What would you do?
My current manager interfered in my interview for a different job and is trying to tell them not to hire me.
I am an allied health professional, qualified a year ago. I got in via the apprenticeship route, unfortunately my previous team couldn’t keep me after the apprenticeship finished due to funding. I was gutted, but understood and respected the reality that funding sucks right now in the NHS. However, my goal is to eventually go back to this team and work there. It’s always been my goal. My old manager (let’s call him Joe) knows this.
I’m now working in the same trust, different role, different manager. My new manager (let’s call him Mike) is the AHP lead. Not a great manager, but is the lead non the less. When the job ad for my old team popped up, I was excited and wanted to apply. So I’ve applied. Naturally, I kept this quiet in case I don’t get a job interview (I like my privacy!) Mike finds out, is not happy and sends me a sarcy email saying out of ‘professional courtesy’ I should have told him. Respectfully, I disagreed. But I apologised still.
I went to seek advice from a former colleague in my old team and told her what’s happened. She proceeded to say - funny you mention your manager Mike, because he called Joe and told them if this person (ME) applies, don’t offer her an interview. I was shocked. My current manager, Mike, went out of his way to tell Joe not to hire me and tells him who he should hire. Thankfully, Joe apparently got annoyed and actually defended my honour and said I would be an excellent candidate and should be offered a chance if I want to apply. Apparently regardless, Mike and this other AHP lead are trying desperately to tell them I shouldn’t apply for the role and that they want to be on the interview panel.
Now, I am concerned about this because for whatever reason, they desperately don’t want me out of my job and certainly don’t want me to go work in my old team. I contact Joe and ask him respectfully, I don’t want them in my interview. He reassured me they wouldn’t be.
Fast forward to the interview, who shows up? Mike himself. I was pissed. The whole time sitting opposite someone who doesn’t want me to have this job was awful.
Anyway, apparently Joe wants to offer me the job, because I was in fact the best candidate but because MIKE wants a say, they are waiting to make the decision until 1 week later (when Mike gets back from holiday I assume).
I’m pissed. I feel like I should complain about this. But also if I complain, this AHP lead is still going to be my AHP lead and I don’t want to burn bridges. At the same time, how dare someone block me from pursuing my dream job?
I don’t really know what to do at this point. I’m mad, someone is trying to block me from a job I want, and Honestly, if I don’t get the job I’ll likely hand in my notice anyway.