Know idea??? :smack: anyway I definitely didn’t know “Bryan” was a slacker if anything I thought the manager would also say that Bryan was a good employee just like “Amy”. The good thing about this was I tipped off “Bryan” that he was about to get fired so hopefully he can quit with dignity before he gets the axe.
Two comments eventhough I’m not one to make jokes during a job interview, I always thought a joke would loosen things up, Guess I was wrong.
Also I don’t think the guy hired only students but he just said that younger people tend to have more energy.
It is hard to believe that both these things are true at the same time: (1) Bryan, one of your best friends, is a slacker, and (2) you did not know that Bryan, one of your best friends, is a slacker.
Incidentally, why are you advising him to “quit with dignity” rather than to clean up his act? No matter where else he goes, his employer is not going to reward slacking — unless he goes into government work.
HEY!!
jayjay (official government employee, as of today)
START, I’d recommend that you call this manager and tell him that you suspect he didn’t hire you because of your friendship with Bryan. No, it won’t cause him to change his mind, but you should speak up if you think you’ve been judged unfairly. Just as a matter of principle.
There can be multiple lessons gleaned from this encounter, but the most important one is the previously stated “watch what you say in a job interview” (i.e. don’t discuss your private life.)
Lessons learned:
- Hedge your bets in an interview. Give cautious answers to questions.
- You don’t want to work for an employer that’s gossiping with a stranger about an employee: dollars to donuts he’ll gossip with employees about other employees, and that makes for a miserable work environment.
- Lib can turn any thread, however innocuous, into an opportunity to snipe at government. It’s like a gift.
- Your boss will notice your slackassedness if you’re not careful. Don’t be that guy.
Daniel
Au contraire, Bryan need only move to Las Vegas. Here employers actually prefer slackers, as well as people with pissy attitudes who verbally abuse their coworkers and are rude to customers. Of course, it’s a big plus if you’re a suicide blonde with big boobs, a push-up bra and a blouse cut to your navel, but in general employers seem to have this attitude that people with a, waddaycallit, a work ethic, are undesirable as employees, probably because someone who works hard, treats your customers well, etc. might someday decide that they deserve to be paid at a level that reflects their job performance.
Having said that, I think what happened to START sucks. I think it is entirely possible to have a good friend who you only see in social situations who is a lot of fun to be around and not know that at work they are a total slacker. It may not be a side of them that they actually see.
I once was totally embarrassed many years ago when I recommended a friend for a job in my workplace (on the condition that she agree to work there for at least six months- she had a history of starting jobs and quitting within a month or two). She then proceeded to call in sick at least once a week, then go out partying the day she had been out. I figure, if you’re not too sick to party you’re not too sick to work. She did manage to quit before she got fired, but after that, I have made it a practice never to recommend friends for jobs unless it is someone I have worked with in the past and know has a strong work ethic.
Like I said, the interviewer was an asswipe. Bitching to kids about their friends is beyond poor form. Who an employee is friends with is none of a prospective employer’s concern. If the employee comes in with good recs, the employer should judge that empolyee on his-or-her individual merit.
Being the kind of guy I am, START, I would…
A) Get another job.
B) Write a letter back to the guy telling him how happy I am not to be working for him and where to stick it.
But that’s just me.
Well, then, you’d better get slacking, ASAP! 
looks back at his day
Damn! I forgot to slack!
You know that’s gonna show up on my performance review…
There’s a very small group of reasons for denying you employment that are illegal. For example, race, disability,gender, and sometimes, age. Outside of that list, an employer has free rein to reject you for any unfair or ridiculous reason. Sadly, there’s a big difference between unfair and unlawful.
Considering the fact that (1) is based on testimony of a manager who is unprofessional enough to backbite one of his subordinates to the face of a stranger not afiliated with the company, I’m inclined, in the absence of further evidence, to give less credence to (1).
In what other areas is the manager’s behavior unsuitable to his position, hmmm? I wonder.
First let me say that I really did think Bryan was in good standing at his job, then otherwise why would he reccomend me for a job that even he didn’t like? Bottom line if I would of known that he was a crappy employee I wouldn’t have said that we were good friends.
Bryan was on the phone with me about 30 minutes ago and he should have been at work so my guess is that he has been terminated by now…I mean his job was on “life support” I’m sure not showing up pulled the plug.
As for me I have a job interview next week to be a “Human Billboard AKA Sign Twirler” for 6 weeks.
Oh, I’m hoping this is just a Simpson’s reference.
John Carter of Mars:
You are REALLY close!
“The pump don’t work 'cause the vandals took the handles!”