Dear Work It Out,
Impartial now no longer too prolonged ago I bought a message on Slack from every other manager at my company asking for my opinion: A dilapidated co-worker of mine is making employ of for a job with them and in inform that they desired to know in the occasion that they’d be a honest fit. It be been a few years since I labored with the particular person in query, however as soon as I did work with them … it wasn’t colossal. I mediate they’re nice, however I’d now no longer necessarily establish to work with them again.
How construct I recount that tactfully? And if the particular person in query reached out asking for a referral to the job, what’s the best approach to address that?
It be a no from me
Dear IANFM,
A spread of us glean caught in this anguish. It can perchance perchance perhaps very well be due to a dilapidated co-worker asks for a referral, or an faded intern puts you down as a reference with out your data, or every other particular person at your procure company asks for the unvarnished truth about any individual who’s making employ of for a job.
My recommendation is three-pronged, however very straightforward.
- Be correct
- Be variety
- Whereas you happen to would possibly perhaps perchance perhaps’t construct either, be mute.
Let’s launch with the first anguish you laid out.
If any individual from interior your company is asking to your opinion, give it. Acknowledge that you have not labored with your dilapidated colleague in a few years, and that things would possibly perhaps perchance perhaps simply have changed in that period of time, after which repeat why you can now no longer counsel them for the job. Be particular what you lift up is related to the job they’re being regarded as as for, though.
If it is a fleet-paced writing feature and in the previous they’d components with making deadlines and doing authentic work, positively elevate those concerns.
However when your reservations need to construct with them popping gum in the cubicle subsequent to you, as an example, or their fixed complaints that their prolonged commute made them leisurely to morning meetings, however the feature is completely far off and would no longer require them to sit down subsequent to a co-worker eight hours a day, leave those comments out.
Give your colleague insight into why the candidate couldn’t be a honest match for the job, and handiest tell previous that if specifically requested.
And steer sure of trash discuss or gossip. Chance is, you’ll find yourself taking a gaze worse than the particular person you would possibly perchance perchance perhaps be dishing about.
Correct manufacture now no longer admire the particular person or manufacture now no longer in actual fact feel much like you perhaps can present them a recommendation? Merely recount: It be been a few years since I labored with them and I’m now no longer particular I could perhaps perchance perhaps present you with a glorious assessment of their new abilities. More fundamentally than now no longer, that’s sufficient for any individual to read between the lines and gaze that you would possibly perchance perchance perhaps be now no longer recommending them as a candidate.
If your dilapidated co-worker reaches out to you right away hoping for a referral that can perchance perchance perhaps bump up their possibilities of landing a job, you would possibly perchance perchance perhaps be going to are looking out for to lean into those 2nd and third steps. Aid in solutions, you would possibly perchance perchance perhaps be below no circumstances obligated to give any individual a referral upright due to you labored with them in the previous.
Be at liberty to decline in an analogous method as you can when talking to your new colleague: “It be been some time since we labored collectively so I manufacture now no longer in actual fact feel I can construct you justice for a referral.” Whereas you happen to would possibly perhaps perchance be on honest private terms, however upright manufacture now no longer mediate they are a honest fit, you perhaps can offer to answer to any questions they have in regards to the company or your experiences there to encourage them out in a particular method. And manufacture now no longer omit: “Easiest of luck with your job search.”
Work it Out is Fabricate It be recommendation column for employment-related conundrums. Have a pressing profession anguish or query? E-mail me anonymously at [email protected]. Submissions would possibly perhaps perchance perhaps simply be edited for length and readability.
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