Envy is something that we’ve probably all encountered at some point in either our professional or personal lives. Whether it’s someone getting paid more than us or earning the affection of our boss, there are plenty of times when the green eyed monster comes out to play.
It’s easy to believe, therefore, that envy is something that can only ever have negative consequences at work, and there is much to support that perspective.

One study found, for instance, that there are numerous destructive elements to envy in the workplace, with those among us with especially large egos particularly vulnerable.

“Suppose your supervisor gives your coworker a raise and not you, a raise you feel was given for an arbitrary reason,” the research says. “You would be more likely to undermine your co-worker as a means of expressing this hostility.”

The study found that there are generally three things that regularly make us jealous at work:

1. Being outperformed by a colleague
2. Does the area of this out performance matter to us?
3. How near to us is the reference point to the person of which we’re jealous?

So, in other words, jealousy comes into play when a colleague does better than us in a field that is highly important to our self esteem.  All of which seems reasonable enough, but what is the impact of this on the workplace?

A second study explored the impact of jealousy and found it significantly damaged trust levels at work. The impact was particularly strong in workplaces where the culture was more competitive than collaborative. Such a culture often sees employees comparing their own achievements with those of their peers.

The frequency of envy

Sadly, it seems that jealousy is frequently found in the modern workplace. A third study revealed that 58 percent of employees had experienced some circumstances that made them envious of colleagues at work. The authors suggest that this figure is so high because of the social comparison effect. We’re constantly looking for how we compare with our peers, with this status reflected in our pay, our treatment, and ultimately our success at the company.

What’s more, many organisations make a big deal of highlighting the successes enjoyed by people, which makes it incredibly clear who’s doing great things and who is not. This may be wonderful if the spotlight shines on you, but it may have unintended consequences for those who aren’t given a shout out.

The paper recommends that organisations create certain schemas, or rules of thumb if you will. These heuristics should be rules we can all abide by and are created from of our experiences. Thus, the more often certain events reoccur, the more likely they are to develop into schemas, and the harder it becomes for employees to look past this particular version of reality.

The paper concludes by warning how our typical response to such a schema is usually a negative one. We might curse under our breath for instance or spread a malignent rumour about a colleague.

It underlines how important it is that we promote people based upon their merits, and more importantly, that we ensure that all employees feel that such promotions are within their reach too.

Does your workplace suffer from a huge amount of envy or foster a culture of envy? What effect does this have on the staff? Your thoughts and comments below please..

Source : http://www.careeraddict.com

By Elizabeth Benu,
You blame the job market and the Kenyan employers for being biased when in fact you might be the cause of your joblessness.

Janet Mueni confesses that she only job searches for 30 minutes every week while the rest of her time is spent hanging out with friends. Most times opportunities pass her and she has never updated her CV for three years yet she complains that employers are unfair.

Kenyan employers hate lazy job seekers. You might not be like Janet, but you should watch out for these deadly lazy-jobseeker signs:

Signs that you are a lazy job seeker

1. CC-ing all HR Managers in one job application:
You went through all company websites and gathered all email addresses on the website. Good research but the problem is that you send the same application to more than 20 email addresses. No employer will bother employing you as this is a sign of laziness and lack of enthusiasm.

2. You just want ANY job
While it is understandable to give in to the frustration of job search and need for money, wanting just any job does not cut it. After studying your course, you should make a list of job titles that align with it.

For example, applying for an IT Assistant job just because you have a computer package certification and the pay is good will only lead you into more frustration.

3. You do not prepare for the interview
“Interview preparation is important no matter your position or experience,” says Melody Mwendwa a Career Advisor at Corporate Staffing Services.

She also adds that attending an interview shabbily dressed, looking confused and failing to answer all questions asked is proof to an employer that you will not be dedicated to the job.

4. You request sample CVs so that you can copy paste.
How much effort have you taken to go through your CV and improve it? If none, you are probably the job seeker who always asks for a sample CV so that you can copy paste it and send it to an employer.

“Your CV is a great asset for career growth; do not mess up job opportunities by copy pasting things from the internet. Samples are only meant to guide you,” Ms. Mwendwa advises.

5. Your referees have no idea they are in your CV
When an employer settles on you, most times they call your referees for a background check. Many HR managers confirm that a large percentage of referees are unfortunately unaware of any skills a job candidate has.

Any time you add someone as your referee, inform them so that they can vouch for you in case an employer comes calling.

More signs that you are a lazy job seeker

6. Asking the wrong questions
“How do you apply for this job?” “When is the deadline?” are questions you should never ask. Read a job description to the end and get the answers to those questions.

7. Clumsy mistakes
You forgot the HR Managers name and title and also misspelled their name and the company name too. Before sending an application, proof read your documents to be sure that nothing is missing.

Attention to detail is something that the employer can see through your CV even before you start the job.

Make a decision to change your status to an energetic jobseeker. The effort is worthwhile.

Source: NigeriaBulletin

There is nothing more discouraging than realizing your colleague earns way much more than you especially if you are on the same level.

These reasons are enough to convince you why your colleague earns a fatter pay slip and what you can do about it.

5 Reasons Why Your Colleague Is Earning More at Work

Your colleague produces more result
Employees who bring in more results in terms of innovation and profit stands to be more rewarded than others. This is why your colleague’s efforts impress the boss and he will sure get a pay rise.

