5 Signs Someone Is A ‘Corporate Pick Me’ Who Seems Like A Great Co-Worker But Is Actually A Snake
Are you working yourself dry for the validation of a boss or promotion?
GalacticDreamer | Shutterstock Co-workers can be hard to decipher. Who is a true friend, and who is just out to get ahead?
Career coach Kay, who goes by @corporatespiritguide on TikTok, might be able to clear things up a bit when it comes to colleagues. She said there is a specific personality you might want to keep at arms' length in the office: the “corporate pick me.”
“We all know the ‘pick me girl’ type thing,” she explained, “which is basically people who do things for attention. I think there’s a corporate version of that.”
In the workplace, the pick-me employee is the one who will do whatever it takes to get the attention of higher-ups at work, and they certainly don't worry about who or what gets in their way.
Here are 5 signs someone is a ‘corporate pick me,’ who’s actually a snake at work:
1. They roll their PTO over to the next year
If you’re not taking your vacation time or are saving sick time to “prove a point” to management, you’re not helping yourself as much as you think. While it might occasionally get the attention of your boss, in the long run, you’re only depriving yourself of breaks — ruining your work-life balance and sacrificing your health and well-being.
While 62% of workers might not use all of their PTO every year, the majority aren’t saving it for attention-seeking purposes. If you find yourself struggling to submit requests or refusing sick time to appease your boss, it might be time for some introspection.
2. They’re either 5 minutes early or leaving 5 minutes late
Again, while high-achievers at work might have some kind of short-term gain, in the end, they’re more likely to be taken advantage of by bosses and burned out by their unsustainable workloads.
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While clocking in early or leaving late might just be a symptom of your industry or company, those who are clearly doing it for attention are the “corporate pick me” people to look out for.
They’re willing to compromise their own well-being and time for validation; what’s to say they won’t throw yours under the bus, as well?
3. They host the boss’ birthday party or organize office gatherings
“Why are you doing that,” Kay joked. “Do you think you’re going to be paid extra?” Corporate pick-me co-workers are always the first to volunteer for extra work.
They go the extra mile, sacrificing their own time, personal well-being, and work-life balance to make their boss’ life easier — or so they think.
4. Instead of setting boundaries, they say ‘yes’ to all work
Many toxic corporate cultures will demonize employees who put themselves first and protect their own energy, whether they’re making an effort to set boundaries, trying to maintain healthy workloads, or simply calling out inappropriate behavior at work.
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While they might be healthy practices for employees to stay productive, happy, and fulfilled, “corporate pick me” workers will use this perceived negativity to condemn their peers.
It’s a show for their bosses to seem like the “perfect” employee who can take on every new project, work a million hours, and never complain — yet they’re sacrificing their own health in the long term.
5. They’re constantly defining themselves as ‘workaholics’
Corporate “pick me” peers often dismiss other people’s work ethic and push themselves to an unhealthy standard to gain approval or attention from their leadership, and as career coach Gabrielle Judge on TikTok explained, they’re more likely to share unprompted advice with you about your perceived shortcomings.
They make their entire identity a “workaholic” and often will complain about their stress, workloads, or deadlines as a means to get attention instead of setting real boundaries to make things better.
“If you care about your job so much, why are you complaining so much about it,” the career coach adds, “while nobody else is? If you love working so much, keep saying ‘yes,’ and keep overloading yourself with work forever.”
While “pick me” co-workers at the office might get praise for working so much, they’ll be unhappy, unfulfilled, and burnt out in the long term. It’s not only unsustainable to work yourself for attention and validation; it’s deteriorating your personal identity and well-being — which will inevitably implode.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.