HR Rep Warns Workers Of 7 Things To Never Do On The Job If You Want A Promotion
Her insight is extremely valuable to your workplace success.
stockfour / Shutterstock There are a lot of unspoken rules one should follow in the workplace, but not many employees may be aware of them. In fact, they may sometimes break these "rules," costing them their position in the process.
In this way, there are many actions that workers can take in order to be successful in the workplace. However, there are other actions that you should avoid completely.
An HR worker shared 7 rules for what employees should avoid doing in the workplace
Valerie Rodriguez, who calls herself a "multifaceted corporate girl" on her TikTok bio, offered advice to employees with key takeaways based on her experience working in HR for nearly 10 years.
1. Don't get too personal with other employees
Rodriguez claims that oversharing details about your personal life with your coworkers may pose a problem.
"Sharing too much does not do you any good at any point in your career," she said. "Especially when you know that you're trying to move up [and] you’re trying to establish yourself as a reputable person within the company, do not overshare. It will only come back to haunt you."
But oversharing at work can also be detrimental in other ways. Aside from a lack of professionalism, it can lead to lowered productivity, conflict among co-workers, and a lack of boundaries.
2. Avoid being humble
Rodriguez once believed that being humble in the workplace would get her far in her career since people would have a positive image of her personality. However, at the end of the day, Rodriguez added that work ethic matters over personality, and success does not leave room for humbleness.
"You will never catch me being humble ever again," Rodriguez admitted. "So many successful women I work with are far from humble and will literally make sure that their presence is felt."
3. Don't stick around too long at company events
While Rodriguez admits that she will attend the occasional happy hour with her co-workers, she also advised against staying over an hour at company functions.
"The truth is people start drinking, stuff starts happening and I do not want to be associated with it," she said.
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According to a 2022 study, drinking alcohol seems to be "ingrained in the private sector," with 85% of employees saying they are expected to drink at employer events, and employees being 2.5 times more likely to have alcohol "subsidized at work social events."
As Rodriguez said, once people begin drinking at social work events, the lines can become blurred. And it's not a situation any employee wants to find themselves in.
4. Don't share your age
Rodriguez encouraged employees to keep their ages to themselves, since it's a factor your employers will often look for.
"I clearly look young so that’s already somewhat of a disadvantage in a corporate environment because people do tend to judge and think, ‘oh, you have your whole life ahead of you,'" she revealed.
She argued that employees can be passed up on a great opportunity simply due to their age, which is why you should avoid sharing it: "If I’m qualified for the job, that’s all that should matter."
5. Don't dwell on mistakes
While Rodriguez added that she will acknowledge and provide the solution for a mistake she may make on the job, she will not continue to dwell and harp on them once they’ve happened.
She claimed that those you work with will dwell on it if you do, and might hold it against you should you be given an important task at work. Instead, Rodriguez advised workers to "focus on solutions and move on."
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6. Don't be an extremist
Rodriguez defined an "extremist" as someone who engages in over-the-top emotions, such as excitement or anger, or someone who remains silent and anti-social while working.
She encouraged people to have "emotional intelligence" and balance out their emotions, adding, "I’m not saying don't be yourself, but balance is everything."
7. Don't mix your work and personal life if it's not for professional reasons
Rodriguez revealed that she doesn't introduce her co-workers to any of her personal friends and family, claiming that intermixing the two can be "messy."
"I have seen so many messy investigations come across my desk because people start cheating or not getting along, and it seeps right into work. That’s the first place it goes," she concluded.
While there were many people who responded to Rodriguez's advice in agreement, others disagreed on a few points, mainly the points discouraging people from getting close to co-workers and being humble.
But at the end of the day, Rodriguez's advice rings true for professionals, both young and old, who want to climb the ladder and find success.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.