Three Steps To Corner Your Boss Into Laying You Off

Maria Dubov — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 17:06:32 +0000

Insight Article

Next Steps In Your Career

Next Steps in Your Career

Even the most accomplished and experienced IT professionals can sometimes feel unfulfilled or uncertain about what comes next in their careers. When that moment arrives, an important question often follows: Should I continue climbing the corporate ladder, or should I consider a different path—such as consulting?

Below is some perspective to help you evaluate your options.

The Corporate Climb: Stability With Limitations
Let’s start with corporate life. Working as a full-time employee offers many clear advantages. There is predictability—regular paychecks, benefits, and an established organizational structure. Performance reviews, defined job titles, and promotion paths
provide clarity and stability. For many professionals, this structure works well.

However, corporate life also comes with trade-offs that can limit long-term flexibility and earning potential.

Advantages of Corporate Employment

Predictable Income
You know exactly how much compensation you will receive and when, which supports consistent financial planning.
Benefits Packages
Health insurance, retirement plans, paid time off, and sick leave provide a strong safety net.
Structured Career Growth
Many organizations offer clearly defined advancement paths, allowing you to measure progress through promotions, bonuses, and expanded responsibilities.
Team-Based Support
Employees benefit from shared resources, collaboration, and internal support when workloads increase.

Limitations of Corporate Employment

Limited Flexibility
Most corporate roles require adherence to fixed schedules, attendance policies, and standardized procedures.
Organizational Politics
Advancement may sometimes depend on internal dynamics and visibility in addition to performance and expertise – sometimes it’s more about who you know than what you know.
Slower Innovation/ Red Tape
Implementing new tools or processes often requires multiple levels of approval, which can slow progress.
Earning Potential Constraints
Compensation growth may eventually plateau unless one moves into management or executive roles.

Now let’s compare this to consulting..

Consulting: Independence, Flexibility, and Opportunity

Now let’s look at consulting. For many IT professionals, consulting offers a more independent and entrepreneurial career path. While it requires greater personal responsibility, it also provides increased control, broader experience, and stronger income potential.

Advantages of Consulting

Choice of Clients and Partnerships
Consultants may already have relationships with former managers or organizations that need specialized expertise. Others choose to partner with staffing or consulting firms that provide project opportunities while handling administrative tasks such as contracts, invoicing, and collections. These arrangements can reduce operational burden while still allowing consultants to focus on delivering value.
Variety and Professional Growth
Unlike traditional roles that may focus on the same internal systems year after year, consulting exposes professionals to multiple industries, technologies, and challenges. This variety supports continuous learning and helps consultants remain competitive in the market.
Higher Earning Potential
Consultants often command higher rates than salaried employees due to their specialized skills and project-based engagements. In many organizations, consulting costs are budgeted differently than full-time headcount, allowing compensation to align more closely with business initiatives and outcomes.
Greater Schedule Flexibility
While expectations and deliverables must be met, consultants are often evaluated based on results rather than strict schedules. Over time, this can lead to increased autonomy and work-life balance.

Considerations of Consulting

Income Variability
Consulting work is typically project-based, and gaps between engagements can occur. With proper financial planning, many consultants successfully manage
these fluctuations.
Self-Managed Benefits
Consultants are responsible for securing their own health insurance, retirement savings, and paid time off. However, increased earnings often provide flexibility in how these benefits are structured.
Business Responsibilities
Depending on the engagement model, consultants may manage accounting, taxes, marketing, and compliance themselves or through professional service providers.

Forming an LLC or Corporation

Many consultants choose to formalize their work by forming a legal business entity such as a Limited Liability Company (LLC) or Corporation. Contrary to common perception, this process is typically straightforward and can often be completed quickly
with the help of online services or professional advisors. Operating through an LLC or corporation can enhance professional credibility, simplify client contracting, and provide a clear structure for managing income and expenses.
State resources, such as the Illinois Secretary of State Business Services Division, offer detailed guidance on forming and maintaining a business entity.

Guide to Organizing Domestic LLC
Guide for Organizing Domestic Corporation

Tax Advantages and Financial Benefits
Operating as an incorporated consultant may provide access to tax and financial planning opportunities not typically available to employees, subject to applicable laws and professional guidance. These may include:

Home office expenses, when eligibility requirements are met
Business equipment and software
Travel and meals related to client work
Self-employed retirement plans such as SEP IRAs or Solo 401(k)s
Potential deductions for health insurance premiums

When managed appropriately, these benefits can help consultants retain more of their earnings and reinvest in their business and long-term financial goals.

Choosing Your Path
Consulting is not for everyone, just as corporate employment is not universally ideal. Some professionals value the structure, benefits, and predictability of traditional roles. Others prefer the independence, variety, and control that consulting and incorporation
can offer.

Those who are comfortable navigating corporate environments may advance quickly and enjoy long-term stability. Others may find that forming a business and consulting aligns more closely with their professional ambitions and financial objectives. Ultimately, only you can determine which path is right for you.

Disclaimer:
This document is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, financial, or employment advice. Laws and regulations vary by jurisdiction and individual circumstances. Readers should consult qualified legal, tax, and financial professionals before making decisions related to business formation, consulting arrangements, employment classification, or tax planning.

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Why Developers Hate Recruiters

Maria Dubov — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 17:02:26 +0000

Insight Article

Why Developers Hate Recruiters

Here is a phenomenon. As a part of our routine recruiters at our office would reach out to someone we found on a job board to discuss a job opening. Based of the sheer fact that their resume is posted, we expect them to be excited to hear from us, instead we get a sigh of disappointment, as soon as they realize they are talking to a third party recruiter. I have been wondering why that is and asking my friends developers why don’t they like dealing with us.

