How would you deal with this situation?

D3K

D3K

Soldato
Joined
13 Nov 2014
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Hello OCUKers,

I recently applied for a job via jobsite and ended up trading what I consider to be vast swathes of my own personal information with an agent from a lesser known and local recruitment agency.

I exchanged my CV (as always, embellished) and over subsequent mails/calls, information regarding prejudices towards my current job, my dislike of co-worker's attitude towards theirs, my dreams and ambitions for the future, and past critical areas of my life that I'd rather not tell anyone unless they are keen-eyed enough to spot the gap in my employment history (a long time ago and not criminal nor drug related) was divulged.

The prospective job started to be of less interest the more the agent divulged info to me, but his lack of certainty over the role and the reputation of the company itself kept me piqued. I decided to push for an interview to get more of an understanding of the job and to determine whether or not it would be worth the transition.

Queue mid May when the agent told me that the hiring company had put all interviews on hold until mid June. He asked if I would wait. I said no problem as I wasn't going anywhere.

A few days later I noticed that agent's name was in my bosses diary on the same day I was due for a development review. I thought nothing of it - he's an agent and we need more staff.

On the day of my review, my boss cut it short so he could go conduct an interview. I politely enquired as to the nature of the interview.
"We have a guy interviewing for an internal sales position with us"

No swearing, not even disguised swearing - Davey :S

I kept my ears open and he got through to the second interview. I then heard of a 'package' being offered. I obviously couldn't say anything.

On Friday I got an email from him asking for me to get in touch for feedback from the prospective company. He's young and doesn't have a clue about subtlety. I knew there was no feedback, and if I didn't, 'feedback' is not the word to use if you haven't had an interview.

I was busy over the weekend then straight into a site visit on Monday. On the drive home my phone rang and I missed it. He mailed me after to once again let me know that he's received 'feedback' and wanted to explain over the phone, but unfortunately they wouldn't be interviewing me for the role. The end to the email went along the lines of: 'I just got a job at your company and will probably see you in the office soon'.

That's it to date.

I have no idea how to react in this situation. I understand that business is business. You screw someone over and then walk away (never done it myself but it's accepted). In this situation, the walking is being done towards me.

I can't expose him for being a mercenary - someone who looks after himself before the customer (as he has done in my case) - because it would raise questions about me looking for jobs.

I can't sit comfortably knowing that he is coming to us as a potential info-bomb. I would imagine he is bound not to say anything, but is he? I don't know if he is constrained by any regulations, or data protection acts. I'm not in the office full-time whereas he will be - and who knows what bonds he forms with staff and then divulges secrets.

I haven't replied to his messages. I was intending to on friday before getting tied up for the weekend, then he beat me to the punch of me telling him I wasn't interested in the job with his mail on Monday.

How would you act in this situation?
I have to at least be courteous, but I cannot imagine assisting him with anything that will aid his position.

Massive congrats if you've read this far :D
 
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Him getting a job at the same company as you probably has nothing to do with the other company deciding not to interview you though? How has he screwed you over?

Hopefully he doesn't divulge anything you've said to others at your office, just continue as if nothing has happened.
 
I'm a bit confused, let me see if I got this...
You applied for a job through an agency, didn't like the job but kept talking to the agent about your current job, all the while divulging info about your current situation, said agent then used the information he gleaned off you to land himself a job at your place? That pretty much it?
 
Reply with a congratulations and say you look forward to working with him.... Maybe even befriend him..... Wait.... Stab him I the back when an opportunity arises.
 
1. say nothing
2. deny everything
3. smile and show newbie the ropes
4. once trust is gained you take the rustiest hatchet you can find and bury it square between his shoulder blades. i.e look to do him over on a professional level. This part takes skill otherwise it can backfire really badly on you. Subtlety is the key here.
5. Profit.........................
 
It sounds to me as a general point, that you have done 2 things wrong. Firstly I would never disclose personal feelings or emotions to a recruiter I don't know really well, someone who has earn't my trust. It adds no value to the discussion and if asked what would make you move from your current job speak about the opportunity the other role provides and how you feel it will benefit your career rather than "well my current company are jokers, boss is an ass, people are back stabbers, always overlooked for promotion" etc. Keep it factual and positive as it gives the recruiter a more positive perspective on your character and you don't expose yourself down the line. Also bare in mind that most recruiters in my experience are looking for their next role so bare that in mind.

Secondly embellishment can come in many forms but a CV should be an honest reflection of your career path and highlights, together with a short summary of your personality, interests and personal situation. Don't hide stuff because gaps will be picked up and if you are going for senior roles people will find out. I have had numerous background checks done on me over the years, companies who contact schools, old employers, credit agencies even security records to validate you are who you say. I've also interviews hundreds of people over the years and a fantasy CV is pretty easy to identify after a few direct questions and at that point your interview if finished. Your CV is a profile for employers to see if you have the right background, once the interview starts the CV is merely a list of questions to be asked, therefore keep them simple and just the facts.

