NEW YORK (AP) — When Nikelle Inman started a new job coaching first-generation college students, she looked forward to meeting with them one-on-one to talk about how to surmount obstacles and find resources to succeed.
Instead, she and her fellow success coaches at a community college in North Carolina spent a year mired in paperwork, tasked with reviewing applications from aspiring undergraduates. They never did get to meet with students.
It’s disorienting when a job turns out to be completely different than advertised or morphs into something we didn’t expect. But more U.S. workers have reported feeling disconnected from their organisation’s purpose and unclear on how to meet expectations since the coronavirus pandemic changed the way we work, according to a new Gallup analysis.
The new survey showed that new employees, younger employees, people in white-collar industries like technology, insurance and finance, and those in hybrid work arrangements were especially likely to report that expectations for their roles weren’t clear.
The findings make intuitive sense. Managers and employees have bushwhacked their way through disruptive changes since COVID-19 first upended public life five years ago. In late 2024, about one-quarter of employees with the ability to work remotely were doing so exclusively, up from around 1 in 10 in 2019, Gallup found. Another 55 per cent were working in the office some days and remotely the rest, according to the 2024 data, up from about one-third in 2019.
More recently, layoffs at tech companies and in the government and other sectors have left organisations with fewer people to handle the load, and expectations aren’t always adjusted to the new realities.
Here are some strategies for eliminating confusion when the scope and responsibilities of a job are ambiguous.
Establish expectations early
Spell out or make sure you understand what a new role or project entails — along with any relevant deadlines or performance markers — from the beginning so everyone agrees on what’s realistic and wanted. Writing it down in a shared document can help prevent future misunderstandings.
When a successful real estate developer asked Amber Krasinski to film and produce 85 TikTok videos in three hours, she thought hard about whether she really wanted to take him on as a client. The job might be good exposure for her communications agency, IvyHill Strategies, but Krasinski knew it would be impossible to complete in so little time. She turned it down.
Krasinski regularly gives her client progress updates and tries to make a practice of asking clarifying questions before taking on new projects.
Seek frequent feedback
Nobody desires to spend all day in meetings. But more frequent check-ins with a manager or supervisor might assist employees who are unsure about whether they are managing their time effectively or are unclear about their tasks.
Organisations can explore different ways of building connections between employees and providing more opportunities for feedback, leading to a better understanding of workplace expectations. Brian Smith, founder and managing partner of IA Business Advisors, said his company hosts gratitude sessions for 30 minutes every week.
The first 20 minutes are led by a coach who advises attendees on issues like effective time management or how to handle difficult customers. Highlighting specific problems and approaches can aid workers in understanding what’s expected of them. At the end of the session, participants can express what they appreciate.
Start the conversation
Workers don’t have to wait for a supervisor to seek feedback or clarify expectations. You can suggest a quick check-in at any point, if you’re unsure how to prioritise long-term goals or short-term deadlines,
“Managing upwards is going to make your life easier,” said Dale Whelehan, founder of 4 Day World, a think tank that explores new models of work. “Don’t assume that management has all the answers. They’re probably just as lost.”
However, in hierarchical organizations where questioning management may be viewed negatively, it’s important to be delicate, he said.
To initiate a feedback discussion, you can request a meeting with a manager about a current project. Whelehan outlined how to approach the conversation if the meeting gets scheduled. Begin by sharing what you understand your assignment to be. Then request the manager’s confirmation or clarification by stating, “I just want to make sure that there’s alignment here,” he suggested.
Trust your instincts
With workplaces experiencing so many changes, employees can find themselves jumping from one assignment to the other, distracted by new responsibilities picked up after colleagues were laid off, or adjusting to spending more time physically in the office.
If it all feels too chaotic, take a moment to pause. Revisit your priorities. And then work on the most important task.
“If something doesn’t feel right, don’t just accept it,” Inman said. “Whatever that avenue is, if it’s staying and trying to make it better or leaving, just don’t give up on what you know is right.”
