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AED
26-11-2012, 10:17 PM
I have an interview for a hr job coming up. I applied for this job about 3 months ago and actually thought I hadn't got an interview. I applied for it when I was working in a temporary role. Anyway I quit the temp job after 1 month as my direct supervisor was a bully. As it was close to the end of the year I had decided not to apply for any jobs until the new year. So i am currently not working. Anyway my question is this - what do I say in the interview when asked why I left? I had thought about saying that the hours and commute were impacting on my family life too much and that as another lady worked at the place I quit from whose temp contract was about to expire, and she could possibly take the position. Or something along those lines. I do not have anything bad to say about the employer I quit from (as the work was fantastic and challenging) but I also don't want to give the impression that I am not a team player or could not deal with the situation. I had never encountered this type of personality and it threw me. I had never quit a job in this way as well. I left the premises after a confrontation with my supervisor and did not come back. I would not use this supervisor as a reference, but I did state in my application that I worked there so it will come up. Anyone have any advice or suggestions? I don't want to lie (although the commute was a genuine concern but it was only a temp contract so i was applying for jobs to be closer to home) but I also don't know how I could possibly put any positivity on this if I was to tell the truth that I quit because of a personality clash. Thanks

Moz
27-11-2012, 08:16 AM
My personal view is you should tell the truth, it's never a good idea to provide misleading information at an interview. It makes you look untrustworthy. But make your mind up whether it was a "personality clash" or whether your boss was a bully - they are not same thing!

I don't believe you need to go into the specific circumstances of your departure, but I would say that it would not be appropriate to seek a reference from that company.

I do think it is worth mentioning the commute being another factor that contributed in your decision to quit.

There are many experienced HR people on this forum, so it might be worth getting a few other views before do decide how you will deal with this.

AED
27-11-2012, 10:59 AM
Thank you for your reply, Moz. I really want to tell the truth but I guess I was worried about what the interviewer might think. I guess I cannot really guess what they think and should really focus on all the reasons why I want the new job. I have decided to say that I left as there was a personality clash and as I was already looking for something closer to home I decided to quit. That way I am not lying and I feel more comfortable than trying to hide that we sometimes have workplace issues. Thanks again

Qld IR Consultant
28-11-2012, 06:59 AM
I agree with Moz. If you are open and honest in regards to why you left and they take offence to that and don't hire you then they weren't worth working for in the first place. Bullying and harassment is zero tolerance so if anything you are doing them a favour by showing that you won't hang around and put up with it.

NicoleAnita
28-11-2012, 07:33 AM
If you were only there for a month why have you got it on your CV? Personally I wouldn't bother. If the interview is with an agency they WILL grill you regardless. It is their role in the recruitment process. I don't think any company is going to be too bothered if you have a gap of a few months in your CV - I have interviewed a lot of HR people and they all have different reasons for being between roles (family, carers leave etc) so it happens and that is life and most companies know this.

I would think carefully as to whether it is the right thing to come out and say the supervisor/manager was a bully. The first rule of thumb in any interview is to not talk negative about previous employers even if it was only a temp role. Yes it happens but if it was for 12 months etc then that would be different. You could say "my immediate manager and I had differing views on HR policy" for example. Having said this you may then find yourself in the situation of answering those dreaded questions such as "why type of personality etc do you work best with"! Before you know it you are written off before getting a chance to talk about your experience and suitability for the job.

Tiger
03-12-2012, 01:14 PM
I totally agree with other respondents. 1) Be totally honest and 2) why on earth do you have this on your Resume????

If I have your situation correct, you quit because guy was either a bully or it was a personality clash. As pointed out already, there is a difference and if I were the interviewer I'd be asking why you did not report it, instead of just leaving! If that is what you did, it doesn't reflect that well on you I'm afraid. Then I ask myself, if that happened, why do you want to work there again?? Has that person left the company? because if not, are you not going to have to face the same thing (bullying or clash) again??

Being older and wiser, I would probably give this place a miss, particularly if it isn't a large employer given likelihood of you running into this person again.

Tiger

Human Remains
07-02-2013, 02:42 PM
Sorry to hear about your bad experience. There are a lot of bullies out there. When you are asked to consider if it was a personality clash, as an HR practitioner, I am sure you can tell the difference. If you can't, be careful about using the word "bully." Honesty is good but unfortunately many interviewers and prospective employers "can't handle the truth." I'm not saying you should lie, but I would be very diplomatic if I were you. Indicate that it was a temporary position and that there were a few reasons you left - the commute and impact on lifestyle is one and the fact it was temporary, you can indicate that you needed time to concentrate on finding a permanent position and, be available for interviews and pursue permanent opportunities which has always been your goal.

NicoleAnita
07-02-2013, 03:51 PM
Hi AED - how did you go at the interview as I remember this was some time ago.