Now, you don’t want that to happen right? So whether your interviewer asks you if you have any questions, or not, make sure you put in a few. What kind of questions can you ask the interviewer? You’ve reached the right place if you’ve been wondering about that. Read on to understand what kind of questions you can pose to the interviewers which will make a huge difference in the impact you leave during the interview.

Don’t ask the obvious – It’s a waste of time. If you already know the answer and you’re simply asking the question to make it look like you’re asking something relevant, don’t bother. Interviewers get annoyed with obvious questions, the answers to which can easily be accessed at the company website.

• Prepare ahead – Spontaneous is fine. But it also pays to be prepared ahead of the interview even with regards to the questions you will ask. In fact, sit down and make a list of things that you really need to know about the company and its policies.
• Company policies – This is something that only someone working in the company can tell you and how it affects one on a practical basis. So, go ahead and ask about your concerns and whether employees are expected to work overtime etc.
• Pick up where they leave off – If an interviewer has answered a question which triggers another query in your mind, pursue it. The interviewer will know that you’re really keen and enthusiastic and it’s a good way to involve them and show them your level of interest as well.
• Do your homework well – It won’t pay if you make a faux pas when you’re asking interviewers a question. Make sure that you have all the facts and that your ambitions and goals are streamlined with the organization’s requirements and expectations.

While each organization is different and will have different expectations, there is a level of commonality which can be extended to most interviews. Here are a few questions that you can put across in most situations.

How long have you been trying to fill this position?

• What kind of training is provided to new recruits?
• What are the responsibilities or duties that are associated with this role?
• What kind of growth potential is present for someone in this position?

Most of these questions could fit well in any interview scenario but you could customize it to suit what you need to ask. An important point to remember when asking a question from interviewers; be polite and assertive always.

Most people feel shy about showing any form of aggressive behavior during an interview. They feel that it can upset the delicate balance of the apple cart and things won’t work in their favor. But that isn’t necessarily true. This is because such people tend to mistake assertiveness with aggression. Being assertive is a good quality and one which employers look for in future employees. So how can you assert yourself and ask for the job without feeling too embarrassed about it, or worse, looking desperate?

Here are a few pointers that might help you in bagging that job. Remember, if you don’t ask, you might not even be considered for the job. So read on to discover how you can be assertive without offending the interviewer.

Highlight your strengths

In another lifetime it might have been considered rude to talk about oneself. But not anymore. Today interviewers want to know about you, first hand. So, through the course of the interview, keep dropping in little bite sized pieces of information about yourself so that interviewers can understand why you’re so right for the job.

At the end, quickly highlight your strengths and your forte and how it will be helpful for the organization, so that the interviewers can see why you can become indispensable to them

Talk the talk

Only a naïve person would enter an interview without reading up about the company before hand. Be sure you’re comfortable with the domain that the company represents and you can ‘talk the talk’ like an insider. For instance, if you’re applying for a job at a telecommunications organization, you should know what buzzwords are commonly used and in which context.

Impress the interviewers with your knowledge but don’t make the fatal mistake of sounding patronizing or boastful of your knowledge. End the interview with a smile that radiates confidence and you can be sure that the interviewers will have marked you out for consideration.

Help them visualize

If interviewers can see where you fit in their organization, then they will surely consider you above others. But how will that happen? The key lies with you. Talk about how your expertise can help the organization and in which areas.  Tell them how you will be able to match the company’s expectations and remember to pepper your speech with words like ‘we’ and ‘us’ which gives the impression that you’re already a part of the team.

Go ahead and ask

By far, this approach is the most feared one although there’s nothing really scary about it. At the end of the interview, don’t put across feeble entreaties, telling the interviewers that you’ll hope to hear from them. Stand up, shake hands and in a firm voice, tell them that you’re interested in the position or that you’re keen to work in the company. Remember to smile so that even your assertiveness is tempered down suitably. Interviewers are bound to be impressed.

While these pointers might help you out in most situations, it will do you good to remember that not all organizations and interviewers are alike. How they react is purely subjective but nevertheless, stand tall and give it your best try!

Job seekers need to be aware of the potential readers of their resume – be it the decision maker, the screener, the recruiter, or even computer software products.  There has been debate amongst resume professionals as to determining which reader a job seeker should tailor their resume for.   The easiest and most effective method, however, would be to write ONE resume that will appeal to all four types of readers.  To accomplish this, a job seeker must cater to the readers’ nuances and understand specific resume characteristics that will appeal to each reader.  Here is some information about the four different types of resume readers and what each type likes to see.

