Redundant - ex boss contacting other companies about me

bel222

LittleVoice said:

Quite honestly I find it difficult to believe that someone would go to the trouble of phoning potential employers purely with the intent of preventing a soon to be former employee obtaining work with them - unless those employees had so much knowledge and skills that their working for the other company would disrupt the ability of the employer to work profitably themselves.

However it now seems that the person has done what you suspected if your conversation with the prospective employer was not some kind of joke in poor taste.

If you had been offered a job with a new company, would they not have wanted to contact your employer to obtain a reference which it when they could have said whatever they wanted.

Your first paragraph is exactly the situation. 
And no, the conversation mentioned certainly wasn't a joke in poor taste - it was very real.
Re the reference, well yes of course they could say whatever they wanted, but if it got to that stage, i would at least have had the chance to let them know that there was chance of a spoiled reference due to the circumstances around leaving.  Just feels that this way they've got in before me and kiboshed my initial chances out of spite.

LittleVoice

If my first paragraph was the situation - your value to the competition - then it wasn't "spite" but a business preservation decision. 

I realise that doesn't help - except that if I'd been on the receiving end of the telephone call I might also wonder why the contact in my competitor was warning me against employing someone who wouldn't be good for us.

What was the outcome of the conversation with the prospective employing company?  Did they say that having received that call there was no way they were even going to bother considering an application from you?  Do they have any suitable vacancies?

victor2

In "niche" businesses, under which grouping many could fall, MD's and owners often know each other socially. While they might steal clients from under each other's noses, they are friendly to each other's face. Knowing the competition is part of being successful in business.

So, while one might bad-mouth ex-employees to the other, the other may take it at face value, but is more likely to wonder what the problem really was, and could the ex-employee actually be of value to their organisation. If you can explain the redundancy issues in an understandable way, get your facts lined up and be prepared to discuss them calmly and without any sign of bitterness towards the old boss..

Thrugelmir

bel222 said:

 the one i've been able to actually talk to in the last half hour has said that my boss called last week advising them to steer clear of myself and 2 others also made redundant as we were all apparently unreliable and untrustworthy workers. 

The fact that they've openly told you this suggests that they didn't take it seriously. Most likely read into the situation that their business competitor is in serious trouble. If there was an opening. Then I'd suggest that they would interview you like anyone else and if offered a position. Would review your performance while on probation. Ex employees of rivals can be mined for information. 

getmore4less

bel222 said:

Well of the two companies i've contacted so far since this morning, the one i've been able to actually talk to in the last half hour has said that my boss called last week advising them to steer clear of myself and 2 others also made redundant as we were all apparently unreliable and untrustworthy workers. All of us have completely clean records with no disciplinary or performance issues in the 15 or so years of employment. 
Also, i did post above that in the actual letter he states that he rang around other companies specifically to see if they had work for me.

What did they say when you asked(you did ask?) do you believe what was said?

As I said in a niche sector reputations are known through networking if you are any good then that will be known.

The first thing we used to do when looking for new people was check with current employees if they knew people or had worked with X when they were at Y(any place candidate and current have worked).

If you had been there any length of time it becomes pretty obvious you were not that bad if they kept you on. 

be careful how you play this as no one want to employ someone who comes across as bitter,
You can play on the positives, it is unfortunate that the business is not doing so well hit by covid etc. that they had to let some of it's best employees go, this is a great opportunity for others in the sector to pick up good people, talk up the others that have been let go. if you need someone that does X then Billy is worth a look. 

prowla

TBH, If a competitor I didn't particularly know called me and told me that they were making person X redundant and to avoid them, I might wonder why they were giving me the unsolicited advice and be inclined to have a chat with person X.

If I were to take them on, it would be on a probation period anyway.