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Employer has offered me a job, but told me that I am replacing someone in the workplace who is apparently not a good cultural "fit" and has some performance issues. This person apparently doesn't know that I will be taking his spot. It's a small office (like 8-9 people) and word gets around in a small environment as you can imagine. In fact, I'll be working there on the days the soon-to-be fired employee is not there, and then the employer will fire them soon after like in a couple of weeks.
How awkward is that? I saw a sign in the lunch room that says that I am starting this position soon, so staff must know that this employee is going to be fired. Even the soon-to-be fired employee must think that something suspicious is going on.
Should I bother taking this job? Is this a sign of a shady workplace? I kinda feel bad for the fired employee. I thought employers usually fire the employee first and then bring in the replacement, but not have both of them work at the same office and then fire the employee.
Here is one thing to remember. You see how they are going behind the back of the guy you are replacing ? THAT could be you down the road sometime. If they were an up and up company, they would hire you and fire him immediately. That is the ethical thing to do, but companies are not always ethical.
I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing to bring in a replacement before someone is fired (although in this case it's definitely a red flag), but the incoming employee shouldn't know about it. That says, to me, that you don't value me for my skills. You just need a warm body. An employee shouldn't be aware of internal politics until at least six months into the job (and for me, that's still too soon).
This was about to happen to me. My employer was interviewing candidates after they put me on PIP, and before I left, and told me they were interviewing other candidates. I found something else before the end of the PIP, but it was demoralizing.
I was in a similar position about ten years ago. A well-established company contacted me about a position. Within a few minutes of starting the interview, I knew I was going to be offered the job. The hiring manager got pinged for an email that he was advised was important, so he asked for a moment while he looked into it. He did so, and his facial expression got odd. I asked if everything was okay (I was honestly thinking for a moment there somebody had told him something like his dad died via the email), and he said that it was more awkward. To explain, the position I was interviewing for was one of many that had been outsourced to another country. The company came to the conclusion that the outsourcing wasn't working out well, so they were in the process of interviewing people (like myself) to take over the positions, and once they had enough of us, the people in the other country were going to be let go. The email in question was from one of the people in that country asking if they could have time off a few months down the road for their upcoming wedding and honeymoon. As the hiring manager put it, by the time that date rolled around, that person would be let go (along with the others in their country working for this company), but they hadn't been advised of that yet. As the hiring manager put it, it was a bit awkward looking at the requested dates, knowing perfectly well that the person wouldn't be employed by them anymore, but obviously couldn't say so at that point.
I wound up not taking that job, because I got another offer (more money and only a five-minute commute), but I did find myself wondering how awkward that would be if I'd ever had to talk with the people in the other country, knowing perfectly well I was there to replace them.
This not uncommon as some think. Lets say that you have a problem employee that you have to let go. You cannot not have that position not filled, until you take 2 or 3 weeks to find a replacement. You hire a replacement,and most often on your start date the former employee is let go, afternoon before you start.
So, you've been offered a job -- that you have not started yet....yet you've seen a sign in the lunchroom of the place that you will be starting soon. WTW?
1) you haven't taken the job yet.
2) even when I've been given a tour of a possible job site's lunchroom I haven't had the chance to read notices posted there
3) ...and I've certainly never seen notices posted that I'd be starting soon.....when I've only been offered the job
Think about a woman who has an affair with a married man. He eventually gets divorced and marries her. What does she have? A man who cheats on his wife. He'll cheat on her, too.
What the boss is doing to the other employee, he will likely do to you when it suits him.
Its a way of downsizing. You probably wont be making anywhere near as much as the person you are replacing. You have to remember, they will probably collect Unemployment for a while, so your salary/benefits package has to be small enough to make that a profitable thing for the employer.
Also keep in mind that what they are doing to him they would do to you too. Back in the day I would have said it should be a red flag, but unfortunately, its everywhere these days. Take the job, benefit as much as you can, and don't believe the hype. You may find yourself a victim of the same hype eventually.
Think about a woman who has an affair with a married man. He eventually gets divorced and marries her. What does she have? A man who cheats on his wife. He'll cheat on her, too.
What the boss is doing to the other employee, he will likely do to you when it suits him.
I mean, you'd think it'd be obvious. But if the money is good and you'll have no issues being canned on a whim...have at it!
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