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| | The Human Resources: Recruiting, Hiring, and Staffing Network is not currently active and cannot accept new posts | | Question for You | Views: 1017 | | Nov 01, 2007 2:12 pm | | Question for You | # | 
Sue "Coach" Koch | | A friend of mine was recently let go from his job by an "at will" employer. What can I tell him is the best way to handle this in future interviews?
He was called into the conference room, told by the CEO that they were letting him go, told that the CEO would not answer any questions. The CEO left the room and had the HR person handle the paperwork and escort him to pack up his office.
So, it's not like he was fired, and he has no idea why he was let go. This is a guy who operates with incredible integrity and so I'm not concerned that he did something wrong. He's been told he was doing a great job, no reprimands or poor performance reviews.
Thoughts?
Sue Koch
Designing Exit Strategies for Corporate Rats
http://www.corporaterats.com
Private Reply to Sue "Coach" Koch | | Nov 01, 2007 3:08 pm | | re: Question for You | # | 
Tom Adam | | My first reaction was "This is a company that is afraid of getting sued". Being an at-will employer they don't have to provide a reason, and the company's complete unwillingess to do so is evidence a strong desire to take advantage of that fact. Let's face it: when people get fired or laid off they're almost always told why. It would be interesting to know if they've handled other terminations the same way.
In order for him to handle this situation in future interviews, I think he's going to need to get some idea as to why he was let go. One of the first questions I ask in an interview is "Why are you leaving/why did you leave the last company?" Your friend won't be able to get away with saying "I don't know; they wouldn't tell me". Even if it's true, it will send up red flags to the interviewer regardless of the real reason.
He needs to have a talk with his own manager or someone inside the company with whom he has a good relationship. Someone somewhere there knows what's going on and why. Private Reply to Tom Adam | | Nov 02, 2007 7:31 am | | re: re: Question for You | # | 
s venkatesan | | If I am in the person's shoe, would talk to couple of my colleagues in the organisation to get the inside views of each. Else would discuss in detail with the HR without getting any information of the reason, but preparing the details for the next interview wiht her or him, as the person is also an HR. Private Reply to s venkatesan | | Nov 04, 2007 6:18 am | | re: Question for You | # | 
Vonda Alexander | | "at will" employer" They don't need to give you a reason, however, Two things come to mind:
His age, 50 something? In Calif there is a law, if you are 50 or older the company must show a financial hardship for letting you go. If they wish to hire 4 young 'newbies' at the same rate.....the replacement= more ROI
Secondly, I would check the company financials, did they let others go, and not telling the story.... this keeps the Corporate Image in tact.Private Reply to Vonda Alexander | | Nov 10, 2007 5:11 pm | | re: re: Question for You | # |
Sue "Coach" Koch | | Thanks for your suggestions so far. I actually don't know his age. In middle age, but maybe not yet to 50.
I will offer him these suggestions to get answers, but if they don't work out, how should he respond during future interviews should the question come up about why he left his last employer?
Sue Koch
Designing Exit Strategies for Corporate Rats
http://www.corporaterats.comPrivate Reply to Sue "Coach" Koch | | Nov 11, 2007 8:40 am | | re: re: re: Question for You | # | 
kishor Jagirdar | | Dear Sue,
In my perception I see the organisation having practices that may not be entirely ethical.There are times when for sake of its self preservation it may adopt to tactics that are not entirely acceptable and ethical.While threading these grey lines often employees who shut their eyes to the matter and dedicated to their job design are able to emerge as favoured people .
Another perception is those who are excellent in their jobs and fully dedicated to the organisation welfare are treated well and those who may be excellent but who get effected by the organisational environment are usually sent out.
I dont know in which above aspect your friend fits in.But being a man of high integrity he may also be a very high critique or not willing to be submissive.Or may have unwittingly created a situation for himself where people may have seen him as a threat.
Its best he does a casual check with his ex-colleagues as office grapvine can give lot of info and in the interveiws he rather mention that he quit for his personal reasons than dwell on the point deeply as in the reference check surely the HR will not mention anything negative about him taking into consideration the circumstances he was sent out they may not want to provoke him into bad mouthing the company in the market . Private Reply to kishor Jagirdar | | Nov 15, 2007 9:53 pm | | re: re: re: Question for You | # | 
Ron Sam | | That raises another question. Can an 'at will' employee be let go without an employer having to give a reason? Is there an employment law State or Federal that mandates this?
For a unofficial reason for the dismiss, why not just say he was 'downsized'? Due to economic or change in business status, meaning the company no longer has a business reason to keep that employee because his talent or background does not fit current goals or plans. Btw, isn't that rhetoric, what a lot of employers are saying anyway? Private Reply to Ron Sam | | Nov 19, 2007 9:18 am | | re: Question for You | # |
Navneet Chandra | | Sue
There are two scenarios that possibly could have existed looking at the way the "let go" was initiated. One - An un ethical company using the law to it's advantage. There are quite a few examples of "At will" companies hiring for a short term purpose and then letting the people go after their immediate goal has been met.
The Second Scenario is "The invisible Workman" scenario. In today's competitive marketplace it is extremely important that a good worker ensures that he is also a visible worker in his workplace. There is no use being a great guy at work but being invisible to the powers that be because someone in the organization would be using your invisibility to create problems for you. It could be your peer, your junior or even you immediate superior who feels threatened by your capabilities. My gut feel is hat in your friend's case the second scenario is what happened. And the abrupt end of discussion with the CEO points to this possibility. Either way the problem still exists... What does he say in his future interviews?
I think the best way to position this would a mix of personal reason and downsizing. He can start of by saying that he was feeling uncomfortable with the office politics and was considering change and hence when the CEO called him for a meeting about downsizing, he did not make an concentrated effort to stay back in the organization. That ways when the reference check is done, he is not caught in the wrong foot.
I hope this helps.
Cheers
Navneet Chandra Private Reply to Navneet Chandra | | |
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