I have a rather negative perspective on recruiters and haven't used them in the main for the last 15 years for myself bar one occasion. I get calls every week from junior recruiters who are trawling LinkedIn for people and some of those discussions, the long ones, last 30 seconds. Most are simply deep sea fishing and this is why disclosing your heart and sole, even providing a CV, is a waste of time. If a recruiter should call, your fist interview should be you interviewing them would be my take away!
 
My advice on the job front is find a new job. Not because this guy is coming to work at your pace, frankly that's an irrelevance, but if you were willing to consider other roles and moan about your current one, you could be doing something better. Spend time finding that job rather than worrying about the one you don't like. See this as a kick up the backside to get busy finding something better.
 
1. say nothing
2. deny everything
3. smile and show newbie the ropes
4. once trust is gained you take the rustiest hatchet you can find and bury it square between his shoulder blades. i.e look to do him over on a professional level. This part takes skill otherwise it can backfire really badly on you. Subtlety is the key here.
5. Profit.........................

This is how you get to be MD.
 
I'm a bit confused, let me see if I got this...
You applied for a job through an agency, didn't like the job but kept talking to the agent about your current job, all the while divulging info about your current situation, said agent then used the information he gleaned off you to land himself a job at your place? That pretty much it?

Yeah... the OP is very difficult to read - had to go over it about 4 times and still not entirely sure what's happened - any chance of a TLDR? :p
 
The embellishment was mostly a bunch of superlatives/comparatives which while not untrue in their entirety, can't be substantiated and if my peers were to read it they may take offense. For example, I mentioned a higher and faster rate of problem solving than average (actually this can be substantiated if I trawl through company records, but who would?). I also mentioned that I study more in my private time than I do - a fair bit of my time is spent learning new stuff but not so much revising old uni topics which was what he was after.

I'm a bit confused, let me see if I got this...
You applied for a job through an agency, didn't like the job but kept talking to the agent about your current job, all the while divulging info about your current situation, said agent then used the information he gleaned off you to land himself a job at your place? That pretty much it?

Not quite the correct sequence - all of the info from me to him came early in the beginning. CV, covering letter, etc. Then more info came back from the employer having read my details, recommending that there wouldn't be as much to one aspect of the job that I thought, and that I should take under consideration before continuing. Given that the agent wasn't able to convey that in the beginning, and still unable to give an accurate portrayal of exactly what the job would entail, I thought it best to go in and see for myself at an interview.

It was very much a casual application. I found my current job the same way. I took a trip for an interview not expecting to be wowed but in the end I was. I also had an interview a few months ago (longest ever, 4 hours of face to face chatting) and while I was quite interested to an extent, there had to be more money in it for me to make the move and that is where we couldn't come to an agreement.

I don't for a second believe that the message he sent back from the employer after a month is true. His 'feedback' was pretty much my concerns in reverse - "not gonna have as much of this aspect in it for you, so not a best fit" kind of thing. I have the feeling that either
a) the message came back a month ago and he didn't want to give me bad news in case I caught wind of his application with us and tried to put a spanner in the works
or
b) he left it til after his offer from us and is throwing me nonsense because he doesn't want to be seen poaching a member of staff from his new company just before starting. I suppose this could be cleared up by talking to the prospective employer directly, but that could cause more harm than it's worth - it would only be an exercise in determining his honesty and I don't see how that would help matters.

I suppose I would just like to know the legal standpoint here. Is he breaking any data protection / confidentiality agreements if he informs people in my company? Is it down to the agency's policy?
 
The likelihood of a recruiter mentioning to a potential employer of his, that he was trying to pull people from the company he seeks to work for is very slim I'd suggest.
 
Yeah... the OP is very difficult to read - had to go over it about 4 times and still not entirely sure what's happened - any chance of a TLDR? :p

TLDR:
Apply for job
Pass on details - reasons for wanting to leave, what im looking for, entire employment history including explanation of gaps etc
Get put on hold for a month
Agent interviews with us during that time. Gets job
Mails me after he accepts to say 'no job 4 u, but job 4 me with you'

There was no moaning about my current job. I gave reasons for wanting to leave, and part of my covering letter expressing what I'm looking for in a job mentioned working for a bigger company where the employees are enthusiastic about their job and take pride in their work. Nothing scathing about anyone nor wholly personal but it is obviously a worry if this got out to my colleagues.

It's a pretty messed up situation to have to worry about this because when does it ever happen? Definitely a lesson learned.
 
I think you've left yourself exposed and were somewhat naive. However, unless the other person is the same I would expect them to recognise that what was told to them was in confidence and would not want to be seen as someone who would betray that.
 
The likelihood of a recruiter mentioning to a potential employer of his, that he was trying to pull people from the company he seeks to work for is very slim I'd suggest.

I think that's his point. As soon as he started the application process with us he stopped working to find me a job. Covering his back for the future.
If he had helped me, I would have been able to tell my boss that it was his new start that got me a job elsewhere.
 
If you told him about things you're unhappy with at work then he now has ammunition on you.

Only way to deal with this is make him sleep with the fishes, start shopping for a carpet.
 
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