How to navigate the 'current boss as work reference' Catch-22?
November 25, 2015 11:47 AM Subscribe
I would have to break a small teaching contract to take a much more stable and lucrative admin job I interviewed for at the same university. I haven't told my current supervisor that I'm looking for other work, but the application form required me to put them down as a reference. What should I do if HR gives me the heads-up that they are going to call my references?
Other relevant details:
- My other two references are great and actually acquainted with my work.
- University teaching is basically unsupervised anyway, but in addition, my current 'supervisor' is new and barely knows who I am. All they could say about me is that I work there and am supposed to teach there next semester.
- Breaking this contract would only be a minor inconvenience for the department. In practice, I know they could find a replacement teacher without much trouble.
So, what should I do if HR tells me they're going to contact my references (as they said they'd do before contacting them)?
1. Find a way to tell HR that my other two references are the ones who are acquainted with my actual work, and that my current supervisor isn't? (True, as far as it goes.)
2. Tell HR that my current job search is confidential? (Is that something they'd be used to, or would it make me look shady?)
3. Contact my current supervisor and get out in front of it? I know they wouldn't fire me if they found out I was looking elsewhere, but obviously I'd like to avoid the awkwardness of revealing myself if I can, especially if I end up not being offered the new job.
Thanks for any advice.
Other relevant details:
- My other two references are great and actually acquainted with my work.
- University teaching is basically unsupervised anyway, but in addition, my current 'supervisor' is new and barely knows who I am. All they could say about me is that I work there and am supposed to teach there next semester.
- Breaking this contract would only be a minor inconvenience for the department. In practice, I know they could find a replacement teacher without much trouble.
So, what should I do if HR tells me they're going to contact my references (as they said they'd do before contacting them)?
1. Find a way to tell HR that my other two references are the ones who are acquainted with my actual work, and that my current supervisor isn't? (True, as far as it goes.)
2. Tell HR that my current job search is confidential? (Is that something they'd be used to, or would it make me look shady?)
3. Contact my current supervisor and get out in front of it? I know they wouldn't fire me if they found out I was looking elsewhere, but obviously I'd like to avoid the awkwardness of revealing myself if I can, especially if I end up not being offered the new job.
Thanks for any advice.
I just went through this process and the HR person I was dealing with asked me even before I had a chance to ask them whether I wanted the interview, etc. to remain confidential until an offer was made. I'm sure they've been through this before and will be sensitive about contacting your other references if you just ask.
posted by goggie at 12:26 PM on November 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by goggie at 12:26 PM on November 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
I just want to add caution that not all HR departments offer to let you know before contacting references.
IMO. it is more awkward to put a reference down without permission and get caught, than to admit to a job search.
If someone put me as a reference without telling me, it would reduce my opinion of them. What if I wanted to refuse? (if I couldn't give them a good reference or had another conflict). I also wouldn't have the chance to prepare and give the best reference I could. Many of my references in the past have given thought and preparation based upon the job in question, and requested information about the job to do so.
posted by Gor-ella at 12:27 PM on November 25, 2015
IMO. it is more awkward to put a reference down without permission and get caught, than to admit to a job search.
If someone put me as a reference without telling me, it would reduce my opinion of them. What if I wanted to refuse? (if I couldn't give them a good reference or had another conflict). I also wouldn't have the chance to prepare and give the best reference I could. Many of my references in the past have given thought and preparation based upon the job in question, and requested information about the job to do so.
posted by Gor-ella at 12:27 PM on November 25, 2015
I would have to break a small teaching contract to take a much more stable and lucrative admin job I interviewed for at the same university
You need to (beard)man up and have this conversation with your current supervisor before going forward with this. This isn't a situation where you're leaving to go to a different organization and you'll get a clean break from your past. You're staying with the same employer, and universities are small communities.
Having worked in education - and in fact, having been in this exact situation myself - I'd actually be surprised if HR didn't have preexisting policies about you having to notify your current manager before formally applying, and it's very likely they will automatically reach out to your manager at some point during the hiring process regardless of if you list them as a reference or not.
My then-boss handled this about as poorly as a manager can handle this situation, and I'm still alive to talk about it. (And three years later, they're still made fun of for their response...)
Gor-ella: IMO. it is more awkward to put a reference down without permission and get caught, than to admit to a job search. If someone put me as a reference without telling me, it would reduce my opinion of them.
Absolutely.
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 12:31 PM on November 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
You need to (beard)man up and have this conversation with your current supervisor before going forward with this. This isn't a situation where you're leaving to go to a different organization and you'll get a clean break from your past. You're staying with the same employer, and universities are small communities.
Having worked in education - and in fact, having been in this exact situation myself - I'd actually be surprised if HR didn't have preexisting policies about you having to notify your current manager before formally applying, and it's very likely they will automatically reach out to your manager at some point during the hiring process regardless of if you list them as a reference or not.
My then-boss handled this about as poorly as a manager can handle this situation, and I'm still alive to talk about it. (And three years later, they're still made fun of for their response...)
Gor-ella: IMO. it is more awkward to put a reference down without permission and get caught, than to admit to a job search. If someone put me as a reference without telling me, it would reduce my opinion of them.
Absolutely.
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 12:31 PM on November 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
When I was a hiring manager, one question I always asked internal candidates (and even most external candidates) was, "Does your boss know you are looking and interviewing?" Being able to answer yes is a good thing. It's not a fun conversation to have (I had to have it with my boss last month), but it's the upfront thing to do and saves you a lot of possible trouble if they find out from someone else.
posted by Apoch at 6:31 PM on November 25, 2015
posted by Apoch at 6:31 PM on November 25, 2015
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 11:55 AM on November 25, 2015 [3 favorites]