Surviving Office Politics

 Government Shutdowns. Higher Taxes. Healthcare. Left versus Right. If there is a single one of us out there who hasn’t had enough politics for a lifetime, I’d pay to meet them!

Over the last several years we have been inundated by increasingly polarized (and
frustrating) politics. The last thing we need is to find ourselves running for office in an internal election at the workplace. Thank goodness there’s no such thing as politics in the office—cause you know—that would be rough. But just in case, here are some steps to avoiding an embarrassing political scandal:

1. AAR!!! Avoiding Angry Recruiters

Hey there, do me a favor would you? I’d like you to work a client for me. They’ll have changing budgets, ridiculous hiring procedures, and tight budget guidelines. Then I’d like you to field calls from candidates who make clear how little they like or respect recruiters. Make a placement. Huzzah.. Hear from some more candidates who hate all, I repeat, all recruiters. Receive a voicemail from the original client asking why you haven’t found their purple squirrel yet (sigh).

Recruiters have a tough job, and when you boil it down, the greatest challenge is the fact that it is utterly up and down. We get great news alongside bad news. We place people the same day we have to fire people. So, when office politics and new management come into play, it presents a perfect opportunity to vent. And last time I checked, a venting recruiter wasn’t a great source of professional advice.

2. Think Before you Speak

And then, think again. When politics, office policies or leadership changes occur, the folks on the ground floor like to huddle up and discuss said changes.  They theorize. They contemplate. They complain.  And don’t get me wrong…it can be a great source of information, either company wise or just a little perspective. But if you’re tempted to take part, don’t. Getting involved in the theorizing or the people and process bashing is a fast way to find yourself under a microscope. Play it cool, listen to some of the rumors (they can be informative and fun) but keep your thoughts to yourself and give change a chance before you buy into the talk.

3. Money Talks

Love it or hate it, we are in a focused, high pressure results driven business.  And for those
of us who have been around a few years, process, politics and procedures have come and gone. What sticks at the end of the day is your success rate. Are you closing business? Are you driving revenue in the door? Are you furthering both your own and your company goals? If so, you have nothing to worry about. Performance is the driving metric in the
world of recruiting. So when you’re worried about office politics, put your head down and do your job.