[K-Women Talk] Three Commandments for New Employees in Conflict with Their Mentors

Conflicts Between Seniors and Juniors Drive Up First-Year Turnover Rate
It's Important to Ask Questions After Finding 'Your Own Answer'
Don't Suffer Alone and Always Meet Deadlines

“I was removed from a project I was working on due to conflicts with my mentor. Being excluded from work every day is agonizing?how can I overcome this crisis?” This post recently stirred up a community of office workers. Judging by the 300-plus comments offering comfort and advice, conflicts between senior and junior colleagues are no longer someone else’s problem. In fact, a survey conducted by the Korean Federation of Trade Unions among 1,600 union members found that 61.5% had experienced workplace bullying. This means one out of every two sons or daughters is wearing an ‘unhappy face’ at work.

It’s not easy to simply tell one party to ‘endure it.’ For new employees, both the work and the people are unfamiliar, and they are given tasks they have never done before every day without time to adjust. Although there is a mentor to help with this confusion, the mentor is often also a junior employee. Without much experience or composure, they become sensitive even to trivial matters. When asked questions out of ignorance, they respond, “Is this a school? Figure it out yourself,” but if the junior tries to figure it out alone, they hear, “Why didn’t you ask before doing it this way?”?a complaint from a junior.

Senior employees also have a lot to say. They complain, “I have to do both the menial tasks and the important work. The junior caused more work by making mistakes.” You know the ‘legendary new employee memes’ circulating on the internet, right? The bold new hire who sends a message in the group chat with seniors saying, “Since this is my first time working, please follow these rules~” and requests such as “Don’t assign work 30 minutes before leaving” and “Don’t make me decide the lunch menu.”

How should we solve this senior-junior conflict that increases the first-year turnover rate? First, it’s good to set a standard for what counts as ‘teaching’ and what counts as ‘bullying.’ I found the answer in the comments on the community post above: “If the senior acts strangely only toward you, you are at fault; if they act strangely toward others as well, the senior is at fault.” In other words, if a well-reputed and competent senior is cold only to you, you should reflect and improve yourself; if they are unpleasant to everyone, the problem lies with the senior.

Due to space constraints, here we will focus on the ‘three commandments of behavior’ centered on the most common mistakes made by MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z) new employees.

The most important thing is how to ask questions. Instead of asking, “What should I do?” ask, “Is this okay?” Asking “A customer called to complain; what should I do?” is an unspoken demand for the senior to provide an answer. The proper order is to think through and find a solution yourself, then confirm it. You should ask, “A customer called to complain; would it be okay to say, ‘I will check with the shipping team and get back to you’?” Whether right or wrong, researching thoroughly and having ‘your own answer’ when asking is the first commandment.

The second is to get confirmation two or three times and meet deadlines. The worst thing seniors say is when a new employee struggles alone and submits work right before the deadline, leaving no time for revisions. Outline the plan early and discuss it, then consult on details along the way to avoid major corrections later. Of course, meeting deadlines is directly linked to ‘trust,’ so it must be kept. Setting the deadline a day earlier than the actual due date is best.

The third is to make mistakes but not excuses. New employees are bound to make mistakes. However, to avoid repeating them, put sticky notes on your computer and review them whenever possible. The important thing is your attitude when you make a mistake. Even if there are unfair circumstances like “Another team was late,” making excuses can give the impression of ‘someone who blames the situation.’ Simply admitting, “I’m sorry, I missed this part,” is best.

Lee Sook-eun, Publisher of Employment Backbone