Closing the deal after a lost job
In the midst of an interview process, I lost my job. When should I let the prospective employer know about my change in job status? It is awkward to bring it up so late in the process, and I do not want to jeopardize a job offer, especially now that I am out of work. However, it is a small industry, and I am sure they will find out eventually, so I do not want to start out with the impression that I deceived them. — Eric, New York.
Step one: Don’t panic. It’s true that the only thing worse than this nasty surprise is its unfortunate timing. But negotiations often involve coping with sudden and unexpected developments.
When that happens, it’s a good time to step back and refocus, because panicky moments often lead to regrettable actions, said G. Richard Shell, a professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and the author of “Bargaining for Advantage.” So however anxious you may feel about getting the facts out there, don’t blurt out: “Oh, my God, I just lost my job!” As Shell put it: “Always tell the truth — but sometimes you have to tell the truth slowly.”
Think through how you want to frame this turn of events, and “stay focused on how you can do the best job for the prospective employer,” advised Susan Peppercorn of Positive Workplace Partners, a career counseling firm in Boston. For instance, maybe say that you have “parted ways” with your employer as a result of a reorganization that eliminated your position — a reflection of precisely the limited growth opportunities that had you looking for a better gig in the first place.
Then get the conversation back to what you have to offer. Line up or confirm strong references from the company that just let you go, Peppercorn said, and tell or remind your interviewer that you have them. But of course, she said, this all assumes that what you’re putting a good spin on is the truth: “You never want to be caught in a lie.”
Sharon Greenberg, a career counselor and recruiter in New York, recently worked with a client who was laid off with a 10-week “salary continuance.” The client wondered if she could say she was still working rather than newly unemployed. Such fudging, however artfully phrased, can backfire if a routine reference check reveals a termination date that differs from what you have claimed. “The truth must be told,” Greenberg said. But it doesn’t need to be dwelled on.
Don’t talk yourself into thinking that this development makes you “damaged goods,” Shell said. Companies routinely interview and hire people who aren’t currently employed, for a variety of reasons. “The new employer may not care a whit,” he said. “It’s not a change in your talents or what you bring to them.”
Finally, he added, as you figure out how to frame the news, get out of your own head by consulting with a friend, mentor, spouse or other adviser. “Verbalize it, say it out loud,” and give yourself the feeling that you have a plan. “Always prepare,” Shell said. “But never prepare alone.”
Peer Review: Disclosing your departure
Regarding your response to a reader question in “A Secret That HR May Not Keep,” about whether conversations with human resources are confidential, HR answers to the business, period. Contrary to your advice, if an employee reveals plans to leave, there is in fact an extremely high chance that the HR person will make a beeline for the manager’s office. HR makes the employee happy to the extent that happiness is of benefit to the business.
I also question your reply, in the same column, to a reader asking about giving advance notice. Two weeks is standard, and any more than that is icing on the cake for your manager. It doesn’t matter why the person is leaving: hiking, pursuing young love in Buenos Aires or getting the dream job as a surfer in Teahupo’o. Give three weeks if you want, but anything more just adds risk with no meaningful benefit. — Sean, Irvine, California.
Your Workologist is not used to being told he’s not cynical enough, but that was the upshot of many responses to that recent column.
Readers were particularly vehement in their distrust of human resources. “Don’t trust anyone in HR,” one wrote. “I have friends who were told what was discussed with HR was private,” another said, “only to learn later their conversations were almost immediately relayed to the supervisor.” Perhaps HR has a PR problem. (I find it notable that I expected my answer — which clearly stated that one should not expect conversations with human resources to remain confidential — to yield at least anecdotal rebuttals from HR pros, yet I got none.)
As for giving notice, readers passed along stories of losing jobs with little warning and said management deserved the same treatment. Workers should be prepared, one warned, for generous notice to result in immediate dismissal. “Never discuss leaving until it is a fait accompli,” one reader wrote. “Even best friends could out you to their advantage.”
Well! I’m still reluctant to adopt an all-out “trust no one” worldview, and I believe an individual can exercise his or her own judgment about specific workplace relationships. But I concede the validity of these more cautionary views. By all means, consider worst-case scenarios. In thinking about how an employer or colleagues might respond to your departure, you don’t have to be cynical — but sometimes it’s wise to be a little bit paranoid. (The New York Times News Service)