The Decision Maker

Out of all four of the readers, the decision maker is the most open to interpretation.  Since this person will be the one to determine who actually gets the job, the decision maker will have an exact idea of the person that they want.  Though a decision maker might have a specific set of skills and qualifications for a prospective hire, he or she is probably paying closer attention to certain achievements that makes a jobseeker stand out above the rest.  For example:  Sally is applying for a journalist position at a local newspaper.  She has no prior experience in the field, but her resume highlights that she wrote a museum’s docent newsletter for ten years.  Though the decision maker understands that Sally has never worked for a newspaper, she has considerable experience writing for public audiences.  Therefore, the decision maker would probably see Sally as a qualified candidate for the position.

Pretend for a moment that these decision makers are painters: each create their own impression of a job seeker using the most vivid information contained in a resume. Decision makers who read resumes that include SPECIFIC achievements will likely be left with a positive impression of the job applicant. 

Recruiters

Recruiters provide an intermediary service for hiring companies by searching for potential hires who specifically meet an employer’s job descriptions and qualifications.  Since the recruiter often make commissions off the number of quality candidates they find for a company, they are more than willing to work with job seekers they feel actually meet the needs set forth by a company. 

This means that a recruiter will act as a guide of sorts.  They will help job seekers obtain the jobs that they are most qualified for. Another added bonus is that a recruiter usually has the inside tract of how companies are actually conducting the hiring process; they also know exactly what a specific company is looking for in a new hire.  Therefore, it is important that all job seekers working with a recruiter closely follow any and all advice towards the  crafting–or re-crafting–their resume.

Once a recruiter feels that a job seeker’s resume is flawless and perfectly tailored, then it will be sent to a prospective company.

Screeners

Unlike a recruiter–who has inside information about a company–a screener simply relies on the information from specific job descriptions. With a checklist in hand, a screener reads through each resume and only looks to see if it contains the proper criteria.  Only then will the screener deem it appropriate to send it out to be read by the company.  There is very little to interpret with, and a screener’s read will probably be one of the coldest reads your resume will ever get. 

But, how can a job seeker know exactly what a screener is looking for?  The answer lies in the job description.  Usually, the job posting will be very specific in laying out what a company is looking for in the way of experiences and qualifications.  Therefore, the resume should be written in direct correlation to the job posting.  Think of it like writing a proposal.  Let’s say you were decorating a wedding cake for a client.  The client has specific desires as how it should look and how it should taste.  The cake designer must tell the client what their design is and how it meets the client’s expectations.

A screened resume should do the same thing.  Taking the requirements of the job description and specifically addressing them in the resume will immediately alert screeners that a job seekers’ personality and qualifications match the job description.   

Computer Software

It can be a little disconcerting that a person can be deemed qualified–or not qualified–for a job through a computer program.  But, believe it or not, it is a growing trend that makes it incredibly easy for hiring companies to choose the best prospective employees based on several critical keywords.  This process begins by receiving a resume and having it scanned or uploaded onto a computer.  When a job becomes available, a person simply types in special keywords that fit the description of the job and the computer will generate a list of resumes that contain those keywords in them.  The owner’s of those resumes will then have the opportunity to come in for an interview. 

Thus, resumes that are keyword intensive will most likely be picked up by the computer.  The difficult part is deciding which keywords to actually use.  One could say that their selection should be wholly dependent upon the criteria set out by the job description, but here are a couple pointers to help you out.  First of all, the computer is most likely looking for nouns.  Traditionally, resume writers tell job seekers to focus on verbs, which is still true, but most computer software programs are looking for people that define the actual job position through nouns.  Therefore, nouns–such as management, consultation, sales, and production–are great noun-focused keywords to use.  It is also important to use these noun-focused keywords throughout the resume, as the computer software also weighs the importance of where it is placed in a list of potential employee resumes. 

Using the information above, a job seeker should be able to incorporate each style into one resume.  In doing this, a person will have a greater chance of snagging that new job.

For a lot of people the decision to take time off their career to raise a young child is an easy one. However, it can have a deleterious effect on a person’s career, especially if they plan on going back to work after a year or two at home with their child.

