What’s the best way for HR to step in when the boss wants to hire an acquaintance who’s obviously under-qualified?
No one likes being involved in office politics, but it’s a fact of life sometimes. Take this sticky situation:
While the company is looking to fill an open position, the hiring manager recommends a former colleague. The problem: It’s obvious to you and other employees involved in the interviews that this person is not the most qualified candidate.
But the boss insists that person is best for the job. What should you do?
There’s no easy way out. On one hand, questioning the manager’s judgment could cause bad blood and may not even change his mind anyway.
But ignoring the issue could get the company stuck with an underachieving employee.
Here’s some advice on getting the right person hired from career consultant Marie McIntyre:
- Without mentioning specific candidates, talk to the manager about the job’s qualifications and necessary skills. Come to an objective agreement about what the ideal candidate will have.
- Ask for a rating of the boss’s acquaintance in each of those areas, based on what he saw while working with him. There’s a chance this could make him realize the mistake on his own.
- Show the manager your top choices, relating back to the qualifications talked about above. The key here is to focus on your favorite candidate’s strengths — not the other guy’s weaknesses.
What would you do in this situation? Has it ever happened to you? Share your experience and thoughts in the comments section below.
