Feeling Trapped by Office Politics and Job Search Misunderstanding – What Should I Do?

Dear Seniors,

Greetings for the day.

I am currently facing a problem and do not know how to handle the situation that has arisen in my office. I work as an Executive Assistant. During my post-graduation, I completed a project in the same company where I am currently employed. At that time, they offered me a job. I joined the company after finishing my post-graduation.

They assigned me a job that involved more assistance than HR responsibilities, with the assurance that they would later provide me with HR-specific duties. There is no separate HR department in this organization; only one long-serving employee from the parent company acts as the HR manager and wields a monopoly, often engaging in office politics. I have witnessed a colleague being pressured to resign.

Since the beginning of my employment, I have not been given any HR-related tasks. Despite this, I have completed every task assigned by my boss promptly. However, my morale has suffered, and I began considering changing companies. I reached out to friends and relatives to explore potential opportunities in their organizations and also uploaded my CV to various job portals. Due to an emergency, I had to forward my CV to a cousin and used my official email since external mail servers like Gmail or Rediffmail were inaccessible at the office.

A few days later, the HR manager informed me that the management was aware of my job search (as they monitor employee emails) and accused me of misusing office resources for personal purposes, demanding my resignation. Later that day, she reiterated her request for a resignation letter.

I directly addressed the issue with my boss, stating that I was not seeking new employment.

Today, she informed me that the management has decided to forgive me, but due to perceived lack of commitment, I must take action. Despite my dedication, I have not received any encouragement or recognition for my efforts. I have made suggestions regarding HR matters, but they were never considered, and I have not been involved in tasks like recruitment. Now, they are pressuring me to resign, following the same pattern as with my colleague, without any support from my boss.

I am now feeling very confused. I do not have any job offers at the moment, and I do not wish to remain idle at home. Please advise me on what steps I should take to make the management realize their mistakes.

Regards,

Gunjan

Please suggest me... What should I do now... they can go to any limit to harass somebody... ????

Regards, Gunjan

Hi Gunjan,

Firstly, let me tell you that your thoughts of applying or looking out for a job are not wrong. However, the way of doing it was absolutely wrong. As an HR professional, no matter how desperate we are for a job, we should not be using company infrastructure for personal use. This is what we preach to others, so you should try not to repeat this mistake.

Now, coming back to your problem. I think getting a job is not going to be a problem. It may take some time but is not impossible. What you should do is go and talk to your top management and tell them your problem. Explain to them what you aspire to do and why you joined them. Ultimately, they also have to fulfill their promises. I believe that opening up to a sensible top person will definitely help to some extent. If you still feel that nothing is working out, then you should ask them to give you some time to look for another job before you resign.

I am sure that if you discuss your matter in the right way with the right person, things will work out.

ALL THE BEST!!!!

Regards,

Pooja

Hi Gunjan,

Looks like you have got yourself in a mess. The lady HR has a monopoly and she is more of a politician, OK. But you have given her a chance to put you at fault, right? Try to discuss with any responsible as well as senior person in your organization. If you can bypass the next level in the hierarchy, do that. If they get convinced, you have a job in your hand. In case they don't get convinced, then at least you can buy some time for yourself to search for a job. Be as polite as possible while discussing with firmness. My father always says one thing, especially to be implemented in today's world, "If you are honest, look honest."

All the best,
Nivedita

Hi Nivedita and Puja,

The problem is that there is nobody whom I think is sensible. Bypassing the hierarchy is not possible because next comes my boss, the Director, and then the Managing Director, who is my boss's father. These two men together form the management. On top of that, my boss has said that they have nothing much for me to do, and they can't give me any HR role as all these things are not in his priority list. There is nobody in this organization who will listen to me.

Regards,
Gunjan

Hi Gunjan,

In my opinion, what you have to do is: Until you find a better opportunity - stay calm, concentrate on the job assigned to you, try to neglect negative comments from your boss, never lose self-confidence, if possible try to sharpen your skills, and above all - have patience. There are plenty of opportunities available in the HR field. If interested, you can start as a recruiter, which carries more weight nowadays.

ALL THE BEST.

Regards,

Swapna

Hi Gunjan,

You need to first decide if you want to continue with your present company or not. If you feel that you are not happy and wasting your talent, then you need to seriously consider the option to change immediately as the job market is hot right now. There are many companies that are recruiting, and you need to approach a few of them.

If you plan to stay, then you need to talk to the top guys and make your requirements clear. I don't see this helping much as your organization looks like a family-run business. Try talking to the other managers and see if they can help you out.

It's your decision. All the best whatever you decide to do.

Praveen

Dear Gungan,

What you did was absolutely wrong; using office infrastructure for personal reasons. However, as far as office policies are concerned, that is understandable. As a professional, you should handle this situation professionally by talking to your seniors about the issue and then wait for their reply. If the reply is in your favor, then continue with your job. If not, do not take any emotional steps; instead, start looking for a new job. Once you secure a new assignment, resign from your current position.

