I’ve got a bit of dilemma that just came up at work. I’m going to keep it vague for now, but here’s the gist:
I recently heard that a former coworker of mine (let’s call him John) is applying for a job where I work. My boss, knowing that we came from the same place previously, handed me John’s resume, and I reacted with a hearty “meh” and that was that. However, John also applied to work for the boss next door (call her Mary). Mary’s group and my group share work space and a lot of resources, and occasionally collaborate, but other than that there’s no direct relationship. Now I hear that Mary might end up hiring John for a position in her group.
Basically, I think this is a bad idea. From my experience, John’s pretty mediocre at what we do. Which wouldn’t be the end of the world - not everyone can be the best at what they do, and this is an entry-level position. Perhaps more important is that John really doesn’t handle pressure very well, and Mary pushes her group hard. She’s the archetype “type A” personality. A little while ago, this environment led to one of her employees just walking out one day, never to return.
Should I mention my thoughts to Mary (as tactfully as possible)? She never approached me. Or should I just mind my own damn business? I don’t want to torpedo John’s application, but I really feel that everyone would be better off if Mary hired someone else and John found a job somewhere else. And I don’t want to start some feud that comes back and bites me in the ass years from now.
Hmmm … my first instinct would be to recommend that you casually let Mary know that you used to work with John, and leave it at that. If she wants your opinion, she’ll ask for it, and if she doesn’t, she won’t.
I think you’ve got a complete no-win there. “He’s not great, but might might be OK if you weren’t so tightly wound.” I think I’d trust that by reacting with indifference to your own manager, you’ve done your part in making the company aware that you worked with John, and you weren’t overly impressed.
I don’t know where you are, but you should be very careful about volunteering information, or even giving a straight answer if asked about John’s work ethic/ability. Many states have laws about what a former employer or even co-worker can say to a prospective employer. Some states only allow a former employer to verify that a person actually worked at that place. IANAL but I would say that if you give information like that you MAY be setting yourself up for future problems, even legal ones.
I agree.
Consider that in this economic climate, it’s quite possible that John is desperate for a job and this may be his only option. Unless he did something terrible to you back when you were coworkers, I see no point in going out of your way to tell everyone not to hire him. Even mediocre people need to make a living!
I have a feeling you are really misunderstanding this, but if you have cites I’m willing to be educated. Many *companies *have policies against giving out more than verification of employment, because if what they say is not true they can be sued for damages (slander for negative references or negligent referral for positive ones). A company as a whole doesn’t want the liability of its individual managers giving out references (good or bad) that the company would have to defend. Some states have laws limiting a company’s liability, making it easier to get and give references in those states. But states don’t pass laws saying you can’t give references.
There may be some small risk that John might sue the OP for slander.
No state has laws against giving or not giving a referance. But there are laws dealing with Liability. Making a subjective statment can land you in civil court paying damages.
If I was in the OP’s position I would say nothing to Mary unless asked. But I might give John a worning as to the type of supervisor he will be working for.