Say This, Not That When Having Career Conversations

Christine DiDonato
CareerRev.com
888.412.6020
SAY THIS, NOT THAT
when having career conversations
with emerging professionals.

© Copyright 2017 Career Revolution, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
If men are from Mars and women are from Venus, then
today’s young professionals might be from another
universe, and you're just over here on Earth trying to
understand how to manage them—especially when they
come at you with an off-putting request.

How to respond in a way that boosts
productivity and performance.
KEEP CLICKING TO DISCOVER:
The 5 most commonly misunderstood requests
young professionals make.
What they actually mean.
1
A complimentary download:
15-Minute Career Conversation Guide.
2
3
4

1 Raise
THEY SAY:
“I think I deserve a raise.”
YOU HEAR:
“I want something before I’ve earned it.”
THEY MEAN:
“I'm drowning in student debt, and I
can't eat any more ramen."

Millennials make
20% less than
their parents did
at the same life stage.
WHAT TO KNOW:
1 Raise
20%LESS INCOME

• Suspend your judgment and genuinely consider if it
makes sense for the employee to receive a raise.
• Ask this person to summarize which achievements
justify an increase in pay.
• If you think this person hasn’t earned a raise, give
feedback and collaborate on a development plan
with clear timeframes and a date to revisit the
discussion.
HOW TO RESPOND:
1 Raise

THEY MEAN:
"You're so busy, we barely talk, and I
need a sign that I'm on the right track."
THEY SAY:
“I’m not getting feedback.”
YOU HEAR:
“I need a participation trophy waiting
on my desk each morning.”
2 Feedback

69% of employees say
they would work harder
if they felt their efforts
were recognized better.
2 Feedback
WHAT TO KNOW:
69%WORK HARDER

© Copyright 2017 Career Revolution, Inc. All Rights Reserved.© Copyright 2017 Career Revolution, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
• Set regular check-in meetings with the
employee.
• Provide feedback on one activity you want
them to keep doing and one action they can
stop or start doing.
• Direct the employee to a tool such as an
early career 360-degree feedback assessment
to get insights on personal development
opportunities.
2 Feedback
HOW TO RESPOND:

THEY MEAN:
"I just need a day to get that big project done without being interrupted by my
nosy neighbor, being called into 10 impromptu meetings that aren't directly
relevant to me, and singing happy birthday to that one lady in finance. Also,
yes, I don't want to put on pants."
THEY SAY:
“I want to work from home
one day a week.”
YOU HEAR:
“I want to hang out in my pajamas, watch
Netflix, and check email sporadically.”
3 Work From Home

An experiment by scholars
at Stanford University
showed that people working
full-time from home are
13% more efficient
but are promoted less.
3 Work From Home
WHAT TO KNOW:
13%MORE EFFICIENT

• If the employee is a strong performer, meeting half-way can be a
great productivity booster.
• Look for a reasonable starting place, such as one day per month to
work from home. If the employee doesn’t abuse this, you can
expand to two or three days.
• If they employee hasn’t demonstrated he or she can handle this
flexibility, you may want to consider why you’re keeping this
person on the team in the first place.
3 Work From Home
HOW TO RESPOND:

THEY MEAN:
"I want to take care of myself so that I
can do my job better."
THEY SAY:
“I need a mental health day.”
YOU HEAR:
“I’m hungover.”
4 Mental Health Day

Employees with
high well-being have
41% lower health-
related costs compared
with employees who
have lower well-being.
4 Mental Health Day
WHAT TO KNOW:
41%LOWER COSTS

• Prior generations wouldn’t dare make this
request. Instead, they would just call in "sick.”
• Be grateful your employee is being honest with
you and give him or her the time off.
• If this happens excessively or affects this person’s
job performance, talk to the employee about
what’s causing this stress and offer to explore
solutions to solve the larger problem.
4 Mental Health Day
HOW TO RESPOND:

THEY MEAN:
“I want professional guidance and honest
conversations with someone whom I connect
with and trust. Also, I don't want that person to
be in charge of my performance reviews."
THEY SAY:
“I want to grow my career. Can you
help me find a mentor?”
YOU HEAR:
“I want to work around you because you’re
not doing a good job of being my boss.”
4 Mentor

Millennials who intend
to stay with their organization
for more than five years
are 2X as likely
to have a mentor.
5 Mentor
WHAT TO KNOW:
5YEARSMORE RETENTION

• This is your opportunity to step up and mentor your
employee or, if it makes sense, connect them to
someone who can.
• If the employee wants regular career conversations,
use the 15-Minute Career Conversation Guide to help
you.
• If this person’s career goals warrant a different
perspective, help him or her network in the
organization and ask your peers for help to mentor
them.
5 Mentor
HOW TO RESPOND:

By thinking about what your employee means rather
than the way he or she presented a request, you can
respond more effectively.
By replying empathetically, you can increase this
person's commitment to the organization, sense of
well-being and motivation. In turn, you will see an
increase in productivity and performance.

Downloadacomplimentary
15-MinuteCareerConversationGuide today!

Say This, Not That When Having Career Conversations

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Say This, Not That When Having Career Conversations