Regards,
Mohit

Thanks to all of you,

I would like to ask you all one question. Can a company read and monitor the emails of the employees? Since it's an official account, most of the emails are official. Is it a matter of not trusting employees?

In my organization, I now know that everybody's emails are monitored. How ethical is this act?

Regards,
Gunjan

Hi Gunjan,

This is not the end of the world. Stay focused on what you want in your career. If this place is not training you in this regard, move on. If it is not possible right now, enroll yourself in any related program and jump at the chance when it comes. You can't change the people around you, but you can definitely bring changes to your life. All the best.

Regards,
DK

Gunjan:

Sorry that it happened to you. Yet, ethical or unethical, you are expected to abide by the code of conduct of the organization. Almost all organizations expect employees not to use the company ID for personal purposes. Now that the damage has been done, I would suggest that you work on improving your 'image' in the eyes of your superiors as long as you continue working there.

To be or not to be in the present organization should be a matter of your choice. You need to introspect what weighs you down - psychology or practicality. I know you have been in this 'stalemate' position for quite some time now. As many have suggested, keep your cool, be confident, and work relentlessly to move on to a better career.

All the best, that's all I could say presently.

Regards,
Venkat

Dear Gujnun,

I believe we should trust in God. I think it would be best for you to consider leaving this organization as they seem to have lost trust in you, even when you give your best effort.

As a friend, I suggest staying positive, having faith in God, and seeking guidance from Him above all others.

Best wishes,
Jay
jlevist@yahoo.com

Hi Gunjan,

It looks like it is a family-run organization. I would suggest that the market has good opportunities for you. So, start looking for the right kind of profile for yourself, as the job profile ultimately leads to job satisfaction. In the meantime, stick around, as being employed will make it easier for you to find another job.

Regards,
Pooja

Hi Gunjan,

I think that there is no use working for a company where you have no respect, people don't appreciate your efforts, and instead, they point out that you are not committed. As you said, even your top management cannot help you, or rather, they don't want to help you. Do you think you are really going in the right direction in your career? When things are not working out and you are undergoing mental stress, you will not be able to perform well. It's better to leave the job and look out for another (if you don't have any commitments). Otherwise, start looking out now and then leave. And please don't make the same mistake again.

Regards,
Richa

Thanks to one and all who have suggested me. I will keep them in my mind. Till now, I am continuing with the same company, as I am not getting any opportunity to leave this company and join some other company. Well, my hunt for a new and better job is still ongoing, but I will stick to the company until I get a better one and show them I am committed.

I think it's my time to struggle; never mind, I am ready to face problems. But I am really thankful to all of you.

Thanks & Regards,
Gunjan

Hi Gunjan,

For what you have written, it seems like you are working in a "FAMILY RUN BOOT CAMP". 🙄😊 Anyways, that was a light one.

Frankly speaking, members have already suggested what can be done in this situation, so I won't be suggesting something new. But still, I can't help but put across my opinion.

What I strongly feel is that both the management and you did wrong. You used the office infrastructure for personal use, and the management, while going a step further, "keeping a check on their employees' mail" (Now that's what I call ridiculous, but obviously you can't hold it against management). To be candid, I have seen so many people using their official infrastructure for job prospects, but "You are not "WRONG" until you are not "CAUGHT" 😎

I agree to a certain extent that probably the company can have some measures to make sure that the code of conduct should be maintained so that some important/confidential data should not be deported out of the company, but checking every mail, I find absurd.

Anyways, be that as it may be... Now it's you who has to take a final call because frankly speaking, I am not too sure if you stand a second chance out there from whatever you are telling. Probably on the surface, they might show you that everything has been given a pass, but inside they still might be holding it against you.

So ponder on a few points and then take a final call:

A) Given the fact that they have not given you the role they promised earlier and neither are they showing any signs that they will give you that kind of role in the future, would you like to stay with them? (From what you told, I don't see it coming.)

B) That distrust which has already popped up between them, which they are not letting brush off easily, how much would you like it?

More importantly:

C) Keeping this aside, whatever happened, think for a while: Do you think this is the place you would like to stay for the next 5 years doing the work?

D) Is this the kind of "janta" with whom you can work 8-9 hours a day, and you find yourself comfortable and compatible with?

Take a call on all of this and then make a final decision. (I am not even sure, but probably you already would have made a decision by now, as I am posting this late, as you already have the right inputs from members.)

One more thing, I am not sure whether you have that much family or any other kind of responsibilities on you or not as it plays a vital role in making a job decision. If yes or not, there are ample opportunities out in the market. Sooner, either you will find the right opportunity or the right opportunity will find you.