One thing many people aren’t ready for is the enormous change that comes with leaving a job and staying at home to raise a child. There’s still plenty of work to do, but the work is very different, and may have a lower perceived value. Many career people feel a sense of connection with their jobs and may get a certain amount of recognition for what they do in the workplace. This usually isn’t replicated at home, and after some weeks a stay at home parent can begin to feel somewhat isolated and groundless. 

For many career people, much of their interaction with other people on a day to day basis is through their jobs, and when they leave work to stay at home they suddenly find themselves without the interaction with other adults. Many people don’t realize how much they actually miss having intelligent adult conversation until they are at home with an infant.

While the first few weeks or months with a new baby may be busy, after awhile many parents find themselves becoming bored. While they may enjoy spending time with their infant and watching their development, they lack intellectual stimulation. A person who’s used to using their brain at work will find the many routine tasks of parenthood rather dull after awhile, and who can really blame them?

After months or longer at home, many career people start to feel as if they are becoming further removed from their old lives and worry that they’re missing out on too much, or that their skills are slipping because they’re not keeping up with things the way they once did. One thing you can do is keep in contact with your old colleagues (especially if you plan on going back to the same job eventually). If you regularly went to seminars to learn new skills, or read journals to keep yourself informed, then try and do the same while you’re raising your child. While you may not be able to attend professional seminars, you can look into online courses, and you can continue to subscribe to any professional publications.

Even if you’re not sure whether or not you want to resume your career after raising your children, it never hurts to keep your options open. There could come a time in the future when you’ll need to work again, and it will be much easier to make the transition if your skills are up to date.

A behavioral interview basically involves analyzing your behavior in specific situations, based on the belief that your past behavior is a good predictor of your future behavior, and thus the way you performed in the past should give a prospective employer a good idea of how you will perform in the future in a similar situation. Around 30% of corporations in America are now using behavioral interviews, and the numbers are increasing as more and more organizations realize the benefits of using such interview techniques.

The sort of questions you can be expected to answer in a behavioral interview may include:

• “Give an example of the way you handled a stressful situation in a previous job?”
• “Describe an instance where you were required to use your logic and problem solving skills.”
• “Give an example of a goal you reached, and how you attained your goal.”
• “Have you ever gone above and beyond the call of duty? If so, describe the situation.”
• “Describe how you worked effectively in a high pressure situation.”

Also be aware that once you’ve answered the initial question, the interviewer will have follow up questions for you based on how you responded. These questions may be even more probing, asking how you felt, what you said, what was said to you, and so on and so forth.

Preparing for a behavioral interview is quite different to preparing for a traditional interview, but if you’re well prepared and get plenty of practice answering similar questions, it becomes much easier and you feel less put on the spot by the questions than you would otherwise be. However, it can take awhile to prepare because there are so many scenarios and questions you can be asked, and interviewers ask questions many different ways, so the better prepared you are the more confident you’ll feel on the day.

Start by writing down a list of past experiences and how you reacted in each instance. You want to find behavioral examples of leadership, problem solving skills, conflict resolution, teamwork, or dealing with high pressure situations. Think up as many behavioral examples as possible, and list how you dealt with each situation.

Once you’ve created a list, it’s a good idea to flesh out each example a bit more. The more detail you can remember, and the better you can describe the situation and your behavior in the situation, the easier it will be when you’re in a high pressure interview. Ideally by the end of this exercise you’ll have well fleshed out descriptions of at least five to ten experiences you can use in behavioral interviews to describe how you behaved in particular situations. While it’s a good idea for some of these to be from previous work experiences, you can use other examples (especially if you’re new to the world of work and don’t have any previous employment experience to draw from).

The next step is to do some research about the company you’re interviewing for. Look up their website if they have one (the majority of medium to large sized companies have a website these days), talk to current employees of the organization if you know any, and learn as much as you can about the culture of the company. This will help you work out what types of behaviors they’re looking for, and will assist you in tailoring your responses to target their needs.

Also look at the specific job description of the job you’re applying for. Many will have a list of required attributes for prospective employees, which will help you refine your answers further, so you can demonstrate you possess all the job’s requirements.

Find someone to role play with who will be able to give you honest feedback and advice. Try to get a list of as many questions as possible, especially ones you haven’t previously rehearsed. This will test how well you’re able to respond when put in an interview type situation, and will give you a better idea of how you’ll perform in an actual job interview than by providing answers to previously rehearsed questions.

