Job candidate has presented my work as his own

[PurplePirate]

Will try to keep this short. Have also changed some details for privacy.

I am on an interview panel tomorrow (via Zoom). The chair has just emailed through the pack which includes the slides prepared by the three candidates for their presentations. We ask them to send through their slides in advance in case there is a problem with the Zoom link on the day.

One candidate, I will call Bill, worked at the same company as me about six years ago. When I was there I led a project and I created a distinctive and rather lovely slide deck as part of my work.

FF six years and Bill has submitted my slide deck. The presentation task is something like "Describe a project you have led and your approach to organisational transformation". So do I assume Bill is going to pass my work off as his own? Do I tell the chair now? Wait until the interview and watch him twig?

Bill may not realise I am on the interview panel. We do tell candidates the names of the panel beforehand but I am a last minute replacement for a colleague who is ill so I don't know if HR updated the candidates. I was not involved in shortlisting Bill.

I still use them for loads of stuff

"Do I tell the chair now?"

Yes! Of course you do. The possibilities you've put forward for him not to be passing off your work as his own - well if that's the case he can make his apologies at the interview. I frankly don't see them as very likely.

If I was the chair, I'd be furious with YOU if you hadn't told me in advance. Imagine the rest of your panel finding out you'd sat on this information and made them feel like fools?

Personally, I’d wait till the interview and see what happens. You can then see whether or not there is an innocent explanation before giving the chair any preconceived ideas about the candidate.

If he passes your work off as his own then you have a quiet word with the chair and produce the original copy of your slides if you have them. The file should be dated.

No one can blame you for telling on him before the interview though if you want.

I feel a bit sorry for Bill. The other candidates will of course all be lying through the teeth about how they personally saved the world but they get away with it and Bill won’t.

If I was the chair, I’d be furious at you for waiting. It’s just game playing. You’ve been given the candidates presentation beforehand so if you didn’t come and tell me and waited for a gotcha moment then I’d think you were childish, or I’d assume you hadn’t looked at the candidate packs so weren’t prepared for the interview.

Tell the chair now.

Well the fact that he wasn’t on that particular project should rule him out entirely anyway.

You definitely need to tell the chair the facts. They can decide what they do with the information.

If I was the chair, I’d be furious at you for waiting

Waiting? Within 20 mins she had messaged the chair for a chat about it.

I can see both arguments and as I said I wouldn’t blame OP for telling them now. It’s just that if she thinks there might be an innocent explanation and is conscious of jeopardising the candidate’s chances then I might wait.

It depends whether OP can reasonably argue she hadn’t noticed before the interview. If it’s in no doubt she had to have noticed earlier, then she has no choice but to mention it now or the chair will wonder why information was withheld.

Right? But this is mumsnet - where there seems to be an expectation that everyone can not only deal with every situation NOW but they should obviously also know how to handle it and have updated their thread with a conclusion within hours

yeah i think Bill isnt going to get the job... 😑

I work in HR and you absolutely should mention it to the chair now. I'd keep it factual and professional, something like:

Hi chair, having reviewed the interview packs I have realised that I know the candidate (Bill) from my time working for company X and the work he is planning to discuss as these are my slides from the time I led project Y. I wanted to let you know in advance in case of any conflict of interest.

The reason he would do this is because he can’t be arsed to do his own and thinks he can easily pass your work off as his.

I would pay good money to see Bill’s face when he walks in the interview room and sees you.

I think it’s kind of you to be trying to give him the benefit of the doubt, would be surprised if he has misunderstood the brief at your level… either way, I think there’s a big difference between beefing up your role a bit which many do in interviews, and claiming to have led a project you did not, entirely plagiarising someone else’s slides in the process.

What? I was replying to another poster, the poster I quoted, who told the OP she should wait until the interview to disclose anything. I was talking about that poster’s actions if she was in the situation - not the OP. What are you talking about?

Don't mind me, I'm only here because I really want to know what happens.

Im surprised someone hasnt suggested logging it with 111 or "police/A&E NOW" 😁

What? I was replying to another poster, the poster I quoted, who told the OP she should wait until the interview to disclose anything. I was talking about that poster’s actions if she was in the situation - not the OP. What are you talking about?

But this is mumsnet, where people’s reading comprehension is very poor.

A bit unkind ! I'm shocked someone would enjoy seeing another person squirm whatever he's done .

What? I was replying to another poster, the poster I quoted, who told the OP she should wait until the interview to disclose anything. I was talking about that poster’s actions if she was in the situation - not the OP. What are you talking about?

Surely you let the interview go ahead and watch him squirm when he sees you?

I think you've done the right thing to speak to the chair.
They may well let the interview go ahead and see what exactly bill will present. He could be talking about his input into the project or equally claiming credit for it all. You won't know until the day
Ive had 2 Internal candidates claim my work. One when I was interviewing them! Neither of them got the role and were firmly told in their feedback to not claim someone else's work (also how stupid when its internal !!)

Or ‘LTB’?

I didn’t say the OP and should wait until the interview. I said that’s what I’d personally do, but even then I’m not 100% sure as I’m not in the situation.

I would probably enjoy watching him squirm if he was really trying to claim my work was his in front of me , so that came into play when I suggested I’d wait.

Shocked anyone claiming to be an hr person would go for the shame them routine. Although maybe not considering some of the hr people I’ve met

op, inform the chair. He can still come to interview. You will see it there if he’s passing it off as his own, if he attempts to, which he may not, when he sees you, then address it.