Inroads

As an HR Professional in the field, more times than I care to admit, I've found myself in catch-22 situations where I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't. Like for instance, hiring a customer's daughter. You objectively consider her out of courtesy and quickly realize she is far from being the perfect candidate. Not only is the customer pressuring the company to hire her, it is expected and now your company is fearful the customer take their business away.

The candidate comes into the interview thinking it's merely a formality and that the job is hers based on her inside connection. She gives me the impression that I'm wasting her time. My decision was made easier now. My dilemma: to persuade the others in power. We were better off not hiring her from the get-go versus having to fire her eventually and being in a far-worse position later. We decided to take our chances with our customer. Speaking of this customer, you would naively assume that his ethics would not allow him to jeopardize his relationship with his long-time, loyal supplier. Guess again. You'd be surprised to know exactly what length people will go for personal gain. Fortunately for now, the ethical at heart still outnumber the shady who reveal themselves rather quickly.

Advice:

Never use inside sources to gain inroads into employment opportunities. Allow yourself to be considered objectively with the rest. You do not want to walk through the front door of a company, even if only one person knows how you got there. Think of the employment opportunity as a challenge with the potential of converting itself into a rewarding career accomplishment.

Suzanne Elmazi
Director
Human Resources Quebecor World Specialty Canada

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