Once you’ve got some solid feedback from this person, you can work on refining your response (it’s really important that when you do role play with someone you find someone who you can trust to give you really honest feedback, even if it’s to say that you really need to work on your answers and interview technique). If there were any questions you really struggled to answer and stumbled over, then take a closer look at them. You may find that the list you established earlier doesn’t cover enough behavioral examples and you need to go back and add to it.

Behavioral interviews, just like traditional interviews, become easier with practice. Do your research and find as many potential questions as possible to answer. The more scenarios you’ve gone over in your mind or in a role play situation, the better prepared you’ll be for the questions when they come in a real interview situation. You may find that although the interviewer may ask questions you haven’t previously come across, because you’ve listed so many detailed behavioral examples in your preparation you  have plenty of knowledge and experience to draw from.

Chronic procrastinators don’t perform nearly as well as they could in almost every area of their lives. This starts way back in school when the procrastinator would put off doing their homework or assignment until the day before it was due, and ended up doing a half rate job because of it. Procrastinators do more poorly in tests and exams because they leave it too long before they start studying. 

Procrastination is especially bad in the workplace. Some tasks may seem too difficult or challenging, or maybe too tedious and time consuming, and so the procrastinator will think to themselves: “Well, my boss needs this report by next Wednesday, that gives me over a week to get it done. I’ll wait until tomorrow to get started!” Of course, by the time tomorrow has become today, the task still hasn’t been initiated and the chronic procrastinator will push it back a little further, justifying it to themselves in whatever way necessary.

So how do you go from being a chronic procrastinator into an effective worker who gets tasks done on time? One thing you can do (especially in the early stages) is to reward yourself for not procrastinating. This may be something as simple as treating yourself to a coffee and cake once the task is out of the way.

The next step is to make procrastination unnecessary. Ask yourself why you procrastinate over particular tasks. Usually people get the simple, easy tasks done but put off the more challenging tasks. If you find yourself putting off a large project because it seems overwhelming, then start by making a plan and breaking the project down into small chunks. Fit these small tasks into your schedule, and reward yourself once each task is completed.

Create a list of tasks that you tend to put off, and put them in order from most to least important. Start with the first task and when it’s completed, cross it off the list and start on the next one. If you need, take a break between each task, but work through them methodically.

When you find yourself with just a few minutes remaining before home time don’t use this as an excuse for not doing a task you’d rather put off. Instead, put the time to good use and get started on a task you’d ordinarily put off. Remind yourself that you only have to do it for ten minutes and then you can go home. You may surprise yourself with how much you can do in that short amount of time, and once the task’s started, it may be easier to get back into tomorrow.

A company’s corporate culture encompasses its values, vision and goals. While many companies may have similarities in their corporate cultures, others are quite different, and people who can’t get a good grasp on their company’s corporate culture may find themselves floundering.

Part of a company’s corporate culture is how the company’s leaders and employees live the corporate brand, how they perform as individuals and as team members, and how well they uphold the values, beliefs and image of their organization.

Companies with a strong corporate culture usually fare better than companies which have a shaky underpinning with respect to values, goals and ideals. In fact, if you look at all the world’s most successful well-known companies, you’ll find they all have a very strong corporate culture which filters down from the very top levels of the company through the entire employee structure.

So how do you suss out the culture of a company you’re working for? First, do some research. If you have a job with a large company, it’s bound to have its own website. Visit the company’s website and read everything you can about the company. Many companies will actually put their mission statement on their website, and will also list their goals and values.

This is the sort of information it’s useful to acquire before turning up to the job interview, because you can impress your potential employers with knowledge about their company, and can also demonstrate how you will integrate well into the company’s corporate culture.

Many companies also distribute literature to new employees which will contain information about the company, where and when it began, as well as where it’s going. If you’ve just started at a new job, don’t neglect the paperwork you’re given, as it could contain information which is vital to your success as an employee in the company, especially in the first few weeks when you’ll really be finding your feet.

The other thing to do is to actually observe and talk to your new colleagues. A bit of observation can give you a great deal of insight into the operations of a company, how it’s run, and the sort of values it perpetuates. It never hurts to ask your new colleagues questions about the company’s policies either. Not only will it give you an opening to get to know new people, but it will also provide you with valuable information about the company itself.

Receiving a performance review often feels somewhat like getting an end of year school report, and creates the same sort of trepidation. Even an employee who feels that they have performed well over the year and does deserve a good review will experience a sense of nervousness, wondering whether his or her boss actually feels the same way.

