Professional Karma
Not all jobs turn out to be the luscious bed of rose petals we hoped they would be. Sometimes, jobs end downright badly. A number of factors can contribute to one’s professional demise: not getting along with co-workers, average to abysmal work performance, tardiness, insubordination, blogging while at work – anything.
When this happens, either of the following are the definite outcome: being fired or forced to quit. Both result in YOU being out of a job.
Yet, time passes and you slash and hack your way through the job jungle like all the other unemployed hunters. Then, as if by divine intervention or luck (or both) you secure either the same/better (hopefully, not worse) job than the one you had previously.
So, obviously, you’ve moved on. But, what if your former employer hasn’t? Whether you are looking to change industries (or not), find a new job after the last one bombed - do you think former employers (or employees) bad mouth job candidates to potential employers? Technically, it’s unethical (and in some cases, illegal) to do so , but do you think HR managers and/or employer’s ever speak negatively about a former employee “off the record”?
If so, what kinds of situations call for that kind of behavior? Have you ever been the “victim” of someone painting your past work performance in a negative light to a potential employer? If so, what happened? What did you do about it?
Also, if you are not in a management role – have you ever spoken poorly of another co-worker to other fellow employees (or to people outside of work)? What would you consider the differences between normal, everyday griping and outright trash talking?
Has professional karma taught you any lessons about bad mouthing co-workers and bosses? In other words, has such behavior ever caught up with you?
