Annoying things your work colleagues do all the time? #6

TheDragonWithAFlagon said:

Out of curiosity (as I'm also a person who asks far too many questions of people who would far rather have their overconfidence interpreted as expertise...it's not. However much they insist that they know x when the truth is y), if any of you had applied for a bog standard, basement dwelling minion position in a huge organisation for an easier life - what is the likelihood of your interview panel consisting of three major league directors in areas you also admittedly have considerable related experience in but aren't required to for the role advertised?


I can't quite see why they would be troubling themselves with such an insignificant little role/person when it won't affect their roles or functions one bit. Especially as the gap between application and interview has been over two months when the usual turnaround is about a fortnight.


(Yes, I'm deeply suspicious here.)

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Hmmm that's unusual... Maybe they micromanage hiring decisions? What's your gut feel?

DA Stella said:

Department chair cancels monthly meeting one minute before the meeting start time. Third time they've cancelled this month. Month is over now.
If they don't have time to lead the meeting they should designate a proxy.

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This is so annoying! Ours does this regularly and I’ve stopped to get online on time for them, we are scattered around and have different time zones. Nop, not getting up at 5:30 am to learn at 5:45 am, that a 6:00 am meeting is canceled.

colleagues without social or emotional awareness

there’s stuff they say to everyone that is insensitive - and if pushed on it you’re obviously the one in the wrong - but if you said it to them they’d kick up a fuss

Asking very personal questions while hardly knowing the person. No I don’t want to discuss my relationship status with a stranger

making comments that make other people insecure without realising it

Popcornshovel said:

Hmmm that's unusual... Maybe they micromanage hiring decisions? What's your gut feel?

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Without wishing to sound like an utter cock, I'm overqualified and experienced for the advertised role and I've always had positive interactions with the organisation in the multiple (and multitude of) tasks I've handled - generally in terms of things improving from their point of view. So maybe my name's cropped up enough for it to be noticed. If I were even vaguely important and dealing with recruitment decisions, in all honesty, I'd be looking at this applicant and thinking 'Hmmmm. That's interesting. There's a lot of potential here that we could use for... if we can get them onboard'.


Spoke to a couple of senior colleagues privately today and they both said independently that it's not a normal panel for the advertised role, spoke very highly of them and that I shouldn't be surprised if they turned out to have other ideas.


Could just be me being paranoid/suspicious/overthinking it and it's perfectly normal for actual, real VIPs to slum it with the interviews. But the colleagues said the same - although they've also suggested not to hold back, but to try and guide the panel towards giving me an opportunity to go into full problem solving so they can see exactly how my brain fires up when it's got something to work with.

Worst case is that they don't want what I've got/don't like me or I decide I don't like the sound of what they're offering - which means I stay where I am, just with work knowing that I'm not actually prepared to take everything flung at me forever and I could leave at any point if they continue to do so.

I guess the only way I'll find out is to drag out my best formal work frock, a pair of sensible shoes and get myself down there, really.

Just thought you'd all enjoy this article as I'm sure some of us have had weird interviews:


Lae arrived on time for her job interview at a lawyer's office in Bristol.

But after 20 minutes, it had been cancelled and she was asked to come back the next day.

She left upset, only to receive a message later saying the "cancellation" had actually been a test, which she had failed. She did not get the job.

I once had someone tell me they were fighting the urge to punch me.

To be fair, he was a fucking nutter and a raging misogynist. Which I had clocked within seconds of meeting him.

I asked one too many questions of the "Your business model is utter dogshit isn't it?" variety so he offered to punch me for not believing hard enough in pushing yet more Chinese-made tat on an already bloated market.

Popcornshovel said:

Just thought you'd all enjoy this article as I'm sure some of us have had weird interviews:

Worst-ever interviews: 'They told us to crawl and moo'

Dozens of jobseekers tell the BBC about their worst-ever interview experiences.

www.bbc.co.uk

Lae arrived on time for her job interview at a lawyer's office in Bristol.

But after 20 minutes, it had been cancelled and she was asked to come back the next day.

She left upset, only to receive a message later saying the "cancellation" had actually been a test, which she had failed. She did not get the job.

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I‘m a bit mystified by this. A test of what? Was she supposed to argue with them and refuse to leave?

One of my colleagues is a retired fireman and he’s very fond of pranks. It’s incredibly annoying because you can’t leave anything in the office or he will hide it or do something stupid with it. I made the mistake of leaving a pair of shoes in the office once and came back to find one missing. He’d hidden the other one. He’s also locked the box with the vehicle keys in and hidden the key so the early shift couldn’t go out on time and regularly does idiotic things like jamming toilet doors shut or mixing up everyone’s folders.

He thinks it’s hilarious and gets very mardy if people don’t find it funny.

cowtastrophe said:

I‘m a bit mystified by this. A test of what? Was she supposed to argue with them and refuse to leave?

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Perhaps she had the temerity to state that she'd come to the interview and they were being rude not seeing her after making the appointment

I once went to an interview and waited for about 40 minutes then was told they couldn't see me today and could I come back tomorrow. I said no because I'd taken time off to go to an appointment they had arranged.