Why you hate us

Surely there are some dirty players that push too hard, embellish the opportunities and withhold critical info that give us a bad reputation. So should developers make it a rule to avoid dealing with recruiters? Sadly most developers feel like there is no need for spending your precious time (away from video games or programing) with someone who clearly doesn’t get what you do, picks apart your resume with ridiculous questions, and acts like your new BFF.

Here is the other side of the coin. Isn’t it silly to deny yourself all the available opportunities without assessing them first? Cutting us out of your lives may be an easy choice, but it results in cheating yourself out of options.

Seduce us

Most developers are an intelligent bunch and therefore recruiters would be hard pressed to fool one who is paying attention. How do you protect your interest, in other words? It’s easier then you think. If recruiter is interested in your skills-set, you have the upper hand in the relationship, so take the lead. Your leverage is YOU. Make them want you by taking the time to answer their questions clearly with real-life examples and buzz-words to seduce them. As soon as you are submitted to their client, it is not only dollars that recruiter has riding on you, is their reputation! They depend on you to promptly set-up next steps, answer the phone for your phone screens and show up for your interviews.

Use your power!

Now you are in full control, here is a list of all the unbeatable benefits of using a recruiter:

You can ask your recruiter to find out all the information that can influence your desire to pursue the position such as, salary range, 401k matching, PTO, required travel/on-call, bonus criteria and history. They can find out why this position is available, what is the career path and salary ceiling as well as where is fits on the org chart. Asking these questions too early may turn off the employer, but learning the answers may help you avoid wasting your time.
Your recruiter can follow-up aggressively if you request feedback, allowing you to manage the rest of your search more effectively. If you play your cards right, they will push your potential employer to expedite the interview process making them aware of alternative options you may have. This could put the potential offer on the table in time for an educated decision on your end, without making you look like a jerk.
Negotiating your own salary can be stressful and leave bitter taste in the mouth of your future boss. Being represented by a third party gives you the ultimate advantage – a trained negotiator who is motivated to get you maximum base, since their finder’s fee is a percentage of this amount. They have a relationship with your perspective employer and will know all the right buttons to push and in most cases just how far to push them. All that is needed from you is to set a clear goal in front of your recruiter and be available for updates.

Hopefully this will change the way you see us! Please share your experience (good or bad) with a recruiter, feel free to be brutal – we want to improve!

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When Your New Gig Sucks

Maria Dubov — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 17:00:09 +0000

Insight Article

When Your New Gig Sucks

You just started a new gig and you absolutely hate it. Well, “hate” may be a strong word, but being disappointed and even a bit remorseful after changing jobs isn’t uncommon, you are not alone. Being miserable 40+ hours a week is no way to live, but before you throw in the towel, there are a few things you can try to turn things around.

What’s wrong?

Number one, you must determine the ultimate reason why your new job sucks. As an IT recruiter of 11 years, I have helped hundreds of candidates change jobs and I learned that most of the disappointment isn’t because of some fundamental mismatch that we accidentally overlooked. Especially today, candidates are not afraid to ask questions in their interviews, employers are way more open about their culture and internet allows for maximum research. The true source of frustration in my experience is simply dealing with change, establishing new trust and — especially for leaders – the power struggle. Yes! It is a catch twenty-two – we get anxious when we get too comfortable because of our desire for growth, but we get quickly frustrated with any growing pains. Here is what I recommend to overcome some of the common challenges with your new job.

Make yourself at home

Keep in mind that as you enter a new social or professional circle its members will test you consciously and subconsciously. You have a small time window to assume your position. Check with your boss and get a clear view of the reporting structure so you can demonstrate regard to those who count and show all others their place with you in the picture. In the modern office environment seniority alone doesn’t mean much, everyone’s standing rests on value added. Therefore dancing around senior staff members who are obnoxiously stepping on your toes is no longer necessary. Feel free to slap around a few folks when they overstep their boundaries and establish a dynamic that you are comfortable with. This alone may not be a solution to your problem with a new job, but at least a step in the right direction.

Take advantage of being a newbie

Look on the bright side – there are great advantages to being new at the workplace. Here they are:

You bring fresh out-of-the-box perspective that senior players no longer have.
You can apologize instead of asking for permission, because you just did not know the protocol… Oops!
Your boss actually hired you instead of inheriting you, so they have a stake in your success (they NEED you to be a great hire)
You can present your former colleagues’ ideas as your own, since nobody here heard them before.
Fresh start – They haven’t seen you with one too many cocktails.

Get up to speed at all costs

New beginnings are tough, especially if switching jobs comes with switching industries. You may be lacking a specific technology or industry knowledge and some players may use it to their advantage. Sensing your own weaknesses may add to stress and make you feel vulnerable and that’s enough to make anyone unhappy at work. Don’t let these feelings confuse you, you are a winner and you WILL succeed. Here are some things you can do off hours:

Dive into online research and self-help literature.
Search LinkedIn for old contacts in your field and reach out for advice.
Contact your IT recruiter and hire a high-end specialist in your field to tutor you for a few hours. (yes, it might be pricey, but if it will help you get ahead, the cost will be well justified)

This express approach to obtaining missing knowledge is a temporary necessity that will give you the confidence to speak up in meetings with solid proposals. It will pay dividends by letting you impress your superiors and intimidate the hell out of your new rivals.