There can also be a sense of resentment at the need to have a performance review. Most people feel that they should be able to leave such reports behind when they finish school, and nobody likes to have any inadequacies or problems pointed out to them. Many employees feel resentful of judgement by a manager or employer, especially when that manager is actually younger than they are. There’s nothing worse than feeling as if your future is in the hands of someone who was still in diapers when you graduated from high school!

However, there are ways employees can make the performance review process easier on themselves. For starters, it’s a good idea to be familiar with the review process for the organization. If an employee has been with the organization for any length of time, they will know the ropes quite well, but it can be daunting for newer employees.

The goal of an employee performance review should ideally be to reinforce employee expectations and good performance, improve where something is lacking, and help facilitate communication between employee and employer or manager. The truth, though, is that many employee performance reviews become a source of anger and resentment. If an employee feels they did a good job over the year, and receives a mediocre review, they can become upset and even angry. It’s an unfortunate reality that people tend to remember the bad things that happened throughout the year easier than they remember the good. If an employee made a single mistake several months earlier, they may find this mistake highlighted in the performance review, while everything else they did well wasn’t mentioned. It’s bad enough making a single mistake at the time, it’s even worse when that mistake comes back to haunt a person several months down the track, especially if they learned a lesson from that mistake and haven’t repeated it.  

Because this occurs, many employees are quite afraid that their manager or employer will remember the bad things they did rather than the good. It can seem very difficult to overcome an earlier mistake. To prepare for a performance review, an employee should assess their own work over the year, both good and bad. Where a mistake was made, they need to acknowledge it, and then document how they learned from the mistake.

Many performance reviews have both a written and an oral component. Quite often mangers are expected to do written performance reviews of employees, employees are expected to do written reports of their own performance, and then the two will have a meeting where these reviews are discussed. An employee who is well prepared to discuss both the good and bad, will be in a better position than one who isn’t.  

An employee who receives what they feel is an unfair review may be tempted to get angry and upset, and even confront their manager about what they consider to be an unfair report of their performance. However, the best idea is to take some deep breaths and wait at least 24 hours before saying anything. Many things can be said in the heat of the moment that people wish they hadn’t said! It’s important to be able to look at a review objectively and understand where the reviewer was coming from when they made it. If there are some valid points, these need to be acknowledged.

If there is a formal meeting to discuss the performance review, then any issues raised by the review should ideally be discussed then. It’s best to deal with the review as professionally as possible, rather than letting emotions get in the way. If an employee can discuss what they feel is correct about the review, and what they feel is unfair in a mature fashion, the manager who made the review will be more likely to respond in kind, and the outcome will be better. Many mangers acknowledge that their own jobs are so busy that it’s hard to know everything employees get up to. Quite often their attention is drawn to mistakes and bad performance by employees, while general excellent day to day performance simply isn’t noticed.

Tackled the right way, a performance review can end up being a positive experience. It can allow mangers and employers to learn more about their employees, and it can also open up discussions between them about expectations and their understandings of various job roles. Sometimes an employee can believe they’re doing the right thing, only to find out in a performance review that they aren’t. As long as the review is handled maturely and professionally, it really can be a means whereby employees become better at their jobs and employers become more understanding of their employees.

For starters, you need to have the basics worked out. These are the skills that will give you the edge over those who don’t have them, or have never bothered to develop them.

One very overlooked skill is the ability to listen well. Some people spend so much time talking that they never listen to others! The truth is, you learn a great deal more by listening than you ever will by speaking. Some people are naturally great listeners, and others need to practice. The best way of becoming a better listener is by becoming more aware of your listening. Next time you are in a conversation with someone, instead of planning what you’re going to say next, really hear what they’re saying and ensure you understand it. Good listening skills will make you a more productive member of your organization, will help you get along better with your colleagues, and will make you a more efficient team player.

Good computer skills are essential in today’s corporate world. Most people will be required to use a computer, and the better your skills the easier you’ll find it. A person who’s competent with a computer will spend a lot less time stuffing around, and will be able to get all computer based work done quickly and efficiently. Remember, computers are constantly changing. The basic computer skills you learned in the 1990s won’t help you much now! Get your computer skills up to date, learn how to use all the software you’ll need in your job, and you’ll have the competitive edge over those who don’t.

The ability to write effectively is an overlooked skill that’s highly sought after in the corporate environment. Most people’s jobs require them to do some writing, whether short memos, lengthy reports, or something in between. Most people send emails throughout the day, and may be required to message colleagues in other parts of the building, or even from different locations. If you have the ability to clearly communicate in writing, you’ll find it much easier to do this than if your written English skills are lacking.

