To put the kybosh on colleague

[Myusernameismyusername]

Someone is applying for a job internally and it would mean I would be working closely with this person. I am above them in hierarchy.

I do not think this person is right for the job. I'm not sure yet if I will be on interview panel but it is likely.

There are various reasons for this feeling, inexperience being one but the other more difficult one to pin point is what I would call a bad vibe.

I just don't like or trust this person from what I have seen, I think they always seem to have some motive for doing things and have a big unnecessary gob. I think I have a good instinct for whether someone is a good influence or a bad one and this person seems to edge on bad. But nothing specific in examples, just more of a feeling. I think they want this job mostly for egotistical reasons although I think would not mess the job up necessarily, I think they would push all the boundaries and drive me bonkers. It already happens now, and I find myself being pushed by this person although I am perfectly able to deal with it, it just doesn't feel right.

I probably could influence the interview panel easily, but I don't know if this is morally a wrong thing to do.
I'm not just thinking about me I am thinking about the workplace as a whole.
I will have to give instructions/directions to this person, as I do on some level now, and think it would involve them going off piste or being bloody annoying about it.

AIBU? What's the etiquette

And it sounds to me like they are after your job and will do whatever they can to get it, so its this job now, and then yours......

I worked with someone who's ability and ego didnt match their job. They werent able enough for the job they had, but their ego was too big for it. They fucked up eventually but those of us who were in her department fucking suffered, I left.

I agree with Bogey - why would you hire someone you know is unprofessional?

OP do you work on local government or some such area, as I cannot see this scenario playing out in a professional firm. It would be expected that people use their knowledge of someone to see if they're a good fit. In my last (internal) move, my new manager called two senior colleagues for feedback before offering me the job.

It sounds as if you have enough insight into yourself to question your own motives. I think you should say something to your boss. Just that your instincts say no but that its based on small examples and you have questions, then leave it up to them. Tough situation really.

Yes it's public sector! I think actually I would be expected to be honest I just don't want to look stupid with all my silly talk of vibes

Ego doesn't match the job is a perfect example. They claim they wouldn't want my job as it's probably horrible

I meant that in a good way!!! In that clearly you want to be honest and just. Its a good thing to question yourself even if it turns out you are right, but don't second guess it too much, leave it up to others to have their opinion once you have voiced your concerns.

I want to make it clear I do not want this person to have no job, I think they make a valuable contribution to the job they already do but that's probably where it ends in my eyes. I need someone really enthusiastic and dynamic, the candidate has a ballsy attitude in all the wrong ways

Myuser, you are over thinking this.

Just don't give them the job if they aren't qualified. Don't wimble on about it. Your fellow panalists all know this person too. You're looking for a best fit for a job, not a personal relationship.

You may be pleasantly surprised with the caliber of the other candidates.

Fwiw, I've always trusted my gut about hiring, and when I wasn't on the panel for two hires they turned out to be a really bad fit and didn't stay long anyway.

I think they sound like their 'talents' would be best spent elsewhere.

I know I am over thinking it, thinking about how badly they would take not getting it that's for sure!

That's their problem. And shows the ego really if they ate likely to take it that badly.

OP - you should not allow worry about how they would feel or react to dominate your thinking. It also doesn't matter what their motivation is. What matters is that you have quite a few concrete examples that demonstrate they are not suited to the job. You appeared at points in this thread to be ready to bend over backwards to make them happy, at the cost of your happiness, the other job candidates, and everyone affected by this frankly rather toxic sounding colleague.

I think you could do with reading this:
www.forbes.com/sites/chunkamui/2012/02/15/forget-the-seven-habits-but-remember-the-no-asshole-rule/#56591125175f

That article really made me smile

Sutton offers a checklist to help assholes understand that they are suffering delusions of effectiveness. He offers advice on “how to stop your inner jerk from getting out.”

prints checklist

So to recap.....

Lacks experience
Your experience of them leads you to believe that they wouldnt cope with a much faster pace of work
Not always a great team player
Lacks professionalism, with example of the "I want and will lie...."
Will not take the rejection well
Their own perceived ability is not matched by their actual ability..... in other words, ego the size of a small planet.

