Q: Shortly after I started my new job, one of my coworkers apparently decided that she hates me. "Jane" never greets me in the morning and barely speaks to me during the day. Occasionally, she yells orders at me from across the room.
Recently, Jane brought candy to work for everyone but me. Another time, she ordered lunch for our group without asking if I wanted anything. Her dislike for me is obvious to everyone, including our customers.
If I try to find out what's wrong, Jane tells me to shut up and just walks away. My other coworkers are disturbed by her behavior, but they don't have any suggestions. Since Jane won't talk to me, how can I fix this?
A: Taking coworker squabbles to management is usually a bad idea, but given the circumstances, I think it's time to involve your boss. New hires should not be expected to handle hostile and aggressive colleagues, nor should customers be subjected to the embarrassing behavior of childish staff members.
When presenting this problem to your manager, calmly state the facts and stay focused on business issues.
For example: "Unfortunately, Jane appears to be very angry with me, though she refuses to say why. In fact, she hardly ever speaks to me at all. Her hostility not only makes coworkers uncomfortable, but also makes a bad impression on our customers. If you could find out why she's upset, we might be able to resolve the problem."
Hopefully, your boss will act like a proper manager and firmly advise Jane that her juvenile behavior is completely unacceptable. At work, people must act like mature, professional adults regardless of their personal feelings.
Q: I have become somewhat skeptical about my new job. One week after I was hired, the woman I was replacing decided not to leave. My manager said she was moving me to a marketing communications position, which she felt was a better match for my abilities.
However, when I received the paperwork from human resources, my job was listed as "customer relations specialist." When I tried to correct this, the HR manager said that was just the official title in the system. Now I'm totally confused. Can they hire me for one job and then just put me anywhere they want?
A: While your skepticism is certainly understandable, this does not appear to be a "bait-and-switch" operation. When circumstances change unexpectedly, new hires will sometimes be placed in a different position. In the absence of a contract prohibiting such a move, your manager's decision was probably legitimate.
As for your shifting job title, your manager appears to be using a "working title" that is more specific than the official payroll designation. When diverse positions are grouped together in the classification system, working titles can communicate someone's actual duties more accurately.
For example, employees grouped under "human resources representative" might specialize in compensation, training, employee relations or a variety of other disciplines. A working title such as "compensation specialist" would more precisely convey their specific area of expertise.
So while the payroll system may consider you a "customer relations specialist," you can still put "marketing communications" on your business card.