Some people are better at dealing with crises and stressful situations than others, but being able to keep a cool head in a crisis is a vital skill in a corporate environment. Someone who can think well under pressure, can solve problems and implement solutions without falling apart will certainly have the competitive edge over those that don’t.

Learn how to manage your time effectively. People have the habit of overestimating what they can accomplish in the short term, but tend to underestimate what they can accomplish over a longer period of time. It’s a great skill to know exactly what you can accomplish and how long it will take you to do it, and to organize your schedule accordingly. Too many people procrastinate, especially with tasks they don’t enjoy, such as writing reports. If you can prioritize tasks effectively, work out how long they’ll take you, and effectively structure your day to encompass everything that needs to be done, you’ll be a much more effective worker than someone who doesn’t do this. 

Be prepared for continuous learning. Part of succeeding in today’s world is understanding how fast the world is changing, and being able to stay on top of things. If you refuse to adopt or learn about new technological innovations it won’t be long before you’re well behind everyone else, especially as younger tech-savvy people enter the workforce. Know and understand new methods of communication. Many companies have a text based messaging system (for example IBM employees use Sametime, which allows them to communicate with colleagues across the country, and even the world, quickly and easily), and employees who communicate using such a system effectively will be more efficient than those who don’t.

More formal learning is also an excellent idea. Not only will you learn and develop new skills, but you’ll impress your employers with your eagerness to keep abreast of new subjects. Don’t be afraid to ask your manager or employer if there are any courses the company offers which can help you develop your skills.

Employees who are always willing to step forward with innovative ideas and helpful suggestions are also highly valued in the workplace. Someone who puts themselves out there will have the competitive edge over those who would rather take a back seat. Don’t be afraid to speak up during meetings. Ask questions, make suggestions and in general get involved. While some of your colleagues may see you as a brown noser, that’s a small price to pay for career success, and besides, these are the colleagues who you will soon be leaving far behind.

In general the best way to keep a competitive edge over others is to keep yourself on the edge of developments. Read corporate literature, involve yourself in corporate discussions, keep your skills up-to-date and relevant, and don’t be afraid to learn new skills. If you’re used to standing on the sidelines, it may be uncomfortable to really step up to the plate and push yourself forward, but it’s the people who make the most of their opportunities who are ultimately the most successful in today’s corporate environment.

So what do you do when you find a bully in your workplace? If you’re an employer, it can be a challenge to identify a bullying problem, especially as many employees are unwilling to bring up the issue with their employers or managers.

Just as in school, there can be a feeling of shame on the part of the victim (especially if they feel they are being singled out), and as a result, they may be unlikely to report any problems. Unfortunately, many bullies simply aren’t observed by managers and employers, and are good at hiding their behavior in these situations.

It’s also necessary to determine what exactly constitutes bullying. Many people still think of bullying as physical behavior, but bullying can take a much subtler form. Many people are bullied verbally, and feel that as they are not being physically threatened they should just ignore it. Unfortunately, ignoring a bully rarely makes them go away.

It’s a good idea for employers to put together a list of bullying behaviors, clearly explaining that they won’t be tolerated, and proposing a means for dealing with bullying when it occurs. Ensure that there are open meetings and discussions on the topic of bullying, and let workers know that they should speak up when they believe they are being bullied.

Some more common bullying behaviors include verbal abuse, nit-picking, threats, sarcasm, or sabotage of a person’s work. Only around 10% of bullying is actually physical. It’s important for managers and employers to be on the lookout for signs of bullying in the workplace. If particular employees seem very reluctant to be at work, have lost productivity, and seem to take more than an average amount of sick days off work, it may be because they have become the target of a workplace bully. It may help to actually approach them about the situation, and ask if there is anything bothering them. If you can make them feel relaxed and unthreatened, and promise that anything they tell you will be kept confidential, it may be possible to get to the root of the problem.

Unfortunately, bullies are often those who are in a position of power over others (and this includes managers and bosses), and they will use their power as a bullying tool, simply because they are the ones in charge, and the employee often doesn’t feel that he or she would be believed if they were to report the situation.

Employers should keep an eye out for bullying behavior, in order to nip it in the bud when it happens. Ensure the workplace is one where bullying can be discussed and reported, and that bullying situations are dealt with effectively and not swept under the carpet.