Get your boss onboard

Another aspect that can make for an unhappy work environment is friction with your boss. It’s critical to take control of the situation as soon as possible while your relationship with your boss is still forming. Here are some basic guidelines:

Establish an effective way of communicating with your boss. Ask them of how they prefer to communicate in a number of common situations, such as: when either of you are traveling or anytime off hours or what is considered “urgent”. Always repeat their requests back to them before executing, you don’t know the people yet, and they rarely say what they mean in a corporate setting.
Be tactful in your approach – always make them feel in control, by leaving the ball in their court. Make sure to end all suggestions with a value proposition. Such as: “I was thinking, if we could do “A” and “B” it will allow us to get that much closer to “C”, like you had in mind.”
Get on the same page with your boss before making your proposals public, like volunteering to help another team or bringing in a new vendor. Such a courtesy, although you may not need their permission, will help you build trust.
Don’t miss any bonding opportunities, try to grab a beer with your boss and learn about their goals and challenges. It could be difficult to show real value until you can determine what they consider valuable and focus your efforts in the right direction.
If you are already sensing tension with your boss, clear the air by meeting in person. If you are not sure, ask what is causing the falling out in your relationship. If you do know what it is, and even if you feel in the right, apologize for any misunderstanding. Try to work through your issues together with a focus on establishing a better way of handling similar situations in the future.

Cheer yourself on

Attitude is the toughest part, but I believe it is one of the most important things. It is natural for a human brain to block out all the negative and frustrating memories. Therefore, if you didn’t hate your old employer with a passion, in your recollections your old job appears as an all-inclusive resort in comparison to this new cluster of issues. It’s easy to slip into so-called “buyer’s remorse” and start feeling sorry for yourself. I would encourage reminding yourself about why you chose to make a move in the first place and snapping out of it! Acknowledge your own victories. Make a list of all your challenges and cross them off your list as you find the courage and strength to overcome them. Celebrate every tiny milestone, because professional changes are tough, but winning will only make you a better player in a big corporate game.

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Playing Hard To Get With Potential Employers

Maria Dubov — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 16:58:23 +0000

Insight Article

Playing Hard To Get With Potential Employers

Why do we get so excited about a job offer that we agree to accept a role we barely know anything about? Candidates disappointed in their new gigs often report accepting a job without a thorough understanding of the role or the internal structure. Some can even pinpoint a few red flags they chose to ignore. How can we be so eager to say “I do” after such a short courtship?

I came to the conclusion that the traditional interviewing process is designed for maximum advantage for the prospective employer. They call all the shots, from selecting your resume out of the pile, to surprising you with random follow-up calls. And these are the calls that you are expecting for days or even weeks, hopelessly staring at your phone. Throughout the entire process you are being tested and scrutinized. You are constantly wondering if you would be dropped after this step or invited for the next one. You lie awake at night after each interview, replaying it over and over in your head. You are trying to read into their responses, wishing you could go back in time and do it over. By making you jump through hoops a prospective employer creates a “chase”, a play on basic human nature – wanting what seems to be hard to get. After 4-6 weeks of basically messing with your head, they achieve their goal. You are so emotionally invested that they have you eating out of their hand. You are the runner near the finish line, you can’t stop now – you are going for the gold! Sounds like dating? Exactly! And just like when dating having alternative options gives you the upper hand.

I believe that once you learn the game, you can regain your power and win. All it takes is keeping your cool and making only well thought out strategic decisions.

Be the one they want

Make sure you have a sharp resume (please see some tips in my post called Make Your Resume Techie-Hot). Don’t just quickly submit your resume to any posting that looks ok. While this strategy seems efficient it will make you look desperate and unwanted. You will end up submitting it to the same place multiple times, or flashing your name everywhere, making yourself as available as McDonald’s cheeseburger. Instead, after finding an attractive job description, quickly look up the company and if you are still interested, check LinkedIn for any contacts in that organization. If you don’t have direct contacts, ask your contacts to endorse you to significant players in your company of choice and see if one of them would forward your resume to the hiring manager. Don’t be afraid to ask strangers for professional favors on LinkedIn, this is the exact purpose of this site. Employers often offer a referral fee for such recommendations, so most would be happy to help you. If you cannot locate anyone within your network, call your trusted IT recruiter and see if they have a contact in the organization of your choice. Being referred to the hiring manager makes the same resume seem like a “rare find”. Sure it takes some effort, but you are expanding your network in the process and greatly increasing your chances. Another big one: don’t just send in a general resume everywhere you apply. Tweak it to fit every job description by highlighting the desired expertise. Make an easy-to-access detailed record each time you apply to an opening. This extra step will ensure that you wouldn’t get double-submitted or caught off-guard with their follow-up call.

Make them chase you

Even if you are eager to leave your current job, act like your current employer treats you like gold and while you are intrigued with more challenging work and growth opportunity, you would be hard-pressed to leave your awesome job.This attitude would not only make them want you more, but would later give you a negotiating advantage.

If you are out of work act like you are buried in interviews. Don’t agree to the first time option they throw out at you, propose a different time. Of course if you are being too difficult it might turn them off. However, simply demonstrating that they are not the ONLY interested party will serve you well. Keep their interest with your sharp interviewing skills and well written “thank you” notes (see my article How To Avoid Looking Like An Idiot At Your Next Job Interview for tips). However if asked to confirm the next step on the spot, offer to get back to them, after checking your calendar (alluding to other interviews). This will build your value and allow you to select the time that would truly be most comfortable for you, which will maximize your performance.

Time to play detective

The in-person meeting is a perfect time to interview your prospective employer. Keep in mind, you can only ask a few questions because hijacking the interview and interrogating your future bosses isn’t a good idea. You’ll need to do some serious investigation to figure out what you should ask.

