HR Confidential

Are you unexpectedly considering a move, but love the company you’re with? Our advice: always take the lunch. Navigating headhunting can be tricky, but you never know where it will lead. In this podcast, learn some tips for weighing the pros and cons.

In most cases, the answer is yes. But if your boss hasn't explained his or her decision, it's incumbent on you to ask. Just remember to be respectful and flexible when it comes to change—because new job duties aren't necessarily punitive; they may, in fact, be an opportunity to grow or show your worth to the company.

If an employee is in the habit of posting on Facebook or yakking away during work hours, it can make managers want to scream. But before you sit down for an awkward scolding, identify the real problem. Is it distracting or affecting productivity? Does your employee simply have too much time on their hands? We map out the conversation for you.

Don't give up right away. First, talk to your manager and get creative. Sometimes, it's a magic wand hovering over your existing seat and turning it into something new. Sometimes, you have to make a lateral move to make an upward move. And sometimes, it's just not the right fit anymore—and it's time to exit gracefully.

It’s hard to inspire change in someone who oversees you, especially when you’re at the mercy of a rigid, unrelenting manager. In this week’s podcast, learn how to define flexibility, approach delicate conversations with your boss and persuade them to give flexibility a try. (Hint: it's about the quality of the work.)

Sorry, folks, but the answer is yes. Granted, denying vacation can’t be done as a punishment or in a discriminatory way. But if the intent is about benefiting the team and the business — like a rotation around holidays — controlling when you take vacation is fair game.

Sometimes applying for a job feels like sending your best efforts into a vacuum — where you’re lucky to get an auto-rejection, and worse yet, may hear nothing at all. In this week’s podcast, you’ll learn a few tips on how to get noticed (hint: use your network) and discover some of the perfectly mundane reasons why you didn’t get the job.

Accepting a counter-offer means that, you're always going to be the person who wanted to leave. On the other hand, a counter-offer also gives you negotiating power — particularly to get that raise. Ultimately, the right decision depends on the culture of your organization and your field, and on what you really want from the situation.