Boss's comment - favouritism/cliqueness?

[EvieR]

My current company is hiring. I was the last person to be hired earlier this year.

In the final stages of interviews they always bring in more senior people to meet interviewees. They brought in two for mine and then I was hired. These same two interviewed the new person to be hired.

As my boss announced they'd hired this new person in a meeting she referred to the senior managers, 'yes you liked her more than I think you've liked anyone we've been hiring at interview'

I was the only person on the call who had recently been hired, so it felt like a kick in the teeth honestly. AIBU?

I think you are reading way too much into that comment! It's an off hand comment about them liking a candidate - nothing more to pay attention to.

It was a pretty tactless thing to say to everyone on that call, not just you.

My general rule is don't take things personally that probably aren't meant personally. Just because someone does well in an interview, doesn't mean they will automatically do well in the job, fit in well with the team, or be the boss's favourite, and I think most people who have ever been involved with hiring know that. In fact coming in with a whole bunch of people assuming you are the next best thing to Superwoman is setting you up for a fall.

Didn't they mean in the current cohort?

I think it was a bit thoughtless but not ‘kick in the teeth’ territory. They shouldn’t have said it in front of you as it’s a bit insensitive but it doesn’t mean there is favouritism or cliqueyness going on; just an unfortunate way of expressing that this candidate did very well at interview.

You're probably right that it's just a way of selling the candidate to the team.

Given I'm the only one in the meeting interviewed in recent times, it did sting a bit!

I'm not sure why you've used the word 'clique' here?

Anyway, I'm sure they didn't mean they liked them more on a personal level, they would've liked them more for the job during the actual interview.

Which doesn't reflect on you at all.

Honestly don't worry about this, I remember years and years ago when I was quite new into management, I had interviewed someone I loved and excitedly announced to my team that they were the best person I'd ever interviewed 🙈 my team were all like "oh great thanks!" I still cringe about it but in reality I was just relived and happy to have interviewed someone good after a flurry of bad interviews, it was in reality no reflection on anyone in my team, all of whom were wonderful and I loved them all, I just said it in the moment without really thinking. I'm sure this was absolutely no reflection on you at all so try not to pay it anymore thought!

I'd have thought this too. He can't have meant 'anyone they've ever met or worked with before'

She meant in that company.

I think it was just clumsy. And at least they have potentially offended everyone and not just you.

It is nothing to do with you

Don t stumble at the samaller obstacles in life