Reference no: EM132927288

Your company is in the final stages of recruiting a new salesperson.

The final candidate, Frank Neusome, seems to have it all: good sales experience, demonstrated results, strong contacts in the business, and a personality that will fit in with your organizational culture. The assessment he completed shows that he is a strong candidate for the role.

You are preparing the letter of offer when your phone rings. It is Frank, and he is absolutely livid. He is yelling into the phone, and at first you are having trouble following what he is saying. Finally, you piece together that Frank is angry because his current employer, a competitor of yours, found out about Frank's candidacy and terminated his employment effective that afternoon. According to Frank, someone from your company called one of his colleagues to ask about him, and that colleague told Frank's boss.

After calming Frank down and promising to get back to him as soon as possible, you meet with Joe, the hiring manager, to let him know about the call. Joe admits that he called Frank's colleague, who is a friend. Joe says, "I don't see what the big deal is. We were going to hire Frank anyway."

Discussion Questions:

• What are the concerns about Joe phoning his friend at Frank's current employer? What are the potential consequences of Joe calling Frank's colleagues to ask about him?
• Are there any privacy or consent laws that your organization needs to follow when recruiting?
• Do these laws apply to Frank's situation?
• What would you advise Joe to do in this situation?
• What would you do with Frank? Is there any restitution?
• What if your company decided at the last minute not to make an offer to Frank? Would there be any recourse for him? Would there be any liability on the part of your organization?