My immediate boss didnt set up a meeting that I needed to send invites out for.
Asked where it was and she lied and said it was on X account. Nope it wasnt she just went in and set it up when I reminded her.
Then the golden child messed up big time I had to let boss know and she says o golden child is perfect I am wrong there is no mistake.
So twice before lunch she lied to me and makes me think Im in the wrong.

cowtastrophe said:

One of my colleagues is a retired fireman and he’s very fond of pranks. It’s incredibly annoying because you can’t leave anything in the office or he will hide it or do something stupid with it. I made the mistake of leaving a pair of shoes in the office once and came back to find one missing. He’d hidden the other one. He’s also locked the box with the vehicle keys in and hidden the key so the early shift couldn’t go out on time and regularly does idiotic things like jamming toilet doors shut or mixing up everyone’s folders.

He thinks it’s hilarious and gets very mardy if people don’t find it funny.

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That would drive me mad.
Rubbish behaviour like that has no place in a work setting.

Ugh wanky team leaders who have their heads up our managers arses. I've realised now we aren't a team at all a team works together doesn't fuck everyone over and make themselves look good. It's a bit shit but god I hate where I work

cowtastrophe said:

One of my colleagues is a retired fireman and he’s very fond of pranks. It’s incredibly annoying because you can’t leave anything in the office or he will hide it or do something stupid with it. I made the mistake of leaving a pair of shoes in the office once and came back to find one missing. He’d hidden the other one. He’s also locked the box with the vehicle keys in and hidden the key so the early shift couldn’t go out on time and regularly does idiotic things like jamming toilet doors shut or mixing up everyone’s folders.

He thinks it’s hilarious and gets very mardy if people don’t find it funny.

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I would be furious.
Can’t you complain, or is he a friend of the boss and protected.
Failing that, I would start doing things to him. A potato up the exhaust pipe is a good start

I did complain about the shoe thing and I know the car key box caused a bit of aggro. Someone ended up storming out and massively kicking off over it and our manager was furious so I’m pretty sure she would have had words with him.

I agree, it’s not appropriate in a work setting. It’s immature and annoying for the person coming in to find their bootlaces tied to the desk or whatever bullshit he’s decided to do.

I’m working with this project lead who has asked me 5 times whether I’ve sent him some deliverable that I’ve already sent him 5 times because I had to resend it each time he asks.

No only that but every time I ask a question he throws an odd comment basically making me feel bad for asking a question.

He assigned me the largest and thoughest piece of work on the project and is surprised I’m not done as quickly as the rest of the team who had straight forward tick a box exercise.

TheGlossy said:

I’m working with this project lead who has asked me 5 times whether I’ve sent him some deliverable that I’ve already sent him 5 times because I had to resend it each time he asks.

No only that but every time I ask a question he throws an odd comment basically making me feel bad for asking a question.

He assigned me the largest and thoughest piece of work on the project and is surprised I’m not done as quickly as the rest of the team who had straight forward tick a box exercise.

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I’m about to lose my mind with this person.

He sent me an email this morning stating ‘Hi -still waiting for your work on X…, so I can do my work’.

This after we had two calls and told him where he could find what he’s looking for and I forward him the file 5 times.

Rude and unprofessional in my opinion.

TheGlossy said:

I’m about to lose my mind with this person.

He sent me an email this morning stating ‘Hi -still waiting for your work on X…, so I can do my work’.

This after we had two calls and told him where he could find what he’s looking for and I forward him the file 5 times.

Rude and unprofessional in my opinion.

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He sounds like a twat but the only way you're going to clear this up is to pick up the phone and speak to him. Don't carry on with emails. Say you've sent the work and ask what exactly he wants extra or what the problem is.

People always have a habit of replying to emails and missing out relevant information or dodging questions they don't want to answer.

Scotch Mist said:

He sounds like a twat but the only way you're going to clear this up is to pick up the phone and speak to him. Don't carry on with emails. Say you've sent the work and ask what exactly he wants extra or what the problem is.

People always have a habit of replying to emails and missing out relevant information or dodging questions they don't want to answer.

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That’s the thing though - we have Zoom calls every day and every day, I reiterate the same thing after he’s asked me whether I’ve sent him the work. I tell him that I’ve sent the work and what he’s looking for can be found in XYZ place down to the tab name. Every day, on the call as well, he asks me whether I can send it again.

Yesterday, we closed the Zoom call at 6pm where I told him I’d sent the work and where he can find it (he didn’t ask to send it again this time). At 8pm, he sent me the above email I quoted ‘still waiting for the work’.

Honestly, there’s not much I can do aside from what I’ve already done. If Zoom + Teams + Emails isn’t enough - what else is?

TheGlossy said:

That’s the thing though - we have Zoom calls every day and every day, I reiterate the same thing after he’s asked me whether I’ve sent him the work. I tell him that I’ve sent the work and what he’s looking for can be found in XYZ place down to the tab name. Every day, on the call as well, he asks me whether I can send it again.

Yesterday, we closed the Zoom call at 6pm where I told him I’d sent the work and where he can find it (he didn’t ask to send it again this time). At 8pm, he sent me the above email I quoted ‘still waiting for the work’.

Honestly, there’s not much I can do aside from what I’ve already done. If Zoom + Teams + Emails isn’t enough - what else is?

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Well this sounds totally unreasonable to me. Difficult if he's your boss though. Can you discuss this with other colleagues or his manager?

There’s some meek woman in my team who seems to have a big attitude. She doesn’t interact, always joins meetings late and just has a bad aura. I’m fluctuating between ignoring her or returning her energy the next time she does open her gob with a snotty remark.