Worker Exposes Company For Hiring A Fake Recruiter To 'Test His Loyalty'
"Now I am worried all future recruiters are 'tests' and this left a really bad taste in my mouth."
Monkey Business Images / Canva Pro An employee was flabbergasted after discovering a routine "test" that his company was doing to all employees to see how much they valued their positions.
Posting to the subreddit "r/cscareerquestions" — an online public forum where people can share their job-related experiences — he opened up about the "bizarre interaction" that happened to him at work after being contacted by a recruiter.
He exposed his company for hiring a fake recruiter to 'test his loyalty.'
In his Reddit post, the man questioned if it was legal for his company to pretend that a recruiter was trying to present an open job position to him.
"I had a recruiter reach out to me for a job, currently I am happily employed making a good salary in a good environment," he recalled. "I told the recruiter to keep my information for the future in case anything changes, but I am fine where I am and not interested."
Shortly after turning down the recruiter's offer, he was sent an email by the higher-ups at his company, claiming that he'd "passed the test." It was then that he learned the company routinely did things like that and would hire a fake recruiter to sniff out any employees who were either unhappy in their position and looking to find another place of work, or had no loyalties to the company and their jobs.
They called it a test for "employee loyalty," and at first, the man in his Reddit post admitted that he thought it was all an online scam, but when he spoke to his manager about it, they confirmed the entire ordeal and told him that the firm does things like this from time to time.
Upon learning that, the worker pointed out that it doesn't feel legal, and not only that but it's put a bad taste in his mouth. "Now I am worried all future recruiters are 'tests' and this left a really bad taste in my mouth," he added.
Many people agreed that it was peculiar that a company would go to these lengths.
"Probably not illegal, though it borders on fraud. But as another commenter put it: if this is the type of paranoid place you work at, you should look into leaving," one Reddit user wrote.
Another user added, "It’s not illegal, but it is a red flag suggesting you ought to start finding another job. Why would anyone want to work for a company that thought that sounded like a good idea? The thought process that leads to such an idea is indication enough that it’s time to start exploring alternatives."
"My company is pretty open about the fact that it's just a job and that sometimes people leave. They aren't trying to create a cult, just a good place to work," a third user chimed in.
Trust is a fundamental and crucial part of the relationship between an employer and an employee. It plays such a strong role in creating a positive work environment and not only ensuring the success of both parties but also the company as a whole.
A survey conducted by Visier of 1,000 full-time U.S. employees found that 90% surveyed say they trust their employers. When asked what the reasons were for that trust, 65% said their employers generally tell them the truth, 52% said their employers are transparent about company policies and practices, 39% said their employers don't allow toxic behavior and pay fairly, and 39% said their employers encourage employees to speak up.
However, per the survey, trust between an employer and an employee can immediately be broken.
Employees who didn't trust their employer were asked some of the reasons why, and 45% said their employer allows toxic behavior that goes unchecked, 43% said their employer doesn't tell the truth, 43% said their employers were not transparent about company policies, 35% said their employer doesn't follow back on employee feedback, and 32% said their employers overwork them and don't make efforts to correct the situation.
Instead of hiring a fake recruiter, this man's employer should've been understanding with the fact that a job isn't everything to some people, and if there's an opportunity for growth somewhere else, it doesn't necessarily mean that an employee has any ill feelings toward a previous job.
Nia Tipton is a Chicago-based entertainment, news, and lifestyle writer whose work delves into modern-day issues and experiences.