5 Issues that caused controversy at work

5 Issues that caused controversy at work
2009 has been a tough year for most people. Without an iota of doubt, most will be glad to bid good-bye to this”annus horribills”, which has seen many incidents of wrecked careers, though it did build some as well. So, what were the issues at work that bothered most of us? Here we take a look at five issues that probably received the maximum coverage and also generated the maximum interest and stoicism.

Gone with the wind: 2009 has often been described as the worst year after the great depression. Many companies folded up and some big firms became bankrupt overnight.
Career in niche sectors like finance, banking, retail and investment took a dip. Now, however, with the markets looking up a little, have those who lost their jobs got a chance of getting back to work?

Layoffs and salary cuts: Layoff became a routine affair as stories of people being laid off made headlines. Every day papers carried stories of the number of people fired. The economic meltdown has been a few companies cut there employees’ salaries as well. If firing wasn’t an alternative, then people were offered lowered salaries. It’s hard to find anyone happy with their salaries as employees always tend to feel that salaries are a mismatch with their skill-sets. But a salary cut in the time of inflation. Obviously made the home-front uncomfortable and hence this became a big issue for conversation in offices and at times a raging controversy. As the new raging controversy. As the New Year begins, people will have their fingers crossed for a better salary structure.

No increment, bad appraisal:
After a year’s hard work, the appraisal came as a damp squib. Many companies didn’t even have one in the year 2009 as they did not feel the necessity of going through the entire process. For some companies, even if they had one, the appraisal made little sense as it did not result in any mentionable increment. All that employers talked about was the dreaded R-word and silenced everyone. Even if performance was good, increments were rare, as companies didn’t make enough profit. You worked, in effect, more-for less, as companies tried to cope with staff shortages.

No promotion: Promotion has been the forbidden word of 2009. Companies held that your having the job is ample proof of your being regarded as a valuable employee. Promotion was a rare instance indeed! So, all the efforts of putting in long work-hours, skewed work-life balance and slogging proved non-rewarding.

Career advancement prospects: with recession at its peak, career advancement was in the doldrums. Saving your job was of paramount importance. With fewer jobs in the market, it was more of an issue of sustainability. Moreover, many people did not get opportunities to train as cash-starved offices tried to cope.
But it’s now time to put the past behind us and look at 2010 with renewed hope and enthusiasm. Job changes, salary upgrades and promotions all seem to be on the anvil. So get charged for the coming year and prove your worth

Take a test to find career direction

Not sure if you have chosen the right career path? Bored with your job and wondering what went wrong? Then the situation is ripe for a career test. For, this can ascertain what it is that you are cut out for and what career you should have chosen.

Of course, if you’re long into your job, you could only get into an allied field but if you are new, then there is time for you to chosen a field of work you will love.

It gauges traits, skills
A career test will probe your thoughts and reveal what you are interested in doing. In lay-man’s language, it is called an aptitude test, career assessment or a career quiz. The test is designed to help you understand what options would be best for you and what you are best suited to. Taking into account several aspects such as your personality (what type are you: a longer, vocal pushy, retiring etc.) interests, IQ, skill sets, aptitude etc, this test gauges several facets of your (current or potential) work life.
There are several kinds of career tests, such as the aptitude test that assesses your innate skills, the personality test measures your pattern of thoughts, feelings and behavior, and the IQ test that will look at your ability to solve problems, plan and think abstractly.

It points to your passion
This would be beneficial for you if you are looking for a new career, if you want to shift gear or found out more about your career passion. It can happen that you have lost sight of the direction you are headed in and you may be stuck in a rut.
Taking the test is useful in knowing where your are heading and what you need to do to get there. The test will also assess if you are burnt out in your current job or are dissatisfied with your position or job responsibilities. And what’s more apart from shedding light on the reason for your dissatisfaction, it can also suggest alternatives that will help you counter this burnt-out sensation.
And there’s more. A test like this aspects related to your job. First, it will pick your work preferences, your tendencies at work, your traits and desirable characteristics related to your work front. It will also tell you how relate to people. Whether you are a team player or not. It will also highlight your interpersonal skills.

Use the result to take action
Once you completely know all these points and have a full analysis on these, you will be in a far better position to weigh your present situation and take the necessary steps to make yourself more productive.
You could take the test online there are several sites offering such tests free!