in Toronto, or at least a local cell phone line, that would be helpful. When you engage in your remote job search, you cannot show any hesitation with relocating in your interviews or with your networking activities. You need to be ready to move and show it.

2. Prepare a targeted Cover letter.

Some people are uncomfortable with #1. If this is the case, then in your cover letter, explain your desire and reasons for relocating. Address the potential concerns of the hiring manager or HR professional who is reading your application that you are committed to relocating and serious about moving.

3. Target your top 10 companies.

As with researching the job market in your field, do the same for your remote job search. You can conduct this research online. Find out what these companies are doing in your field, industry and their area of expertise. Do your homework.

4. Conduct Information Interviews.

Learn as much as you can about the targeted companies. Then identify and cold call potential decision-makers, hiring managers and/or relevant employees for an information interviews. This is a great networking opportunity as well. You will probably need to have to visit Toronto before you relocate for these meetings. Try to arrange these information sessions in one day and schedule them around a relevant networking event from your industry. You need to meet people at the companies to learn about the organization and what it might take to earn a position there.

In an information interview, you can let the targeted professionals know that you are relocating and just looking to prepare yourself professionally for a successful job search. Join virtual local groups, which you might find via LinkedIn Groups, Meetup.com and through local chapters of professional associations in your industry.

5. Use Social Media.

Social Media has become a basic tool of a successful job search. Use social media platforms to introduce yourself: research profiles of employees working in your targeted companies, review their resumes, find groups that they belong to, as well as associations and other unique features of their activities. Be careful with connecting with strangers; I suggest that you join LinkedIn groups or create a new one that doesn’t exist. Follow companies on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Engage in online tweets and conversations on topics of interest to the company and its professionals.

6. Set up face-to-face meetings.

If you can attend any of these association and networking activities and events, try to secure in-person meetings with people who work for the companies that you have targeted. Again, try to schedule as many of these as possible. As in all types of networking, the more people you meet face-to-face, the bigger and better your professional network that can lead to employment will be.

7. Plan a trip to Toronto for the job search.

Setting up a week, or at least a few business days before your move date, will give you a reason to say, “I’ll be in your area that week and was hoping to meet with you.” Plus, it will motivate you to get in gear and try to fill the visit with as many networking meetings as you can.

Best of luck with your job search and move!

Joanna

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Ask the Employment Specialist: Keeping up-to-date in Your Career

Drawing of a typewriter with the words "Dear Employment Specialist"Dear Joanna,

I am working as an architectural designer with a local residential firm. I cannot believe how quickly the field is changing. For example, we are phasing out AutoCAD and are required to start learning a new software package called Revit. My boss told me that it is important that I continue to keep my skills updated as well as be informed as to the competition out there in this field. Often he has asked me specifically to research other similar firms and the projects that they are doing when he is submitting a proposal for a job.

How do I continue to keep current in this field?

Signed: Keeping Current

Dear Keeping Current,

One of my favourite sources of advice on keeping up-to-date in your profession is on mindtools.com. Whether you are working or not, as a professional it is critical that you ensure that you have as much knowledge, subject matter expertise and information as possible on your sector and your career. With our highly competitive, and knowledge-based economy which is rapidly changing and unpredictable, I believe it is an essential part of your job to keep updated in your field. It is also your responsibility. No one will do this for you. According to this website, “If we don’t keep up with news and trends, we can miss key opportunities and can be caught unawares. That’s why, for some of us, it’s important to keep-in-touch with news and trends in our industries.”

The following are excellent ways to keep current, as recommended by Mindtool:

Sources of Information.
To keep up with news and developments in your industry and labour market trends, the first thing to do is identify the best sources of information. Some traditional and online sources can include finding an occupational-specific mentor, or joining a trade organization or industry association. Keep informed by signing up for online newsletters, blogs and publications. Make contacts and find out what is happening in your field by attending networking and educational meetings and conferences. Often these events are costly; consider getting in by attending as a volunteer by contacting the organizers. You could also contact one of the exhibitors to see if they need any help in the booth (paid or unpaid – I’ll leave it to you to decide).

Networking in Person.
Job fairs, career expos, industry trade shows and conferences are excellent forums to network and learn about the competitors, new products and industry trends. Nothing beats the face-to-face networking to stay on top of industry news and innovations. Sometimes, the professional relationship can even turn into a friendship. There is a wide variety of people with whom you can meet and connect. From people who are in your industry to suppliers, vendors, customers and professionals working in related fields.

Leveraging Social Media tools.
Blogging is a highly respected form of communications, marketing and public relations. The bloggers often provide excellent information and tips for your profession (and a wealth of wisdom for many of my posts!). Do a web search for keywords that are commonly used in your industry. Locate well-written blogs relevant to your field and job. You can also sign up to receive posts through RSS, or subscribe to the bloggers’ Twitter profiles. You can also find top blogs by using Technorati, a well-respected blog ranking service. Twitter is a great tool to locate people in your industry who are in-the-know, by searching Twitter for relevant keywords. (You may get more out of Twitter if you start a dialogue with those who you’re following.) LinkedIn is my all-time favourite way to connect with professionals, groups and industry leaders. You can join industry-specific groups, and get the latest updates from individuals and organizations. You can create your own group if you don’t find what you need or like in the current tool. Google Alerts notifies you when resources featuring certain words are indexed by Google’s search engine. In your case, as an architectural designer, you might want to get notified about articles containing the words “AutoCAD,” or the names of other architects, their companies and competitors.

Forums.
Talking with other professionals in your industry can help you network and grow your skills. Membership sites, online webinars and discussion forums can be full of insider-information tailored around specific topics or industries. Most useful forums are on community websites, and you may need to pay a subscription to access these.

