New trends in the business world: Are you experiencing “shift shock”?

What’s this? Inflation, recession or the energy and climate crisis – today’s challenges affect many workers. They are accordingly insecure in their current position. Reaction: career cushioning phenomenon. “It’s essentially about protecting yourself with a Plan B—either because you’re afraid of getting fired or because you’re thinking of quitting your job soon,” Wasensteiner explains. explains Wasensteiner. So you want to fill your own career like a ski race track, so that if you fall, you land softly.

This doesn’t mean you’re constantly sitting through job interviews: “Careers support can include, for example, updating your CV or Linkedin profile, maintaining or expanding your network, which can result in new, exciting options without much effort. And having this on hand makes you feel good.” There is a risk that Career Supporters may become dissatisfied with their current role as they are constantly looking for new roles or keeping all doors open.Basically, career support aims to help you be prepared for an emergency and mitigate the negative consequences of leaving a job.

What helps? According to the expert, there are four steps that can help you if you want to secure your own career: Leverage your network by staying in touch with it and expanding it regularly. Educate yourself: Ask yourself what skills you want to learn and start with those. And update your own Linkedin profile, because the search for staff is increasingly shifting to the job platform.

What’s this? Another phenomenon related to uncertain times is resentment. People affected by this are unhappy with their jobs but believe they cannot afford to quit. Since times are uncertain, they fear that they will not have better job opportunities either at home or abroad. Accordingly, they remain in place but lack motivation. Resenteeism is a play on the English words “Presenteeism” and “resente”, meaning to do something reluctantly. “Employees are cautious and decide to stay in a job that provides them with security and stability, even if they are not happy,” says Gaby Wasensteiner.

What helps? Open communication with the employer helps prevent resentment. What problems and challenges do you face and what do you want? Open communication and clear ideas can help you find a better balance between your own needs and the demands of the job and help you enjoy work more again.

But anger is also a sign of being sufficiently defiant. Therefore, it is time to look for new challenges. Whether internal or external; Because people who try something new are engaged and generally more motivated. And if the step is to change things, then it’s important to define your own compass of values. Because changing jobs won’t be fun if that’s not the focus of your next job.

What’s this? If this is followed by a job change, this could potentially trigger a shift shock. A job change may require an increase in salary, but it also brings with it new tasks, a new environment and new colleagues. If the reality and expectations of this new environment diverge, a change shock occurs. This may even lead to the person regretting their decision to change jobs.

What helps? “To best prepare for a job change and avoid shift shock, transparency during the interview is important—this applies to both the potential new employer and the applicants,” says Wasensteiner. It is also recommended to involve employees in the application process. “Visiting days” provide the best information for both parties. Anyone considering a career change should ask as many questions as possible. This clarifies the expectations of both parties. Also: Give yourself enough time. A job change brings with it many changes, so it should be carefully considered. However, you should not rush when starting your new job; According to Wasensteiner, three to six months is recommended to gain accurate insight.

What’s this? We all know colleagues who talk loudly instead of actually doing their job. They talk about their successes and show what they have achieved; but in reality cooperation with them is progressing slowly. This is frustrating, especially when they contribute to a work environment where visibility and self-promotion are more important than actual results.

But Noisy Workers don’t necessarily have to be a nuisance, according to Gaby Wasensteiner: “More reserved workers can take inspiration from them: We often focus on our mistakes, but we should celebrate our successes more often – no matter how small or big they are.”

What helps? When it comes to working with High Laborers, he says: “Everyone works differently.” Especially as a manager, it is important to understand the different work styles of team members and to question the conclusions loudly presented by Noisy Workers. At the same time, other employees should not be intimidated by Noisy Workers; Wasensteiner recommends that quiet employees highlight their own performance and celebrate their successes.

What’s this? Besides the noisy laborers, there are also those who join projects reluctantly, fail to meet deadlines, or always arrive unprepared. The English word for this is “social loafing”. This leads to conflicts in teams: People complain about the person not participating as much as the other person.

But why? “There are many reasons that can lead to social loafing; often the main reason is not that someone wants to work less or is lazy,” explains the career expert. However, an important reason may be that the person feels that their work is not valued or recognized, or that they are not qualified or experienced enough to make a valuable contribution. “Feelings of overwhelm or burnout can also lead to social loafing.”

What helps? Clearly defined roles and clear expectations reduce the problem. Regular, open discussions and setting boundaries within the team helps. Time management and to-do lists also provide support in clarifying who is responsible for which tasks and in what time period.