Google the company and their key players, read all the articles about them, check out glassdoor.com reviews (although take them with a grain of salt) and evaluate this information.
Take a peek into your potential future with this employer. LinkedIn would help you see how long people last with this organization, how quickly they progress in their roles and where they end up next. You will see firsthand what kind of people succeed in this organization or which other employers tend to hire out of this company. If researching a larger company, you will start seeing distinct patterns that may raise a few concerns.
To finish your investigation, ask your IT recruiter, who else they have placed in this company and request to speak with them. Eager to close the deal they will make it happen. If this becomes a problem I would view it as a red flag. If you are not working with a recruiter, reach out to their former employees on LinkedIn. Send an email to 5-6 folks and explain that you are considering a job with their former employer and want to speak with them off the record about the culture and history. If you are not able to contact them directly, you can include your message in the invitation to connect. I am sure at least one of them will get back to you. Speaking with former employees is the only way to get an idea of how much freedom and flexibility you can expect, how rigid they are about tracking PTO or even how much explanation you’ll need to expense a cab ride.

On the mission

At the interview you should do your best to work in your questions into your dialog and leave the rest for the end. Watch your tone; you don’t want to put them off by being confrontational. However, you want to walk away with a solid understanding of your potential role and cover as follows:

WHAT would your role be (technical tools and platforms, who will be your counterparts, number of direct/indirect reports and their roles and the reporting structure above you). If applying for a management role I would clarify your authority and budget responsibilities, as this could be a major factor of your success
HOW this employer pictures growth for your position (next steps/options & realistic timeframe)
IF and HOW this employer will measure and reward your success (criteria for bonuses/raises/promotions)

When your interviewer describes your role, don’t be afraid to ask for them to diagram the organization around you. Once they actually show you where your potential position is located on the diagram, you will immediately see the actual significance of your role within the organization. This is also a great opportunity to bring up a career path options for your position, as you would be able to easily understand the answer. Another question I particularly like to recommend is why there is a vacancy. If you learn that someone is being replaced, it’s good to understand why management believes they didn’t work out. This could naturally lead to how your contributions will be measured.

Combining this information with what you have gathered from former employees will give you a clear picture of your prospective future with this organization. The perspective you’ve gained through the interview process by asking specific questions will help you evaluate this opportunity and better compare it to your current position. This may seem like a lot of extensive research, investigation and calculation, but it will save you a lot of stress of being miserable in a brand-new job, as well as having to explain job hopping on your resume for years to come.

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Lies, Lawsuits, and Performance Reviews: A Candid Q&A with Corporate HR Manager, Janet Godbey

Maria Dubov — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 16:56:07 +0000

Insight Article

Lies, Lawsuits, and Performance Reviews: A Candid Q&A with Corporate HR Manager, Janet Godbey

You’ll want to bookmark this article — trust me.

Last week I had a coffee meeting in Oakbrook with a person I respect very much, Janet Godbey. Janet has been a human resources manager with Newell-Rubbermaid for the last several years, and throughout her career she’s dealt with every kind of crazy employee issue imaginable. One of the things I love most about Janet is that she’s always willing to give you a straight and honest answer. She hates fluff and she never shies away from even the most sensitive or difficult HR issues. While enjoying our lattes, I went out on a limb and asked Janet if she would be willing to put her experience to work answering some of our clients’ toughest HR questions… to my delight she accepted!

All of the questions you’re about to read describe problems currently being faced by my clients and friends. Nothing is made-up or embellished.

Is it OK to lie about my salary on a job application?

“I work for a government-funded organization and am applying for a job with a public company. The HR representative will soon ask me about my current compensation to base their offer off that number. I know that I am severely underpaid, and I realize that it is unrealistic to expect a 30% raise. What should I do? Do I embellish my current comp? And if I do, what are the chances of HR deportment actually looking into it?”

Janet: People often confuse a job interview with a deposition under oath. You can handle the interview and a job application as suites you. You are selling your services to the employer and it’s up to you how to play up or down the details of your past employment. It’s not even a question of telling the truth or lying, but more of a decision about how much you want to share. It is perfectly fine to talk about your former/current compensation as a ballpark figure, or not give a number at all. It is up to you to make your interviewer comfortable with this approach by clearly communicating your situation in a non-defensive manner. If asked to disclose your most recent salary you can say: “I work for a not-for-profit agency and therefore my salary is basically irrelevant, since my employer is unable to provide a fair compensation for my role. However, I did some research and I am hoping this move would get me closer to X amount”. This may be your best bet to get what you deserve. If you disclose your exact salary they are not likely to to give you a 30% increase and if you lie, there is always a small chance that prospective employer may check and find out, and such a defamation of character may take you out of the running.

I was laid off after 8 weeks at a new job. Should I sue?

“My role was eliminated after just 8 weeks on the job. I have been with my previous employer for 10 years and I am very disappointed by the negligence of being pulled out of a job and then laid off so quickly with only 2 weeks of severance. Is it realistic for me to negotiate in this situation? Do I need to get an attorney or should I contact the employer myself? What should be my strategy?”

Janet: I believe in this case the employer would likely be willing to settle this matter without attorneys involved if given the opportunity. Since hiring a lawyer will incur additional costs, it makes sense to at least try the simpler route first.

Take your best shot by writing a concise letter that documents all the key aspects of your case with dates of each conversation or event. Start by researching your state laws online to highlight only relevant facts of the matter. In order to maximize credibility, keep personal opinions and emotions out of your letter and carefully check for grammar and spelling errors. Make sure it clearly states what you are looking to achieve as well as a response deadline. Send it via email to their HR manager; copy your immediate supervisor and a level above them.

