In the course of talking to job candidates – at all levels
from junior to very senior – I often hear that they have told their boss
that they are looking. Every time I hear
this, I cringe. It is often their downfall, despite the fact that they think they have a great relationship and/or a
friendship and their “search” will be kept secret.
I recently had a very good account director tell me a
story: She worked for someone earlier in her career. They liked each other and
stayed in touch. Several years and two
jobs later when she decided to change jobs, she called him and he offered to hire her and she accepted. He had started a small agency which was now
twenty people and he needed someone at her level. After only a few months she realized that it
was the wrong place for her. And she
told her boss that she wanted to look, but would give him ample notice once
she found a job.
Wrong.
A month later she was gone.
I completely understand where she was coming from. She and her boss were friends, so she thought
she was doing the decent thing. Truth is, all she was doing was assuaging her
conscience. She didn’t take into
consideration several things. First, inadvertently,
she was proving herself disloyal and made him feel as if hiring her was a wrong
decision (and no one likes to be made wrong). She also didn’t think through that once she got a new job, ample notice is rarely enough. Few employees can be replaced in two, three
or even four weeks. And the new employer will inevitably want her to start within two weeks. What happened in this case was that her boss had
coincidentally met someone he liked and, despite his relationship with the
account director, he did not want to get caught on the short end of the stick. You
can’t blame him.
She was shocked and surprised by being fired because her intentions were totally honorable.
She was shocked and surprised by being fired because her intentions were totally honorable.
The first rule of job hunting is total secrecy. Even from friends. I once had a person tell me that he told his
roommate about a job he was interviewing for.
The roommate called, got an interview and took the job. (They are no longer
friends, obviously.)
Furthermore, from the employer’s point of view, no matter
how well you and your supervisor(s) get along, everyone is overworked. So the first thing they think about when they
hear that someone who is reporting to them is going to leave is a selfish
thought – who is going to do the work that this person was/is doing. As a recruiter, I have many clients who call
me absolutely panicked, telling me that they are too busy and need someone
immediately (that is why counteroffers are
often made).
So as nice and moral as you want to be, keep your job
changing plans to yourself. Your supervisor may be your friend, but he or she has a greater responsibility to their company.
Welcome back, Paul! So happy to have you and View From Madison Avenue back on Tuesdays.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you're back, nose to the grindstone, or whatever the phrase is!
ReplyDeleteSo well stated Paul! Nice to read your posts again and have you back in the mix...
ReplyDeleteCheers!
So what advice do you give to smartass creative directors like myself who've had 26 jobs? Heck, I've owned my own business now for 15 years and I've tried to quit three times - problem is, my boss (me) won't accept my resignation. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteAnd never mention the "R" (retirement) word even if you're 65 and are asked for your long term goals. You might assume everyone knows that retirement is in your not-too-distant future but just saying the word - even in the context of "I'm thinking of retiring 4 - 5 years from now" can have unintended results!
ReplyDeleteThanks. G0ood food for thought.
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