Latest news with #toxicmanagement
Independent Singapore
30-06-2025
- Business
- Independent Singapore
Jobseeker says he's applied for over 100 roles in six months but received only two interviews
SINGAPORE: A local jobseeker recently opened up on Reddit about his struggles to find work in the tech industry, saying that he's been unemployed for nearly six months despite applying for non-engineering roles. In his post on the r/askSingapore subreddit, he wrote, 'I left my previous role due to a psychotic boss and overwork. I've been unemployed for almost six months now. Took the first two months to relax and clear reservist. Unfortunately, I'm now in a situation where I've sent out over 100 applications but only received two interviews so far—one of them for a contract role.' He also mentioned that while he's still financially stable for now, it's not something he can keep up for much longer. He's also starting to get anxious about the growing gap on his résumé and how it might affect his chances going forward. 'I'm worried about the six months block on the resume,' he said. 'Know some people have already posted here, but any insights from people who made it through, anyone stuck in the same boat who recently succeeded in getting out? Any fellow unemployed and struggling?' 'There are lots out there struggling.' In the comments, one Singaporean Redditor shared that a few of their ex-colleagues went through the same thing. 'They were in tech sales and left due to toxic management. One got a job almost immediately, but she joined a small local outfit. Definitely took a pay cut. Another was out of the job for a year before getting an offer,' they wrote. 'Their experiences range from 10 to 25 years, so yes, there are lots out there struggling, and that's the main problem; you're competing with many more experienced jobless people along with more experienced people who simply want to job hop and those who are doing internal transfers.' Another offered a more optimistic view, saying that a six-month gap on a résumé can be framed positively. 'A gap of six months or more on your resume is a career break. Many tech companies tend to be progressive and are generally open to such breaks. If you had meaningful or interesting experiences during this time, it is definitely worth highlighting them. It could even help you stand out.' See also MOM reports decrease in retrenchments, growth in employment for Q3 A third added, 'Tech firms bloated salaries to be honest, prepare for pay cut in non-tech sectors. Good luck!' In other news, a 27-year-old woman shared on social media that she went through one of the strangest job interviews she's ever had. Posting on a local forum, she explained that she had applied to a well-known company and was initially impressed by how friendly the interviewers seemed. However, things quickly took a bizarre turn when the questions veered away from her résumé. Instead of focusing on her work experience or skills, the interviewers asked about her blood type, horoscope, Chinese zodiac sign, and even whether she watched Korean dramas. Read more: Jobseeker confused after interviewers ask about blood type, zodiac sign and K-drama habits instead of her experience Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)
Free Malaysia Today
16-06-2025
- General
- Free Malaysia Today
When bosses thrive on humiliating employees
Some managers use shouting and humiliation as tools to enforce compliance or assert their authority. (Envato Elements pic) PARIS : From offices to construction sites, toxic management poisons many professional environments with behaviour like shouting, humiliation, inappropriate comments and more. However, a study conducted by researchers at the University of Georgia (UGA) is challenging our understanding of this phenomenon. This kind of abusive behaviour does not always signal a loss of control, owing to stress or tiredness, for example. Some managers use it as a carefully calculated strategy. This insight came to Szu-Han Lin, professor of management at UGA's Terry College of Business, while watching 'Hell's Kitchen'. In this television show, two teams of chefs compete for a position as head chef in a restaurant. This all takes place under the watchful eye and, above all, the harsh comments of British chef Gordon Ramsay. Over the course of the episodes, we see him yelling, humiliating, and sometimes even insulting the contestants – for hours on end. Millions watch this spectacle without batting an eye. Lin, however, saw it as a subject of study. Her team interviewed 100 supervisors from various sectors, including construction, nursing and retail. Then, in a second phase, 249 other managers were monitored daily for two weeks. The questions were simple: why do you mistreat your employees? And how do you feel afterward? When abuse becomes a management tool Their answers are insightful but disturbing: some supervisors openly admit to using shouting and humiliation as management tools to enforce compliance or assert their authority. And unlike those who crack under pressure, these managers feel no guilt. Worse still, they feel a sense of satisfaction. Researcher Szu-Han Lin was inspired by the 'bad behaviour' of celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay. (Fox pic) 'If they engage in these behaviours with a goal in mind, like boosting compliance or preserving their identity as leaders, they're satisfying an emotional need,' Lin explained. This discovery challenges decades of research on the subject. 'We have been studying abusive behaviour in the workplace for 20 years, and we have known it always has bad outcomes for performance and productivity,' the researcher said. 'But we also know that people keep doing it. 'We assumed that if managers engaged in these behaviours, they'd feel bad and it would always have a negative effect on them. But that's not the case.' For Lin, this new awareness must change the way managers are trained. 'It's important for leaders to recognise they may have motivations for acting abusively to help them find better leadership tools,' she explained. 'You may want your followers to listen to you, or you may want to make sure you establish your role as a leader. That's fine, but there are other ways to achieve that.' Regardless of the motivations, managerial mistreatment remains counterproductive, as it destroys motivation instead of stimulating it. 'If you engage in abusive behaviours, it will always lead to negative outcomes. No one will be motivated at all,' Lin concluded. It's a lesson that should give pause to anyone who thinks that authority goes hand in hand with brutality.