Can I make my new manager of three months do my performance review instead of my old boss who hates me?

“After a turbulent relationship with my manager I transferred into a new business unit within the same company. I’ve been reporting to my new manager for the last three months of the year and I feel a lot better. However the annual review is approaching and since I spent nine months (the majority of the year) with my former boss, he is insisting on doing my review. My new boss seems happy with having one less task on his plate. What can I do?”

Janet: Before I answer this question I would like to note that your annual review isn’t necessarily going to ruin your career with your organization and will NEVER be shared with prospective employers as you move on. It may affect your annual increase or chances of immediate promotion. Keep in mind that most current one is always most important especially after drastically changing professional focus. Since you just transferred between two business units chances are your next promotion will likely be after your next annual review. Therefore it may not be worth losing sleep over this matter.

With this said, here is what can be done to mitigate the situation. While you cannot force your new boss to participate, you can meet with your HR Manager and explain the situation. We realize how subjective reviews are and we want to avoid seeing them used as a weapon to “punish” someone for their professional differences. Therefore, we are likely to take you up on the offer to include your counter self-assessment with your former supervisor’s review. This will leave two opinions on record and if you make your input factual (supported by documents), it might make a difference if management decides to look over your file for a future promotion.

My new boss is telling me to sink or swim. What should I do?

“Due to the company restructuring I transferred to a new team with quite a learning curve and now feel like I’m not getting proper support from my new manager. I repeatedly approach him for help and guidance, but I cannot seem to make any progress. My peers are too busy to tutor me and my boss insists that I learn to think for myself. He says that he promotes a “sink or swim” culture on his team, which is why he selects the best and the brightest, so if I don’t get it, I am in the wrong place. He often changes his expectations after the results have been already delivered and simply ignores my emails with attempts to clarify his vision. Should I approach HR? What should I expect them to do for me? Will HR actually keep our conversation confidential?”

Janet: I will address the last part first because its one of the most common misconceptions about HR. We are not your on-site attorney or psychologist. Much like your own team, we are hired by the company to serve a purpose. One of the many HR functions is to effectively solve internal issues while retaining valuable talent in conjunction with employment laws and regulations. We do this while keeping the company’s best interest in mind, therefore when you come to us confidentiality is relative. You can count on the fact that HR manager won’t be gossiping about you at lunch with friends, but that’s the extent of “confidentiality” you will be granted. Once we are aware of an issue we will start working on resolution and based on how valuable you are to the company you may or may not win.

If you are a solid performer with otherwise good reputation and your boss refuses to help you get up to speed coming to HR for help is a very good idea. If you tell your HR manager specifically what you need from your boss to maximize your performance, they are likely to help you two get on the same page and communicate better. Here is another reason why in this case you are likely to get support from HR. When managers don’t put enough effort in retaining their talent the turnover increases. It does not only affect the morale but ultimately creates more vacancies than can be filled in time to avoid affecting company initiatives. As a HR Manager of 11 years I have no tolerance for this. Let me share an example: we had just brought a new employee on board. As usual, I stopped in their work area to welcome them. I noticed their boss was nearby, so I asked them when they were going to take their new team member to lunch — this warm tradition truly helps make transition easier. My smile quickly came off my face when they answered: -”If HR has nothing else to do, they can take him to lunch, I am way too busy for this!” Needless to say, I had the talk with this leader coaching them about the importance of keeping their staff feeling welcome and professionally satisfied.

My team is angry after they discovered what others are being paid.

“I am a manager and one of the engineers on my team revealed his compensation to others which caused unhappiness and resentment. The cat is out of the bag and I am worried about losing my key talent, what can be done to salvage the situation?”

Janet: This certainly is an HR matter. Your HR Manager will help you with damage control plan. Most likely it is not in your budget to give out raises, but the rest of your guys now feel entitled to them. It is critical to address this with them. I would recommend working with HR to learn what other benefits or training your organization may be able to offer them to make them feel better.

Once you know what you have to work with, you should meet with your engineers individually and get an understanding on how each of them feels. While it’s important to acknowledge their feelings it is also important to explain that monetary compensation is often a product of negotiated upfront package that is based on a combination of factors unknown to them. A person might have been able to negotiate this significantly higher salary because of their multifaceted skill set, inflated prior salary or simply being in great demand the year they were recruited. You can be frank with them and say that sharing salary information with your peers in unprofessional, but since it happened and you see that it affects the team’s spirit, you would like to offer them some other perks to show that their hard work in appreciated. You will find that people simply want to be recognized and this is not all about the money with everyone. I also would recommend asking your HR Manager to have the talk with your troublemaker who started this circus. Sharing salary or bonus information may cost you your best talent, so you want to take action to prevent the encore of this behavior.

More About Janet Godbey

Janet Godbey

I met Janet seven years ago while recruiting candidates for Newell-Rubbermaid. Since then I’ve developed a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for Janet’s ability to solve complicated personnel issues, and capture Newell’s best talent while remaining popular with employees at all levels. Janet started at Newell in 2001 as an HR Administrator after graduating from Northern Illinois University with an English major (which makes me worried about her reading my article). Janet originally wanted to be a teacher, but took on a different challenge – corporate America. Always smiling, she has been a ray of sunshine in Newell’s hallways for over 11 years. Janet would be happy to connect with you on LinkedIn.

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Why the Sad Face? It’s Contract-To-Hire and It’s Going to Be Awesome.

Maria Dubov — Sun, 26 Apr 2026 21:22:14 +0000

Insight Article

Why the Sad Face? It’s Contract-To-Hire and It’s Going to Be Awesome.

