awkward work issue

[moreexcitingthanbegonias]

I've just started a new job, and am currently in a handover period with the current postholder.

Without giving too much away for obvious reasons I was shown a document today that the panel who interviewed me used to select candidates for interview. The members of the panel shortlisted separately. The individual who shortlisted me put me down as a no because, in their words, my "english wasn't good".

TBH I was gobsmacked by this. I went over my cover letter and CV again and there were no grammatical or spelling errors at all, no weird clunky sentences, nothing. I have a first class degree in English and an MA. Of all the things that would count against me in a shortlisting process, this isn't even something I would consider.

The only thing I can think of is that I have a foreign name because my parents aren't British. But I was born and raised here. I don't even speak another language: English is my mother tongue.

Anyway maybe I'm being over sensitive but I feel upset about this now - the Director in question is my line manager and I'm worried. He gave me a 2 out of 5 on the form - and yet I was shortlisted, interviewed and given the role?!

I have got zero confidence as it is and it's taken a massive plummet tonight.

Yes it sounds like you should look to move on. Not easy at this time.

Honestly I've never worked anywhere that didn't have weird office politics (as I write that I'm wondering if that means it's me )

But OP if it does turn out shit it sounds like you are very good at getting jobs and very employable. Don't doubt your talents.

You are all so kind. Thank you.

@BikeRunSki

Totally unnecessary.

Sorry that's not grammatically correct of course but I hope you get my drift.

I think he was talking about your degree too. Which is obviously weird in and of itself.

Or this is just some weird fucking game to see if you’ll front him out or just sit on it.

Personally I would have fronted out the person who “accidentally” showed it to you. Are they on your level? Is it the person you are replacing? They obviously knew what your score was, they knew you would see it and they were hoping it would undermine you. What’s their motivation?

A different situation but perhaps my anecdote will reassure you a little?

Several years ago I had an interview for a part-time training course I really wanted to do. I was meeting my interviewers for the first time, not realising that at the majority of applicants went and observed the course before applying.

Anyway, the interview didn't go at all the way I'd expected. Almost the whole time was spent challenging me about something that had happened a few years before involving their wider organisation - only involving me because of an administrative blunder linking someone else's opinions with mine. But someone who dropped me as a result had been approached by my interviewers, (unbeknownst to me they were getting involved in the training I wanted to do) and the consensus was they had major concerns about whether I would engage with the training appropriately.

So I was massively upset in this interview, and came out of it wondering seriously if I actually wanted to work with these people, and if I wanted to continue having anything to do with their organisation. I spent several days thinking about it before writing an email to attempt to say all the things I'd expected to say in my interview, and hoping to address the misunderstandings I'd sensed without comprehending.

Anyway, turns out the course has generally gone as well as I'd expected it should. I now get along pretty well with the organisers (and have more or less made my peace with the person who dropped me in the past). I'm now finishing off the optional advanced segments of the course. Chatting once, the head of the course agreed that the difficulties of my interview really represented that we just needed to get to know each other.

This may sound a bit odd as I'm trying to keep identifying information out of it, but OP I hope the administrative stuff-up (malicious or otherwise) that has led to you seeing these sheets doesn't diminish your ability to both do your new job and show those around you that you can fill the role admirably. You wouldn't have been appointed otherwise. And hopefully the "data" represents misinterpretation only by someone with a sufficiently open mind to work with who you really are.

It was shown to me by the person I'm replacing yes. It is a maternity cover.

The other thing that freaked me out this week is the current postholder wrote an email welcoming me to the staff team. Most staff members wrote back saying hello and welcome etc, but this director wrote back with a long gushing email about how great the current postholder is and how much she would be missed. Not a sniff of a whisper about me.

This is totally outing me if anyone reads it

If it was given to you by a different person, I would be wary of this person and the line manager too.
Someone saw how, despite being from a different background, you stood out amongst candidates. That says something.

@moreexcitingthanbegonias

It was shown to me by the person I'm replacing yes. It is a maternity cover.

The other thing that freaked me out this week is the current postholder wrote an email welcoming me to the staff team. Most staff members wrote back saying hello and welcome etc, but this director wrote back with a long gushing email about how great the current postholder is and how much she would be missed. Not a sniff of a whisper about me.