Regards,

Prashant

Dear Gunjan,

The first thing I feel is that you have made a wrong choice because a company that does not have an HR department indicates that it is not interested in HR and does not value the profession. This is further confirmed by the choice of HR Manager. All they wanted was an Executive Assistant, and the rest was nothing but dangling a carrot in front of you to make you accept the offer. So, I feel you will never be in HR in your company unless there is a change in the attitude of the top management.

The other thing I feel is that if you are not getting any HR-related experience even if you work for 3 years, it will never be counted as experience in HR in big companies. You will be treated as a fresher.

Now, the incident about looking at personal emails and sending CVs further proves that the company is not interested in any HR. They simply do not want you as HR but intend to keep you as you are.

In the end, let me tell you, change the job as fast as possible. The more delay you have, the more difficult it would become to get another job.

Tell me something, why don't you shift to a BPO/Call Centre work for a year and go for an internal transfer? While recruiting, these companies always stress the flexibility of changing within they offer. Once you get into HR, then you can look for the companies of your choice.

Regards,

SC

Dear Gunjan,

I feel you made the mistake of accepting the offer. First, when a company does not have a separate HR, it implies they are not interested in one and do not give it that much importance (unless it is a startup or a very small organization). This attitude is further confirmed by the choice of the HR Manager.

What I feel is that they do not want an HR department and are not interested in providing you that opportunity. The company wants you to remain as you are. This is indicated by the email incident you have mentioned. Just think, when anyone catches another employee looking for a change, we try to find out why and take necessary actions if possible. Yes, we do issue warnings, but our intention is never to go after the employee but to make necessary changes to provide a better atmosphere and opportunities. We do not ask the employee to resign unless it involves moral turpitude, violation of laws of the land, intentional gross professional misconduct with an objective of harming the interests of the organization, or if the employee intentionally disregards the values of the organization.

Finally, I think if you are not gaining any HR-related experience, there is no point in sticking around because it will not be considered as valid HR experience. The best thing to do is to shift to industries that allow cross-functional transfers like call centers, BPOs, where you can enter as a Customer Care Executive, work for a year (or as required for transfer), and then shift to HR. Once in HR, you can try for the industry you want to be in.

The faster you make the move, the better.

Regards,

SC

I am trying to lookout, but the problem is that I am not getting the job I want to do. I am still confused about what to do. In the office, the situation is still not very good in terms of satisfaction. There seems to be no way of adding value to the company. Again, what should I do if I am not getting a break or a chance to leave this company?

Hi Gunjan,

Just want to check that what I know is that you are in an EA kind of profile and what is the next switch you are looking at, I mean in terms of profile?

Regards,
Prashant

Hi Gunjan,

I'm sorry to hear about your present situation. The members have shared their perspectives, most of which are right. Gunjan, don't despair and get frustrated easily. Take the opportunity to learn, and believe me, what you learn from the present organization will help you in the future.

As far as opportunities are concerned, I agree with the views expressed by Swatik. I'm sure we have all faced similar situations in the early stages of our careers, and I would advise you not to panic. Just stay calm and focused on the work you want to do - options will come your way. :)

Best wishes,
Rajat Joshi

Dear Gunjan,

You are saying:

"I am trying to lookout but the problem is that I am not getting the job I want to do..."

Look, there is a saying: if you don't get the things you love, love the things you get. Anyway, that is different, but what I believe is, let us take a situation:

Suppose someone, a fresher, wants to be a CEO. Nobody directly recruits a CEO as a fresher. Is it that the person is going to sit tight or do some "unproductive job" unless someone recruits him as a CEO? The answer is no; he will have to chalk out a path of how to reach his goal in a time span. He will have to make the right moves and changes, build a good reputation, and show results as he moves up the ladder. When the opportunity comes, he will have to jump for it. He may not become one, but he will not regret at the end of his life because he had given his best. On the other hand, if he sits tight waiting for his dream job, when the opportunity arrives, he won't be able to grab it because he did not have the requisite experience and skill sets. One of our teachers used to tell a group of CA aspirants to keep trying and not to worry about whether he/she did not clear it in one attempt or not. He used to say, "Become a CA; you never know when the opportunity will knock on your doors, but if you get frustrated and leave, then when the opportunity arrives, you will regret for the rest of your life."

So, Gunjan, please make a strategy so that you can get the job you want. Like I told you, working for industries that allow cross-functional transfers. Do not wait for the right job to land in your lap.

Regards,

SC

I agree with Swastik on this issue.

One of our teachers used to tell a group of CA aspirants to keep trying and not to worry about whether they did not clear it in one attempt or not. He used to say, "Become a CA; you never know when opportunity will knock on your doors, but if you get frustrated and leave, then when the opportunity arrives, you will regret it for the rest of your life."

Because it happened in my life. Now, I am a CA. Please wait; definitely, you will get an opportunity.