Perm doesn’t exist

I’m sorry to burst your bubble, but there is no such thing as a “permanent” job position, especially in Illinois, and contract to hire offers several important benefits over perm positions.

Get real

In the state of Illinois especially, an employer is under no obligation to keeping you employed, you can be laid off or terminated for any reason related to your performance or not. Even the placement fee that your IT recruiter will receive is usually under 60-180 days guarantee period, to minimize their loses in case of separation in that period… What does that tell you?

Make it work

Some people worry about health benefits, PTO and eligibility for unemployment. I agree that most staffing companies who would host the contract to hire, would not provide the best health insurance rates (if any) and may not offer any PTO. However these “benefits” can be easily converted to dollars and cents. You should take this into consideration and negotiate an hourly rate that would cover health insurance and time off. Since you will actually be paid for every hour you put in, if the benefits to dollars conversion is done correctly, you should come out on top! Also note that being a W2 contractor makes you eligible for unemployment, if things don’t work out.

Reap the benefits of contract-to-hire:

Evaluate the job firsthand. You’ll be able to see for yourself what working for the company is like instead of relying the impression you made after a few interviews. You can assess your chances of growth, likelihood of getting along with your boss, or if you can learn form your peers. In other words you will get to have a courtship period before the wedding, verses marriage after 2 dates!
Contract to hire position gives you an advantage when it comes to full time salary negotiation. With contract-to-hire, while the full-time salary range is discussed up front, the final number doesn’t come into play until the offer is extended. By this time the employer is certain that you’re the one they want. They have seen what you bring to table, and they have invested time and effort in bringing you up to speed . You have leverage, since replacing you would be costly and risky. Now paying you an extra 10K seems like no big deal compared to the expense of bringing on a replacement!
If things don’t work out, you are better off than with a perm position. Even with a perm position things can happen to cut your tenure short. Short term employment in a full time role raises red flags when prospective employers review your resume thereby reducing your chances of obtaining a new job.

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Get More Bang for Your Buck

Maria Dubov — Sun, 26 Apr 2026 21:20:06 +0000

Insight Article

Get More Buck For Your Bang

Doing consulting/contract work is very common in IT consulting allows for a wide range of technical exposure, a change of pace and perspective. Finding themselves in between jobs, many would consider this route; however IT candidates are often puzzled about how much they should be making as a contractor. Those who are used to thinking about their pay as a part of an annual compensation package, where dollars come with PTO (paid time off) benefits, get especially confused, when their recruiter brings up a pay rate for a contract assignment.

How can I determine what is fair?

The first one is pretty straightforward. Take a look at your last compensation package and translate your annual salary into an hourly rate. Special attention for corporate slaves (a.k.a. those who put in 45+ hours a week): don’t forget to calculate properly because as a contractor you would actually get paid for every hour. Now translate your PTO into dollars and re-calculate. The next step would be to compare your former healthcare costs with what your recruiting agency has to offer and calculate the difference into your rate.

This exercise brings you to your minimum pay rate and now you can go up depending on a risk factor. For example you may be willing to accept your minimum pay rate for an attractive “contract-for-hire” assignment that offers a future with a nice organization. However if you are discussing an assignment of 6 months or less, there is nothing wrong with increasing your pay rate requirements to accommodate for the shorter duration and therefore higher risk. Keep in mind that open-ended contracts often last a few years (and result in conversions) if your responsibilities are on-going as opposed to project-based. Don’t rely solely on your recruiter. Carefully assess your potential role, ask questions and make sure that it actually makes sense – why someone like you would be needed in a described capacity within a proposed time-frame.

It is very important to get your numbers as precise as possible and figure out what would be acceptable very early in the game. Many people waste their time talking with employers who aren’t prepared to meet their pay requirements to begin with.

How should I go about negotiating my pay rate?

Good news is your recruiter is your agent – therefore there is no need to feel uncomfortable or try to play a saint to whom money isn’t all that important. Being upfront from the start sets forward an honest productive relationship between both parties and, as a business partner, your recruiter will appreciate it.

When is a good time to bring it up? Right after the recruiter presents you with an opportunity asking you if you would like to be submitted to his/her client. Get all the details about the recruiting agency; don’t assume that all agencies function in the same way:

Find out if they offer 1099 or W2 options, and when you discuss your pay rate make sure you are on the same page (1099 contractors can usually expect a higher pay rate but there are pros and cons to both options – you can discuss this with your recruiter).
Find out about their healthcare options/out-of-pocket costs.
Learn as much as possible about their client and the actual opportunity (role, responsibilities and potential for conversion).

Once you have all the information you can compare this opportunity to others on the table and decide what would make sense in terms of your pay rate… but don’t rush to tell your recruiter what you would be happy with. Try not to give away your minimum number: keep in mind that the recruiting agency’s profit is the difference between your pay rate and their bill rate. Knowing your bottom line may enable your recruiter to use it towards maximizing their profit. On the other hand because the bill rate is always the “unknown” you must be careful to not out-price yourself by asking for too much.

The best approach is to refrain from throwing out numbers first; instead you should ask them for a pay range on the position in question. Once they disclose the range, it is good to act disappointed and say that to consider this opportunity, you would have to be at the top of that range. Pushing for the higher end of their range is safe – without your demand they wouldn’t give you this pay rate; while being at the lower end of their range most likely means leaving money on the table – for yourself. WARNING: If the role requires a stronger skill level than you bring to the table, being a “cheaper option” might get you in the door allowing for a priceless opportunity to learn! Therefore always assess the situation and negotiate with all factors in mind.

