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Original poster

How involved are you in recruiting your mat cover?

15 replies

AlmondFrangipani · 22/05/2013 21:00

Hi everyone,

I just wondered how involved you have been in the process? I have been kept virtually out of the loop and feel a bit peeved about this. I am not expecting to interview people but at least have an opinion on CV's, especially when I know a lot of the people applying professionally. Surely I am the best judge of who could do my job best? Thanks!

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ceebeegeebies · 22/05/2013 21:02

I don't agree with you - it is your manager's decision as to who they appoint. They are the ones that will have to manage and work with the person whereas you will barely spend any time with your replacement at all.

You don't get to appoint your colleagues who you do spend time with so why would you have an opinion on your replacement?

Happiestinwellybobs · 22/05/2013 21:06

I short listed and interviewed my cover along with my manager. I have also been on the panel for recruiting members of my team - it is a small team however.

craftycottontail · 22/05/2013 21:10

I (and my team) had a say and got to comment on the candidates' interview exercises. But I tried to stay out of it really, it's not me who's working with my cover person so it was more important that my manager and team were happy with the choice.

tequilacream · 22/05/2013 21:21

You would absolutely be the best judge if they can do your job.
My end I managed the whole process including advertising, shortlisting, interviews and questions for the interviews. Obviously my manager had the last say in who she wanted to work with based on competencies. ceebeegeebies you are correct, it is the line manager's decision who they want to work with, but surely AlmondFrangipani has a more in-depth knowledge of what her job entails in minute detail and the manager would be wise to involve her in the whole process to make sure objectives can be met while AlmondFrangipani on mat leave?

Jenjen85 · 22/05/2013 21:25

I along with HR went through potential cvs then short listed it down to 8 candidates (from 50) which I then short listed down further to 4 definates to interview. I then arranged the interviews and conducted them with HR my manager then did the second interviews and we made a joint descision on who to employ. As my team is only small (2 in my office) that's why I was trusted asked to do the interviews. My cover then started 2 months before I went on mat leave as I needed to fully train them.

Badgerwife · 22/05/2013 21:32

I was involved throughout. The final decision was my managers but I was consulted and my views taken into account. At the end of the day, you're going to be the one going back to that job and so you need to know you can trust the person to not make a mess of it as it's not forever for them!

Sallypuss · 22/05/2013 21:57

I've done the whole recruitment as I knew it wouldn't happen if I didn't!

Original poster

AlmondFrangipani · 22/05/2013 22:04

I appreciate the final decision lies with my manager but it seems a waste of time for them to pay an agency to find people who I then categorically know wouldn't be suited for the role. I know I will spend very little time with them but like some of you have said I am the person coming back to the job and want to feel it is being left in safe hands and not all my hard work is undone. The other frustrating thing is that they are only just interviewing (despite being well away of my mat leave dates) now and if they pick someone with any sort of notice period there will be no handover! My job is quite unique and my Manager wouldn't be able to train them as she doesn't know the systems I work on or a lot of the detail in my role. I'm trying not to get stressed about it but at the moment I feel I'm going to leave without it being properly sorted.

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LabradorMama · 22/05/2013 22:25

I'd expect to be involved but. Suppose it depends on many factors - what sector you work in, the type of profession you're in, the size of company/team etc. I work in a fairly niche area for a large plc and am the only person in the company who is qualified to and capable of doing my job so they'd be idiots not to enlist my help!
That said, I begin 12 months mat leave mid Sept and they haven't confirmed that they will even be recruiting, despite my repeated pushing.
If I was certain I'd be return next year I'd be pushing even harder and definitely expect to be recruiting myself - as AlmondFrangiani says, no one wants to come back and find a big old mess that they're expected to clear up

LabradorMama · 22/05/2013 22:26

Sorry for typos, bloody ipad

IAteTheCake · 23/05/2013 09:31

I have been involved in the whole process from start to finish. I know the job inside out plus manage a team and the director had say over who ultimately should be appointed. But I managed and instigated the full process....

BraveLilBear · 23/05/2013 10:59

Hi Almond I totally understand where you're coming from. I also work in a small team - me plus my line manager are full time, then a part-timer who used to do my job before she had her baby (and is now in a different role).

Our department manager had initially said he wanted me to be involved - but have found out through osmosis that my other two colleagues (inc same-level part-timer) and him will be on the interview panel.

I also feel quite anxious about this, not helped by them openly discussing how 'amazing' certain candidates are - one even used the phrase 'I've got a right girl-crush on that one' - when I'm sat in the same office as them.

Every time my input is asked for it's then undermined by same-level colleague so it's as if I don't exist already. Plus, my colleague is being given the opportunity to learn new skills that I am very keen to learn (ie interviewing etc) which I'm jealous as hell about as I have management aspirations before long.

I'm trying to be very mature about it all as I know I won't care as much when I go off, but I am feeling very vulnerable and threatened by it all. I want to know I have a job to come back to - there is talk of if my cover is very good, that they may be taken on permanently, which would put me down the pecking order as they'd been there for the last 8 months whereas I have not.

All I can do is focus on doing things the best I can now, and hope they hire someone who doesn't quite live up to my standards.

Asia88 · 10/10/2016 12:27

Hi @Brave and @Almond - I know this is an old post but wonder how it all turned out for you? Did you eventually get involved in the process? Did you go back to work and if so how was it? I'm just going through the same thing now, where my manager and team colleague (different post) decided they'd be interviewing for my mat cover. I'm peeved off because it's yet another thing that just shows my manager's subtle dislike for me, even though I've been recognised for my contributions last year and got a pay rise.

Not only that my colleague asked if I could have help her decide on the interview questions and perhaps book an afternoon with her to do so :-/ Sorry for moaning but this is just so typical of them - they know full well I'm capable so push all the actual work my way, but when it comes to any decision making it's like I don't exist :-/

Because of that I'm worried there won't really be a job for me to come back to at the end - of course they'll have me for the compulsory few months but then who knows. The whole thing doesn't fill me with much confidence :-(

DavidPuddy · 10/10/2016 13:52

The thing is, you may not know what your manager has planned for this person beyond your return, and these requirements might be more important that your job specifics. My mat leave cover was hired with a long term role in mind.

On the ither hand, I wish I'd had a chance to meet him. I could have pointed out that he was an utter fuckwit that would drive me mad during the handover, to the point the doctor told me to cut down my hours due to stress and they fired him 2 weeks after I left anyway. Utter, utter fuckwit. Makes me angry even a year later.

Asia88 · 10/10/2016 16:02

Lol David you made me laugh!

In my situation I know exactly who they are going to recruit - a massively overqualified agency guy who has been working in our team for the last 6 months. It is just the fact that I wasn't even considered, even though my manager openly says he "still doesn't know what my post really entails." Over time it became quite a specialised post dealing with IT systems and I don't know how he wants to interview on his own accord as doesn't have a clue...

You are right I think they want to hang on to the Business Support guy and keep him beyond my return but I worry I will come back to a complete mess! The Support guy is bright and quick to get stuff (that's why they love him) but he is no techy :-/

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