Your Colleague has got more skills
With increasing standards and new innovations coupled with stiff competition, companies are forced to improve their products and services and this requires more skills. The staff that showcases great skills are recognized and rewarded accordingly.

Special recognition is given to staff who can handle several responsibilities effectively. Those qualities make such an employee get a pay raise.

Your Colleague earns more than you if he or she is a new recruit
This may look untrue but it’s not unusual. In certain industries, the external market value can increase faster than company salary levels and this may cause employers to offer more to be able to recruit better candidates.

What actually causes this increase in market value is the possession of new skills by new candidates which current employees may not have and which the company desperately needs.

Your colleague is more experienced
The time an employee has spent with an organization is also one of those factors that determine the pay. You may be doing the same kind of work or the person may even be doing less but the company recognizes the commitment of that individual to the organization and that may be the reason the pay is more.

The person might have also gathered certain experiences before entering the job which is now useful on the job.

For whatever reason your case falls into, take a bold step by negotiating for a raise in your next review if you feel underpaid.

By Patrick Koranteng Antwi

Lording over a group of people is not an easy task; likewise succumbing to the heated behaviors of leaders at the work place is not a one plus one affair. At work places, the main aim is economical gain so services rendered to the people are necessary for the structural and economic expansion of the organization. As a vibrant employee, you are an important chemical in the success equation, so respect, honesty and trustworthiness are fundamental traits to display. What are some other behaviors employees’ exhibit at work places which are encouraging? What are some other traits to improve good work ethics? A lot of articles on the internet and books have explored this topic but this article is typically geared towards the African job market or setting.

Let procrastination be a foreign word which you do not understand

The idea of “I will do it later” is a canker imbedded at work places. Heaping files to work on later is now a fashion every employee craves to experience but its long term effect is ineffectiveness towards work and low productivity. The main cause of procrastination is over confidence. This employee foresees he has all the time the world gives to do a stipulated work, but unfortunately on his part he is not aware of tomorrow’s worries, something can happen which he has to postpone his procrastinated work to attend to. To improve our work ethics, when we set to execute a task we should salt our being with the idea “finish it now and do it right”. When we are tasked with a job or in the due process of fulfilling our responsibility doing it outright should be our hallmark. Procrastination is an enemy and a characteristic of failure which has no advantage at the work place. One best way of improving our good working habits, to increase productivity, is a stop to procrastinate!

Use time as you are told to and as required

Reporting time and closing time are norms of work places. Keeping taps on employee’s arrival and departure times are carefully supervised nowadays. When employees fail to arrive on time, salary deduction, allowance denial and suspension for some few days are used as punishment. How much is the salary! Displaying good character of punctuality can be a positive trait which can spray you with reliance and exclusive devotion towards work. Bosses and co-workers can rely on you and you will be a role-model to many. When you give time its place in your work, your performance is consistent and your dedication towards work will encourage others to follow suit. A reliable employee is always punctual and does work on time; lateness is a bad taste he despises. This helps to increase productivity.

Control our emotions

The importance of controlling our emotions is never exaggerated when talked about. There are some who lost hard fought prizes because at the end they were unable to control their emotions. Work place population entails persons from different background, raised by different parents, may have different preferences, varied ways of encouraging, advising, reproving, and judging. So it will be very profound to hide your personal sentiments towards your boss or co-workers at the work place because they have done something or said something against you. The best way to settle scores like this is by approaching the person privately and secretly and telling him what he has done wrong. If he accepts his mistakes then progress can be made but if he refuses then you can involve a third party who you trust can resolve the case. No matter what happens at the work place do not let your personal feelings against someone affect your attitude towards work. Showing love and concern are good emotions which do not need controlling but do not let anyone see or experience your anger. When you are angry you can leave the place or if it happens in front of your superiors you can politely ask to be excused for a while. Displaying good character is compulsory at work places. Negativity and dissent can spread like a disease and damage workplace morale and decrease productivity.

Your change must relatively be positive

If you cannot continue something, don’t start it at all. Man is relatively resistant to change, in a way which is opposite to what he already knows. To improve our work ethnic we should remember the enthusiasm we displayed from the beginning of our appointment: our punctuality, how fast we finish task and the best effort we inserted into our work. This initial zeal should never depart. A good employee is the one who has good permanent attitude towards work.

Be a good group player

Egotism is never healthy to practice. Keeping ideas, profitable knowledge and other industrious thoughts are selfish conclusions. An organization can be compared to the human body, all parts work for one benefit, no part is more important than the other because every part has its own function to play to cooperate the well being of the human. Likewise, in an organizational setting every employee is a vital contributor to the increasing relevance of the establishment, so idea sharing is the best meal for this body. Working with others should not be a problem. To be an effective group player, humbleness, accepting and correcting your mistakes, reproving friends discreetly are important characters to be cultivated. To be effective in a group also requires good communication skills. Strong interpersonal skills can help form cohesive teams among employees and make handling challenges easier. Criticisms never leave when two or more persons meet for a purpose but for problem-free groups; a good team player knows the difference between constructive criticism and destructive griping. Coming together is a beginning, staying together is a process, and working together is success. Working in a team yields high productivity.

Working towards a greater good is no crime, but the crimes are: when organizational rules are disrespected, personal sentiments are argued and fought over at work and the advent of other unprofessional behavior which floods workplaces at an uncontrollable rate. Good work ethics should never be undermined and improving on them is the best.

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