And you are considering not being the panel, and risking this person getting the job and then in 6 months when its all gone tits up, having to go through the whole recruitment palaver again? Thats assuming that this isnt one of those "It doesnt matter how shit you are, once you have the job you keep the job" local government situations, in which case you will be stuck with them.....

Also, if everyone who had a preconceived idea of internal candidates didnt go on the interview panel then there would never be any internal job changes! One of the bonuses of internal recruitment is that you have a good idea of the candidate beforehand.

Will the panel meet before interviews to discuss the candidates?

You sound very like someone who is threatened by someone, and want verification. I dont think you shpuld be anywhere near influemcing the panel. Terms like ''I think they want the job for ego reasons' are very weird. If their motivation is they like the title of a role. . that will help them do it better.

I think you need to work on your self talk and be prepared to work on working with them.

Managers who are afraid of, or inhibited about, standing up to bad behaviour are rather pointless, I'm afraid. It's actually your responsibility to stop this problem person getting even more out of hand. Sorry to be so harsh, but this squeamishness could cause damage.

OP I think you are doing yourself a disservice when you refer to having vibes. It is not as simple as 'not clicking'. You have direct experience with this person, you dislike specific things about the way they conduct themselves and you will be working directly with them. I fail to see why you would endorse this candidate.

I have worked with somebody who sounds very similar. I tried very hard to get along and then tried very hard to have as little to do with her as possible.

She made my role very difficult. Not only did she lack any sort of verbal self control but she was very manipulative and the atmosphere of what was initially a nice team changed beyond recognition. She frequently had run ins with the quieter members of the team and one by one they left.

I later found out that when the then manager of the team found out this woman was moving to our department, she had reservations but felt she needed to give her a chance. This woman had moved departments quite a few times (always on her own initiative as she declared she was 'bored') but always leaving a trail of negativity and upset behind her.

So many people have now left that company and that woman is still there and I imagine that she is quite the 'top dog' at this stage despite never being promoted.

This is one of the perils of applying internally and why companies prefer it - if there's a bad apple it quickly gets weeded out. I don't think it's unprofessional of you to highlight previous performance in the organisation at all, but I'd wait until after the interview so you can review his current performance (plus poor prev perf) and compare with others.

Sorry, I have read the entire thread, but I was a bit knocked back by people saying that the fact that the OP knows she wouldn't be able to get on with the candidate is not a valid reason. I think it is a tremendously valid reason. A friend of mine was in personnel for a big company and he always selected people on whether he thought they would get on well with the other people in the office, even choosing people with lower qualifications if needs be.

There are so many people posting here about having to leave a job because of some eejit they have to work with...

duh, that should say "I haven't read the entire thread"

Talking about "bad vibes" is hardly professional OP.

They'd get the job over my dead body if it was me. Life & work is stressful enough without someone like that.

Talking about "bad vibes" is hardly professional OP

I'm sure you could translate that into suitable corporate speak, OP.

The ability to get on with others is critical in many working environments. Sounds like you think this colleague is a poor fit for the new role and you should have no qualms in saying so. Why would you take on someone who is going to make your job more difficult? You don't think she's a good candidate for the role and that's ok. You would be irresponsible and untruthful saying otherwise.

I'm relatively new in my job so I am being so cautious as I am quite aware how it looks - new person comes to department and in a few months causes chaos with people who have been there a lot longer. I am still learning my own way.

I'm going to speak with my manager and see if they want me on the panel or not. It's their decision really. I am pretty certain they will ask me what I think of internal candidate so I will try to be honest in a professional way

Sounds like there is a lot of bitching in your workplace in general. There are things you mention about this person which don't seem OK (lying to get certain benefits from employer). What strikes me is your judgment about her motivation for job change. Personally don't see anything wrong with somebody applying for other position to improve the future prospects to move up the ladder without any short term material gains. That's perfectly plausible reason, it's called building career. And there are million more motivations than the two you mention. She might have feel at the dead end in her current position, she might want to have a change, maybe she doesn't feel she is learning in her current role anymore.
Outside the public sector bubble it's even recommended to change a role or company every 3-4 years. 10 years in same job before was considered a good thing, loyalty and all. Today it looks pretty bad and makes people ask questions. So it would be perfectly fine for somebody move the jobs simply not to have in CV that they hadn't shown interest in their career and professional development.