Keep job hunt secret from your current employer

Apr 10th, 2005 | By Bill | Category: Employment News



Keep job hunt secret from your current employer

Should a worker leak to her boss that she wants to leave?

If you’re a stellar worker, wouldn’t they try to lure you back with perks like a raise?

In a perfect world, perhaps.

But employers might make promises of more money or benefits just to keep you around temporarily, warned Steve Neelin, president of Quality Recruiting.

Then sometimes those changes are never made. Or worse, your employer might cut you loose once the company finds a replacement or finishes a big project.

“Nine out of 10 times, they’re just going to get rid of you,” Neelin said. “You have already demonstrated that you are not loyal.”

He recalled one client, who wanted to leave her job because she didn’t get a 401(k) or health benefits. The company promised such perks after sensing its workers’ discontent. This prompted Neelin’s client to turn down upcoming interviews.

But she never got the perks and two years later she was back in Neelin’s office asking for help.

For many companies, a pay raise is unlikely because salaries are budgeted for an entire year, he said.

So try to avoid using current bosses as references if you decide to look for a new job.

Well, unless your boss supports your job search. Maybe your boss understands that you need a job with better mommy hours and career advancement opportunities or a location closer to your family.

“But companies are funny,” he said. “I like to say that they’re all great to work for. But you have to look at the kind of relationship you have with your company.”

So always keep in touch with old bosses. They might be your only references when you start your next job hunt.

The moral of this column? You might want to keep your job hunt top secret.

“It’s very doable,” said Libby Bakken, manager of corporative services at Career Development Services. “It happens all the time. It just requires some thought.”

Just keep your work and search lives separate. Don’t chat on your work phone with recruiters or send your rsum to potential employers through your department’s fax machine.

“It sounds basic, but people have trouble with this one,” Bakken added, “such as printing out multiple copies of your rsum and leaving it around the office.”

Another rule? Don’t sneak out during the workday for an interview dressed in a way that’s fancier than normal, such as in a suit, Bakken said.

If you do, you’ve just alerted your entire workplace to your job hunt especially since “business casual” is the norm in many workplaces nowadays.

Maybe keep items in your car that can update your look, such as shoes and a jacket.

In Bakken’s previous jobs doing hiring for companies, “I often interviewed people late after work because of their concerns about their current jobs.”

The creative candidate finds ways to interview during a long lunch break or by taking a half or full day of vacation.

“It was always very sad to me when a candidate would say, ‘Schedule the interview for whenever, I’ll just call in sick,’” Bakken added. “I was like ‘Geez, is this what you might do to us someday?’”

But you need to know that even your most herculean attempts at job-hunt secrecy might not work. So what do you do when your bosses hear that you’re preparing to jump ship?

Tell your bosses that you will continue to work hard and will support whatever transition is needed, Bakken said.

“Although many emp

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