Make Time.
There is an overwhelming amount of information that you can gather and learn from as mentioned above. As you are working full-time and, I am sure, have countless other commitments, you will need to schedule time to keep up-to-date. But it’s important to create time in your day to devote to staying current. Some good times might be over your lunch break or during a “low-energy” period of the day. Dedicate time before work during your commute to and from work. Consider listening to podcasts or audiobooks while you are driving, taking public transportation, walking or at the gym working out. If you take a train or bus, you could read blog posts or industry magazines during your ride.

Keep in mind that you do not need to know everything. There is always new knowledge to learn and use in your work, and even share with your boss and colleagues. The most important thing is to be a lifelong learner and be open to creativity and innovation.

Joanna

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Ask the Employment Specialist: Building your Career as a New Graduate

Hand flipping a wooden block from and question mark to an idea symbolDear Joanna,

It’s that time of the year. I am about to graduated with a Bachelors’ degree in economics. I’ve been working for a law firm as a filing clerk on weekends, holidays and the occasional evening during my schooling to make extra money to pay off my debts incurred from the tuition. I am now ready to start building my career in economics. I have started applying for jobs, but cannot seem to get an interview. The university’s career centre as well as the program offers the occasional job posting, but it’s so competitive out there. Please could you help me figure out how I can fit into this competitive labour market.

Signed: Career Hunter

Dear Career Hunter,

You are not alone. I worked on behalf of JVS Toronto at this year’s National Job Fair and met countless new graduates from Masters and Bachelors programs from local universities and colleges who were struggling to figure out how to fit into this competitive labour market with their education. The reality of the working world is quite daunting.

As Blaze Carlson illustrates about a chemical engineering graduate in her poignant article in The National Post on this topic, “The chemical engineering graduate, who has a second degree in bio-chemistry, was supposed to graduate from the University of Ottawa and begin a fulfilling career straight out of the academic gate — or so she hoped, expected, even. But her first professional job search has instead marked the first major false start of her adult life, ushering a painful reality check and a severe blow to her self-esteem.”

Further, the journalist points out a cultural shift and advises new graduates and their parents that “they should no longer expect a seamless school-to-work transition because a university degree is no longer the promised one-way ticket to a career. The on-ramp to adulthood is longer and twistier. Thirty is the new 25.”

But, don’t despair. There are several strategies to consider applying in order to start the process to building your career in your field. (Note the term “process” because this search requires the same amount, if not more, time, effort, dedication, and commitment which you engaged in your education, writing papers, preparing for exams and studying):

1. Start by conducting a targeted research for the job opportunities in your field of economics. Use social media, such as LinkedIn, to identify professionals who have an economics background and review their backgrounds, to get an idea of job openings as well as companies in your field. Identify current job descriptions which look interesting to you, to which you would love to apply one day when you have more experience. Also, identify the companies and departments where you would like to work one day.

2. Next, gather information about the skills, experience, qualifications and education required in these jobs.What kinds of departments in companies are involved in your sector? Notice the language used in the job postings, as well as in the content of the company websites. Notice the hard skills and experience required. Highlight all these information.

3. Develop a plan for targeting the companies and jobs you are interested in, using the following strategies:

  • Conduct Information Interviews – identify managers or executives in the companies which would likely hire you if you had the experience required, and set out to meet with them and get advice and referrals
  • Make a plan to volunteer – Unfortunately, it sounds like your course didn’t have an unpaid coop placement internship. So, now you might want to go and get this hard experience on your own. All those job postings and companies and departments which you identified in your research stages, are potential volunteer placements for you, especially in the non-profit sector (You will find a good list of recommended job boards for non-profit jobs on this blog here). If you’re feeling brave, cold-call the company’s president, and ask to see if you can volunteer. In a non-profit organization, call the volunteer department, and ask to volunteer in the department related to your field. Tell the volunteer coordinator that you will do the jobs which no one likes to do, such as cold-calling/fundraising (this will win every time – because nobody likes cold calling!), filing, photocopying, making coffee, whatever they need help with. This is no time to be proud; do whatever it takes to get your foot in the door and to start building a reputation that you are a “go-to” person. You will be surprised how word spreads quickly. Once you prove yourself to your supervisor and team where you volunteer, you can start asking for more related work in your field. This is a great strategy to network, secure some concrete and relevant experience on your resume, learn about your field, gain some references and be engaged in your field of choice and start building your career!
  • Join and contribute to associations, clubs, sector-specific groups, which can be very effective places to network in your field. Many of the associations charge fees to join, so research the ones which are appropriate for your sector and industry, call the Executive Director or the volunteer coordinator and ask to volunteer. Again, as with volunteering, once you prove yourself, learn more about your field of choice, you can gain references, solid and relevant experience for your resume, expand your network in your sector and perhaps volunteer at the industry conferences and trade shows with professionals and experts in your field. LinkedIn’s groups provide a similar forum to engage in all of the above. If you don’t see a suitable LinkedIn group, start your own.
  • Find programs that support new graduates, such as Career Edge, in which new graduates can apply for a paid internships. Keep in mind, however, that it is highly competitive and only if the job developers at this organization have secured a placement available in your field, you will have an opportunity.
  • Search for government-funded student placement programs, such as the government of Ontario’s Internship Program . This too is a very popular program, with more applicants than opportunities, though it is still worth applying.
  • Keep busy. Keep a structure in your daily life while you look for work.

I hope this is helpful. I really feel for you and your situation. You are bright, accomplished and lucky to have had the opportunity to have a fantastic education. However, education no longer gets people work. It’s icing on the cake. This misunderstanding of the labour market gets many job seekers in trouble. Notice that “Education” is on the last page of the resume. Relevant Professional Experience comes first – this is the priority in today’s labour market.

Joanna

JVS Toronto

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