They will wrestle with the moral quandary for varying amounts of time, but at the end of the day most job seekers will lie to their law firm partner/employer; it’s a lot easier asking for time off to see the doctor than to attend an interview.
Chrys Leong, a legal consultant with Hudson Global Resources in Asia, said the decision whether to tell the truth depends on the quality of the relationship between the job seeker and his/her partner or employer. “If the relationship is one of trust, maturity and integrity, then the job seeker should be upfront about his or her reasons [for wanting to leave],” she said. In this situation, Leong advises the job seeker to engage the partner in an honest and mature conversation about their intentions.
However, many job seekers don’t have a 'safe' platform to discuss such matters with their partner or employer, in which case choosing to lie is the easier option. According to Jacqueline Keddie, managing consultant at LawAlliance, even if the candidate has a good relationship with his or her partner or employer, they are still likely to hide the truth for fear of recrimination. “The reality is that employers are generally conservative when it comes to accepting that their staff are considering other opportunities,” she said. “Even finding out someone is interviewing plants seeds of doubt in most employers’ minds about the loyalty of the staff member in question.”
While there isn’t a right or wrong answer, the decision to reveal job seeking opportunities ultimately comes down to what each candidate is comfortable with – and their individual specific circumstances. Keddie said that the job seeker can do a few things to withhold the truth before they are ready to share information on their job hunting. This includes being selective and discreet about how they go about managing their job hunting, she said.
“Confidentiality is one of the primary reason job hunters use recruiters rather than their social network. A good recruiter will maintain your confidentiality and will also ensure that the potential employer they are presenting you to does the same,” she says.
Keep in mind that good job boards, such as ALB Legal Jobs Centre, should also provide a high level of confidentiality and ensure that job seekers remain anonymous for as long as they want to.
Job hunting: keeping it on the quiet
- Never use work details or e-mail address; send out e-mails or CVs using your personal address; and always list your mobile rather than your office number
- Be selective about which recruitment firm or job boards you use, to ensure that your CV is handled with the utmost confidentiality
- Try to attend interviews outside office hours as far as possible, to avoid having to create a colourful story for why you need to take extra time off
- Don’t disclose the contact details of your referees until you have an offer in hand
Related stories: