To be worried about applying for this job?

[PennyCrayon85]

I hate my current job. So with a view to clawing back some joy, I am job hunting. Not easy - can’t afford to take a pay cut and there isn’t much out there.

But tonight I have found one worth applying for anyway. Only problem is that it is with an organisation which works closely with my current place of work (and specifically my team). Relationships with my bosses and senior management at the other organisation are good. There is an element of socialising/business development (well, pre-Covid there was....)

I’m worried that if I apply for this job, my current bosses will find out. It would go down like a lead balloon.

Call the recruiting manager and ask that your application be kept confidential.

How would they know? Surely job applications are confidential anyway? Even the shortlisting panel don't see the applicants names where I work. I know that's not universal but I thought it was pretty standard these days in bigger companies at least, to prevent bias in shortlisting.

I’ll need to put my current employer and details of what I’ll do.

@PennyCrayon85

I’ll need to put my current employer and details of what I’ll do.

I get that, but I meant how would your current company know that you have applied? Even companies with good working relationships wouldn't have cause to discuss their recruitment with rivals.

They aren’t rivals. They are clients.

Could you damage the relationship with anything you know and told them about if you were successful?

But clients surely don't discuss their recruitment procedures and applications either. I've never worked anywhere that it wouldn't be gross misconduct and a sackable offence to disclose something as confidential as who has submitted a job application.

Katherine no I don’t think so

caught it’s more what if the hiring manager says to my boss casually over a drink “oh you’ll never believe who applied for this job...”

I work for a small organisation that works I partnerships with other small orgs. I'm shocked at the lack of confidentiality when we're recruiting. I have nothing to do with the process but get told if so and so from the org down the road has applied, but I get told not to say anything.

The manager is leaving so hopefully a new one will actually give a shit about confidentiality. It has really put me off job hunting in the circle.

@PennyCrayon85

caught it’s more what if the hiring manager says to my boss casually over a drink “oh you’ll never believe who applied for this job...”

But that's what I mean. That's a huge breach of confidentiality, whether in a workplace setting or over a drink.

I think it’s a bit unrealistic to think they 100% won’t find out. They probably won’t, but there is a risk they will.

They are likely to find out.

The company you apply for could well ring your current boss and say 'confidentially what's she like?'

An old manager of mine did this any time we had an application from someone that worked in a company we had connections with.

I had this happen to me, from the POV of being the current employer. I knew the HR person at the place they were applying for a job for and received a phonecall asking me what they were like.

I was in a difficult position, because they were an awful employee and would have been glad to see the back of them.

Well your bosses dont own you, and you owe them nothing more than is in your contract.