Welcome to the world of consulting! Please check out our openings.

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ITIL Isn’t a Four-Letter Word

Maria Dubov — Sun, 26 Apr 2026 21:17:56 +0000

Insight Article

ITIL Isn’t a Four-Letter Word

By Jason Akai, guest contributor

Process improvement is everywhere. People talk about the need to improve processes or procedures. There are jobs that are devoted solely to reviewing processes and procedures. I think most people I know learn the value of Visio through their first Swim Lane diagram. Hours of meetings, training, review, new meetings, new training – all of this spent to trim the excess fat off of the processes we all live by. We constantly talk about cost saving and having repeatable processes for tasks.

So, then, why is it that everyone runs and hides at the bare mention of ITIL? Managers have said to me before – “Don’t say ITIL, or CMDB, or Service Desk” because people get nervous around those terms. Some people react violently to ITIL. They tell you how it can “never work here” or that “it’s easy – just call everything a service and you’re done, right?”

You would think ITIL was designed by IT auditors given the reaction from most IT people – run away, divulge only specific information that is asked of them, and never incriminate themselves or others. Hide in their offices or under the desks, and maybe it will go away soon, like a storm.

As an “ITIL guy”, I hear and see this sort of thing all the time. My favorite reaction from some people who try to like ITIL is: “So, what would ITIL (Moses) do?” As if there is one universal solution that works for every situation. I’m sure that all “ITIL guys” will have the same response – “It depends.”

ITIL isn’t magic. ITIL isn’t rigid and unbending. It isn’t some straightforward blueprint you can just “follow” and it “works.” It’s a series of goals, practices, ways to help form best practices, processes and procedures for a specific company. It gives people a framework from which to build a house of efficiency. It shows you how to value what you do by thinking of it as a service to your customers, rather than a burden or plight on society.

ITIL is also not a four-letter word. I mean, I guess it is – clearly (most people pronounce it “I – til”, by the way), but not in the way where your mom washes your mouth out with soap. It should be easy to embrace, but people have many hang-ups and misconceptions about it.

So let me be your guide on this eye-opening journey for your company to follow the ITIL road to glory.

Do not panic. Do not think that this will be quick and easy, and that just by reading ITIL books, everyone will instantly know what to do. Be patient, since change is never easy on anyone.
Get an ITIL provider – like Pink Elephant or Third Sky – to help provide training and help evaluate where you currently stand. You can tier the support you obtain from them based on your budget.
Everyone in IT should attend some form of an ITIL foundation class – and I mean the entire IT department. It helps alleviate the questions – and fears – around what ITIL is and is not. It also helps establish a vocabulary that everyone can agree to.
IT should designate one person to lead the team dedicated to transforming the IT department. This team – or at least the lead person – should take all the ITIL classes and become subject matter experts.

Sometimes it is best to hire someone for the specific purpose of helping with this initiative – someone unbiased by being in the company for a long period of time.

That person can move to being part of continuous process improvement and usually end up supporting new projects for customers.
They have to understand how to communicate with all levels of the business environment – staff, customers, managers, senior officers, etc.
If you are unsure about hiring a full-time ITIL specialist, ask the provider if they have someone who could work with the team and help – at least through the planning phase.

The team’s first role is to determine what is already in place and what needs to be worked on. They can start this after the foundation class.

Before they start working on any areas, they should finish the manager or practitioner classes for that area. This is something they can do in less than a month.
Focus on the big wins first – usually service desk, change management, and asset management are good places to begin. These improvements provide clearly visible returns for stakeholders.
Pull in managers and key players to understand the current state and to review potential new ideas and processes.

Continue to develop your company’s own best practice documents as part of this improvement cycle. It’s these practices – informed by ITIL – which create the blueprint for your company’s success.

Got questions? Please comment and Jason will answer them promptly!

About Jason Akai

Jason is a problem solver extraordinaire with over 23 years of work experience. He is the kind of person who everyone knows, remembers, and looks for when they need to network or to just fix something. He adds his own personal brand of humor and insight to most situations. He is an IT person by accident – being both a personable conversationalist as well as understanding the ins and outs of IT. He received his Masters Degree in Business Information Technology from DePaul University and holds a number of ITIL certifications. He is a Toastmaster, having earned the highest honor – the Distinguished Toastmaster award – twice. He’s taught little old ladies how to use computers, 5-year-olds how to play baseball, supported extremely well known industry giants, played golf with sports super stars, and presented to rooms of over 700 people. We’re excited to have him as a new irregular blogger on IT topics!

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Why “Good Guys” Finish Last

Maria Dubov — Sun, 26 Apr 2026 21:14:37 +0000

Insight Article

Why “Good Guys” Finish Last

I often see the most hardworking and diligent IT professionals get passed up on for promotions in a large corporate setting. Eventually they get discouraged as they watch their less productive colleagues progress rapidly and show off their new fancy titles… How does this happen?

Actually, there is a simple explanation. Adding value is a relative term. While you have given up your sex life to meet deadlines and put out fires, your executive team may be looking at a bigger picture and have little to no appreciation for your efforts. Sure, you have ultimate respect from your peers and lots of friends at the office but it doesn’t help you move forward. It’s time to change your strategy. There are two key aspects to keep in mind: adding value and visibility.

Value

Adding value to your organization is most likely what you’ve been doing already, but the secret is to add value where it counts towards your promotion. Don’t get carried away and manage your time wisely: in today’s corporate culture you don’t get brownie points for working around the clock. This type of dedication may actually work against you, making you look inefficient or even threaten your boss. The safe bet is to mirror the successful leaders in your company and keep similar hours. Now, make a short list of folks who are directly or indirectly in charge of your corporate future. Meet with them and get a clear understanding of what matters to them in your performance.

