DH career stymied by ex boss

[Hairydogmummy]

I'm looking for some advice for DH. He's had a very successful career so far and has reached senior management but had a couple of issues with his line manager over the last year. She has now left. They weren't performance related, but disagreements over the handling of a couple of issues. I think DH may have been a little too forthright. Her job was obviously advertised, as was another role at the same level but DH wasn't even shortlisted. Both were handled by a local recruitment consultant who has a close relationship with DH's ex boss. He has recently applied for two other roles in other organisations in the area and the same has happened. One was with that same recruiter who asked very obvious questions...'what would your ex-boss say about you, if we made enquiries?' The other job he lost out on was for an organisation where she did a bit of consultancy work while the recruitment for the role was going on. It's not even like he's getting to interview. Obviously there's no proof she has been behind this but we're really worried that's it for him unless we move to another part of the country. I think he's made a dangerous enemy! He's never struggled to get jobs/promotion before. He's obviously not totally innocent himself and I've told him that but I don't think he deserves this. Unless there's something major he's not told me but I don't think so. Any advice would be so appreciated. As I say, we are really worried.

I'm not sure what you can do, to be honest. Even if you could prove that she is the cause of this, unless she does something unlawful, there's nothing you could do about it anyway. And just because he hasn't struggled to get jobs before doesn't prove anything - people can plateau, especially as they rise through the ranks because there is more competition for fewer opportunities.

Unless she is very, very good at what she does, then it would be hard to understand why his employer (or any other employer) would overlook the best candidate for the job on the (alleged) say so of one person.

Oh, and the "obvious question" is one we use a lot - don't read too much into it.

One possible suggestion, and it's a bit of a wild card - does the recruitment consultant have people considering moving on on her books? If so (and many do operate like that) then signing on with her makes it worth her while to represent him in the best possible light, as she makes money out of the people who she recommends getting hired.

I'd also suggest that even if this is all true and the ex-boss is behind it, old news dies fast. He needs to not put too much into his fears and focus on his positives. It will be last weeks news soon and nobody will recall what she has (allegedly) said. If he's good enough, then people will want him. But it will get harder and harder to move up naturally, so focus on being better than any competition.

That's so helpful...thanks so much. He has definitely been brought down by it. It's hard for me to know what to say to him cos I'm a teacher who's been at the same school for years so I'm not knowledgeable at all about recruitment in higher level professional roles. Think the ex boss is pretty well regarded if she slipped straight in to consulting after leaving and seems to popping up in other regional organisations. She's also become the head of the relevant professional organisation recently. He wasn't even considered for an interim role covering for said boss for a few months, a less experienced colleague was hired. As you say, I guess he just needs to work hard and wait for it to pass. Last year he was second choice for a really good promotion in another part of the country so hopefully things will look up soon!

Can I just correct something? In my field I'm damned good. Not arrogance, just fact. I get invited to go back to consultancy most weeks, and I left it 9 years ago. But you can "slip into consultancy" really easily. It doesn't make you successful at it. If she popping up everywhere, she's putting herself around. That isn't the same thing as being successful. You can do a lot of popping up unpaid. Back when I was doing this I didn't pop up lots of places because I was too damned busy. If you are successful you don't have time to be everywhere.

In my experience, people trying to be everywhere are trying to look successful and well connected. People who are both those things don't need to look it!

Ps. If he's really that senior and in a good market, if he isn't in her books, he ought to get on someone's. For very senior professionals, it's someone else's job to find you the right vacancies.

He's obviously not totally innocent himself and I've told him that

interesting, why?

She sounds like she is very highly regarded and doing very well indeed

@Endlesslypatient82 he spoke out of turn in a meeting as someone who is notorious for it was being very rude to him. Some colleagues messaged to support him while others inc his boss thought he should have taken it on the chin, which he probably should have.

That's interesting @Jalisco thanks...I assumed you could only do it if you were brilliant otherwise leaving the job would be too much of a risk. DH has just said the same tho that she's touting herself around. Like I say, I'm not in those circles at all. He's not massively senior, not director level or anything. Still trying to make the 100k plus move up but in fairness only moved in to management 11 years ago. I've passed on your advice to him which was well received, thank you. We don't have any family or friends who are management professionals so hard to find career advice for him!

If he applied for his old line manager's job in his current firm and didn't get shortlisted, that would make me think there is more to it than speaking out in a meeting, but I don't think it's down to the former line manager. Even with a recruitment consultant handling it, the firm would have said if they wanted to include him.

@ChicCroissant yes there was another thing where they disagreed over the handling of an issue with a junior colleague. I just didn't want to start going in to it too much for fear of being outed and losing the point of my post which was to get advice but it does feel like either there's more to it and he doesn't realise what he's done/not done and they're not telling him or she is extraordinarily vindictive. I guess there was the rude guy who is also very senior, he obviously dislikes him too. Don't know.

She's also become the head of the relevant professional organisation recently

That does suggest she is highly regarded - did she leave because of him? Whatever the reason your husband has a few choices. Blame her or learn from this and take onboard his behaviour might need to change.

A useful approach would be to map out the leadership, work out those who are influential or decision makers - then identify who is a supporter or detractor. If he doesn't have many supporters, then he won't succeed. At senior level managing your stock price is a skill, not everyone can do it.

Ok, from what you've said it isn't his ex-boss affecting his career - it's his own actions.

When you apply for an internal vacancy, the people doing the selection already know what you're like. That can be good, if you're shit hot at your job but struggle with interviews/applications, or it can be bad, if your track record isn't great. Your DH falls into the second camp.

In niche technical fields, and at senior levels, the pool of people is often small. Everyone tends to know everyone, so it is always worth maintaining good relationships. (This is definitely true in my professional field.)

It doesn't matter what this woman says about him - if other senior colleagues thought he was worth the promotion he'd have been considered. He needs to address that himself, and stop worrying about this ex-boss. He needs to have a frank conversation with his manager and maybe a mentor about what he can do to address any negative perceptions people may have about him.

Also, in my experience, if people think you are worth promoting/hiring they will approach you directly. When the old manager's job became available, the mmhiring manager will have potentially been having conversations with people they thought would be good, encouraging them to apply. I'm guessing this didn't happen with your DH?

@Octomore you may well be right, and I have had that talk with him. He's had both conversations you suggested, with his mentor and his new boss who is also leaving after just a few months but neither would admit he was badly thought of, let alone why, they did suggest some things, basically achieving more but vague about what and how. I thought the same in some ways, wouldn't other people, who might think better of him, been willing to give him a try despite what previous boss said? It feels like he is maybe badly thought of but no one really wants to say why.

Thanks@Fireflygal that's a good suggestion. She definitely didn't leave because of him. He's not been unpleasant to her in any way.

He needs to find someone who is prepared to be honest and frank with him. It may not be his line manager, but that is what he needs.