This update is indeed worrying.

Hmm. Yes, your update smacks even more of the person showing you 'accidentally'.

Give the new job a bit of time. You can always be applying for things if it looks like a mistake. I think the dynamic could well change as soon as that person leaves tbh.

@moreexcitingthanbegonias

It was shown to me by the person I'm replacing yes. It is a maternity cover.

The other thing that freaked me out this week is the current postholder wrote an email welcoming me to the staff team. Most staff members wrote back saying hello and welcome etc, but this director wrote back with a long gushing email about how great the current postholder is and how much she would be missed. Not a sniff of a whisper about me.

Sorry, this doesn't help you other than hopefully making you laugh at a similar situation.

I was at a conference and was taking over a leadership role from someone who'd done it previously. I was known in the team but not by the wider attendees. My manager gave a glowing speech about how wonderful the outgoing person had been and how much she'd be missed and introduced me saying she'll be good because she works full time so you'll always be able to get hold of her. The contrast was so stark I couldn't stop laughing.

Hi OP, so sorry to hear that you've seen this, how unprofessional!!!

Some recruiters are quite into Russell group unis and degree level etc. Like they'd want a 1st from Durham or something, not a 2:2 from Kent (no offence to Kent, I'm just wondering if the interviewer could have had this sort of opinion). This would make sense - i.e. her English degree isn't 'good' enough.

In reality, and as your interview showed, the degree isn't actually the bee all and end all. Some of the best workers I've been lucky enough to work with have the least 'desirable' degrees on paper. But in these times with such competition, it'd be an easy way to whittle the numbers down?

I would want to ask the person who wrote it exactly what they meant...

If this is just a maternity cover then why not get your head down and wait it out. It would be more worrying if this were a permanent position.

Some recruiters are quite into Russell group unis and degree level etc. Like they'd want a 1st from Durham or something, not a 2:2 from Kent (no offence to Kent, I'm just wondering if the interviewer could have had this sort of opinion). This would make sense - i.e. her English degree isn't 'good' enough.

My degree was from a RG!

I don't understand at all how you could have been shown that document without a specific FOI request. It does sound like someone trying to get you down. The best thing you can do is ignore it. Going over your application won't help you. By all means be wary of this director, and definitely raise anything inappropriate that happens during your working relationship - but that might not happen (and I hope it won't) - for some people changes in the working environment are very difficult - I do hope it's just that.

And it was a first.

Honestly I know I keep rattling on about this but I just don't think it was the degree.

My degree was from a RG!

I have a 2:1 from a RG uni. But I've struggled in some interviews before because it wasn't a 1st from oxbridge, and I didn't have a masters....

@moreexcitingthanbegonias

And it was a first.

Honestly I know I keep rattling on about this but I just don't think it was the degree.

Then trust your instinct and follow it. You are smart as you landed this job.

Does the person you are replacing know you've read it? I would ask about it in a 121 and once she's left say you were shown it in error and ask how you can improve

Honestly I know I keep rattling on about this but I just don't think it was the degree.

Ok fair enough OP. Clearly wasn't the degree.

Sounding more and more like potentially this person is a stereotyping based on your name. It's very odd that the person you're replacing showed you, and for me these are huge red flags. I would take it to HR.

Does the person you are replacing know you've read it

Yep, she sent it to me. It was meant to be a shortlisting document for a different position being interviewed for in a couple of weeks. I didn't realise it was for my role until I'd got almost to the bottom and saw my name. I then said I think you've sent me the wrong thing at which point she went oh whoops, my mistake.

If it's going to play on to mind and affect your performance in the job then address it. Ask to discuss it, explain that for whatever reason you've been given this document, you noticed the low score given and - in the most constructive way possible and with no malice - you would appreciate some honest feedback to follow it up because if there are any problems you want to address them to be able to do the new job well. FWIW in the organisation I work in, its standard practice to share interview feedback forms with internal candidates afterwards. It's intended to encourage development rather than be taken personally.

To point out, if you're suspicions are correct, this could be very serious for the line manager and the person who showed it to you. Rightly so though, they've potentially been discriminatory and broken the law sharing personal information of the other candidates. I would take it further and wouldn't be able to sit on this.