To your surprise, these may end up being the silliest things, like regularly updated dashboards. How can these seemingly insignificant tasks mean so much to them?! Of course you didn’t have time for a pretty chart: you were busy completing a critical business upgrade. However, their role could have entailed the justification of spending on that very upgrade and they didn’t have a comprehensive chart on hand to be effective – the chart they felt you should have provided.

Change your priorities in conjunction with theirs. Leave nothing to chance – misunderstanding is very common, so meet with your leaders regularly to ensure their continued satisfaction with the “new you”. It is always best to acknowledge your desire to change and streamline your efforts with corporate priorities in order to grow. There is nothing wrong with asking questions that help you understand why you are being put on a particular project or asked for certain data. Information is power, and it will help you to see the big picture.

Visibility

You cannot put your promotion solely in the hands of your immediate boss. It is too risky for two reasons: a) they may or may not need you in the next role you have on your radar, and b) with frequent restructuring so common nowadays for large companies, your boss may not even be in charge in the next 6 months.

Therefore, instead of shoving all your eggs in one basket, start building relationships with other senior leaders. Focus on executives with the most pull and reach out to them for mentorship. No matter how cool they try to seem, execs have large egos and this type of relationship will quickly get you on the VIP list. As you get invited to more executive meetings, exclusive businesses trips and after parties, stay visible but never obnoxious. Make sure you first talk to the meeting organizers off the record about the topics you want to cover, and then dazzle the group with your polished presentations supported by great visuals – but most importantly give partial credit to your “mentors”. This courteous behavior will build trust and score you more visibility.

You may find that the “new you” is losing some friends and becoming more political. You no longer cover for losers or stay up all night solving technical issues. You are becoming a leader who delegates low-visibility tasks and takes credit for things recognized by the executive team. You are on the right path. Good luck!

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Surviving The Current Developer Drought

Maria Dubov — Sun, 26 Apr 2026 21:10:10 +0000

Insight Article

Surviving The Current Developer Drought

FANTASY

Many hiring managers are still under the impression that their biggest hurdle in adding a new developer to their team is getting the headcount approved. Once it’s done, you can just hand over a job description to an IT recruiter and in a few weeks – you have a new developer! Well, not so fast, ladies and gentlemen… Within the last six months or so the market really changed, and finding good developers became as difficult as gold mining. I’d like to bring our hiring managers up to speed on the current state of affairs to help them plan accordingly, as well as share some ideas on how to survive this shortage and still meet your deadlines.

REALITY

The most popular and therefore tough-to-find group is the mid-level developers (2-5 years of experience), knowledgeable but still “affordable” — their longevity on job boards is about two days total from posting their resumes to signing their offer letters. Some get recruited right at their desks! Yes, make sure your mid-level developers you might have hired at “recent grad” salaries are compensated well — or they could be lured away. These guys go like hot cakes! Senior candidates who actually have the adequate competency for their years of experience (and expected compensation) also quickly find jobs, often presented with a few viable offers to choose from. So we are left with three still somewhat available groups: senior developers who are not very good despite their experience, junior developers who need training and pricey consultants who are not interested in full-time jobs. With this said, the average time is takes to find a good developer today is about eight weeks and I am not even talking about open source programmers (that topic just brings me to tears).

CONSIDERING OPTIONS

You can potentially speed up the process by having your IT recruiter venture out to what we call the “secondary markets”: St. Louis, Minneapolis, Columbus, various cities in Kansas and so on. Select areas with large enough corporate presence to have developers, but where there are fewer opportunities for them to prosper. Considering the importance timing, it’s good to start having conversations with your HR about potential relocation and interview-related travel arrangements before you have a potential candidate.
Another route is to consider sponsoring a bright foreign developer. Transferring a student visa or an existing work visa isn’t as difficult as starting from scratch, but certainty is a cumbersome and expensive process. On the flip side you will end up paying a lower salary and receiving a higher level of commitment (switching jobs is more difficult when you require sponsorship).
If the above two options aren’t feasible, but you still need someone right away, I would propose to ask your IT recruiter for a senior level consultant, who is able to hit the ground running. Don’t look for a “bargain”– in today’s marketplace you get exactly what you pay for. I wouldn’t recommend trusting the recruiting company alone to qualify them. Invest your team’s time and make sure this person is rock solid. At the same time bring on board a smart junior developer, who also tests well with your team and has the aptitude to learn. While the senior resource relieves your team by taking on some work load, they can all contribute to training your junior guy or gal without falling behind on deadlines. Finding a senior-level contractor takes a couple of weeks, about the same time frame that would take to find a promising junior developer. Considering that you would hire a junior resource at a comparable salary, those savings would make up for the expense of a short-term contractor and keep you on time with your initiatives.

SURVIVING

Times are tough, but with some flexibility hiring managers can survive them without jeopardizing their projects. The key here would be having realistic expectations: looking for a personable superman who has extensive experience with your entire technology stack and a degree from Harvard, all the while willing to travel 100% — and all of that for $80K — will not result in a hire. In today’s market it’s good to assess the “almost perfect” candidate against your most immediate needs and put a serious weight on aptitude. Keep in mind that technology in your organization will continue to change making it a lot more critical to hire smart people rather than people with a perfect skills set. Passionate developers, for whom programing is a lifestyle, will quickly get up to speed on missing skills. Furthermore, someone with this mindset will grow with your organization and would likely become the initiator of new solutions and a source of progress.

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