Should I hire him?

[Lambstu]

Hi, I work in the pharmaceuticals industry and our HR dept is useless so not sure where to get advice. I am hiring for a position and the only applicant is hated by a current employee. The applicant looks good on paper, and has previously worked at the company so has good experience. I’m inclined to hire him. I know that it will cause an issue for my current employee though as she has told me in the past of the problems she had with him (personality clash, perhaps he did overstep it a few times but I think she should be able to get past that as it didn’t seem like the situations she described were a massive deal) and she has said that she would never be able to work with him again. I know if I hire him she will be unhappy. Would she be able to raise a grievance against me for hiring him? Or go off long term
sick with stress? Can I just tell her it’s happening and ask her to get on with it / make the most of it.

If you value her and she's worth it, don't do it"

Have you actually met him yet?

She’ll be off the first chance she gets. You’ll have another vacancy in a couple of months… at the most.

is it possible that it is massively more sinister than she is letting on, and that you need to read between the lines.

Yes, he interviewed well and I liked him.

@LeoTheLeopard i suppose but I can only go on what she tells me surely?

Whether he's actually an arse or she's just overreacted is irrelevant really because if you hire him I'd bet my socks she'll be looking for a new job and as soon as she can find something you'll be hiring to replace her.

Ooh, tricky situation. I'd be inclined not to employ him and readvertise the post.

If you value her and don't want to lose her, re-advertise.

She will leave if you hire him. All depends on how much you value her I suppose.

Yeh maybe she will just leave, I wouldn’t be too bothered as I could easily replace her. I’m more worried she might stay and kick up a massive fuss tbh! Either leave or make the most of it and stay , but I can’t be doing with people that stay and then go off sick or make life hard… like just leave if you hate it that much 🙄

Maybe you should tell her he's the best candidate for the job, so unless there's more behind her dislike of him than she's already said you expect her to behaved professionally?

You sound like a really shit boss

Why does the OP sound like a really shit boss?

So you have one applicant for this post but could easily replace other employee?

Is this a reverse OP, are you the employee and your manager has hired this person you don’t get on with?

Tbh I would be wary. People can be very charming at interview and then a nightmare when they start.

She is very junior, but he is more senior and a specialist so harder to find someone for the vacancy I have just now. There would only be one of him in the team, while she is one of 5 doing the same job.

@GinForBreakfast yes that is a good point.

@Fizzadora sorry I don’t mean to be.

’it’s better to have holes in your team than arseholes’

(a quote from a former boss, who ironically was an arsehole)

What is the employee you have now's judgement like generally? I think a lot of it would come down to how much you trust her judgement as a person. If she isn't prone to overreacting and sensalionalising things or falling out with colleagues then I think there must have been something genuinely wrong before and understand it likely took a lot to come to you that maybe you should keep looking.

If she does overeact and get emotional over routine things though and you think she might have been the problem then go ahead and hire. She doesn't get to raise a grievance for not liking a hire. Then if anything happens spat like in future you clearly and firmly set out your expectations for both employees.

@LivingColour haha

the next stage is a group test/interview so I’ll certainly keep a close eye but I do think she is perhaps over reacting and should just get on with it

‘I’m more worried she might stay and kick up a fuss’…
This reads like you’re hoping she will leave?

I don’t mind either way. She can leave or stay, but I hate it when people stay that really should just leave. Like why stay and be miserable every day for 35 years?

I have interviewed more than a 100 and hired about 100… I have concluded that irrespective of the process, interviews are, at best, slightly better than a coin toss.

you have data points warning you and you would be remiss to not check if it’s part of a bigger pattern.

I’d be inclined to check LinkedIn find other mutual connections and dig a bit more.

I’ve seen bad hires wreck a team beyond bad feeling, low team morale and reduced productivity they can cause significant churn which is REALLY problematic if you have crap HR and recruiting takes an age.

Definitely sounds like you need some proper HR advice OP.