Getting into a job through a friend immoral?

[divinefaith]

Consider this please:

You are searching for a job and your friend who works at an organization advocates to the manager on your behalf to get you employed there too. The manager opens up the opportunity to let you have a chance too.
Would accepting the job be immoral in the sense that you are getting employed thru a shorter route and possibly not playing fair?

I question whether or not the ‘not what you know, but who you know’ way of finding a new employment opportunity a possible form of cheating

 

[divinefaith]

Consider this please:

You are searching for a job and your friend who works at an organization advocates to the manager on your behalf to get you employed there too. The manager opens up the opportunity to let you have a chance too.
Would accepting the job be immoral in the sense that you are getting employed thru a shorter route and possibly not playing fair?

I feel the ‘not what you know, but who you know’ way of finding a new employment opportunity a possible form of cheating

 

[rfournier103]

I agree that can be maddening… I’ve been on the short end of that more times than I’d care to recall, because I’ve seen many lesser qualified people get jobs while I have a very hard time. That being said… unfortunately, that seems to be the way the world works. The old saying of “there’s the way it ought to be; and there’s the way it is” is VERY true. I do think that jobs should go to the most qualified person, and there should be a level playing field for all.

However, we Christians help those in need, and if you really need a job, your friend is trying to help you out. It’s one of those ‘huge shades of gray’ issues. Let your conscience be your guide, and good luck.

 

[HelenRose]

If you are qualified for the job and are willing to work hard for the company, your friend is not only doing you a favor he is doing the company a favor.

It is difficult to find qualified employees so, if your friend is a valued employee whose opinions are respected by the company it saves the company time and money searching for some unknown person who may or may not be what the company is looking for.

 

[TomFromMD]

If your friend actually thinks you’d be a good addition, you have nothing to feel bad about. The manager is looking for a good worker, and it’s much better for him to go with you than to take a shot in the dark. Having interviewed people, I can tell you that just because someone looks good on paper, or does well in an interview, doesn’t make them a good worker. Managers don’t want to take that risk, which is one reason people often get hired through personal relationships.

 

[sedonaman]

Consider this please:

You are searching for a job and your friend who works at an organization advocates to the manager on your behalf to get you employed there too. The manager opens up the opportunity to let you have a chance too.
Would accepting the job be immoral in the sense that you are getting employed thru a shorter route and possibly not playing fair?

I question whether or not the ‘not what you know, but who you know’ way of finding a new employment opportunity a possible form of cheating

Most companies ask for references anyway. Your friend is putting his reputation on the line when he does this, so his recommendation will carry at least a little more weight than the normal process would generate. Lack of a good reference means the employer must take a greater chance that he might get a problem employee, and it is very difficult to fire someone. You might also ask if that is fair.

 

[midori]

If you were woefully unqualified for the job, it might be immoral. But if you’re decently competent, I wouldn’t have any qualms about it.

When I graduated undergrad, my field wasn’t hiring. My soon-to-be husband had gotten a job in an area, and I was looking for a job-- any job-- in that area. A friend of mine got me an internal helpdesk position at their company. Anyone who was reasonably competent with a computer could do what I did.

When my husband moved into a totally new city on the promise of a job, only to have them change their minds-- another friend of mine worked at a radiology clinic, and got him hooked up with a job in the file room. Anyone who was reasonably competent and organized could do it, although it really was hard, grueling, unpleasant work. But it was a paycheck.

Of course, you also have other situations where nepotism is a little less palatable. Like, say, hypothetically speaking, a judge’s daughter who graduates at the bottom of her class who gets an awesome six-digit salary and gets to work in a high-profile fast-track path to a cushy career in politics fresh out of law school with zero clue and zero experience. And other variants thereof. But for the most part-- your friend’s putting their own reputation on the line on their belief that you’re a good fit for the position. If you feel that you couldn’t do the job, I’d thank them but reject the opportunity-- you wouldn’t want to reflect badly on them. But otherwise, I wouldn’t have qualms about accepting their help.

 

[Skeptic92]

Consider this please:

You are searching for a job and your friend who works at an organization advocates to the manager on your behalf to get you employed there too. The manager opens up the opportunity to let you have a chance too.
Would accepting the job be immoral in the sense that you are getting employed thru a shorter route and possibly not playing fair?

I question whether or not the ‘not what you know, but who you know’ way of finding a new employment opportunity a possible form of cheating

As long as your actually qualified for the job its fine. Life isn’t fair unfortunately, and the Job market is at times more who you know, then what you know. Your friend is doing both you and the company a favour by filling a position with someone he knows he will work hard instead of taking a risk on unknown applicants, it is just a fact of the job market if you have the friends to influence a companies decision to hire you, you have a greater chance of being employed.

 

[Tarpeian_Rock]

“Networking,” which is what you described, is a perfectly fine way to go about seeking a job A tremendous percent of job-holders get their positions via personal recommendations and knowing someone “inside.” I have worked for companies that have a reward fee for an employee who makes a referral that results in a hiring; it saves HR time and usually results in high-quality new employees.

 

[garn9173]

Consider this please:

You are searching for a job and your friend who works at an organization advocates to the manager on your behalf to get you employed there too. The manager opens up the opportunity to let you have a chance too.
Would accepting the job be immoral in the sense that you are getting employed thru a shorter route and possibly not playing fair?

I question whether or not the ‘not what you know, but who you know’ way of finding a new employment opportunity a possible form of cheating

In this day and age, heck no it’s not immoral, gotta look out for numerou uno and that’s yourself.

 

[HonoraDominum]

“Networking,” which is what you described, is a perfectly fine way to go about seeking a job A tremendous percent of job-holders get their positions via personal recommendations and knowing someone “inside.” I have worked for companies that have a reward fee for an employee who makes a referral that results in a hiring; it saves HR time and usually results in high-quality new employees.

This.

This is called “networking” and is how many positions are filled. I got my job because I knew that the woman hiring was looking for someone with my qualifications, and no one else was even interviewed.

 

[JimG]

There’s nothing at all wrong with networking to try to get a job. The hiring manager still has to make the final decision. And determining who is the “most qualified person.” is in the end, a matter of opinion and a judgment call.

 

[Actaeon]

Consider this please:

You are searching for a job and your friend who works at an organization advocates to the manager on your behalf to get you employed there too. The manager opens up the opportunity to let you have a chance too.
Would accepting the job be immoral in the sense that you are getting employed thru a shorter route and possibly not playing fair?

I question whether or not the ‘not what you know, but who you know’ way of finding a new employment opportunity a possible form of cheating

Remember that “fair” and “just” or “moral” are not the same things. Often times what is just and moral (right) is not necessarily fair.

As an example: let’s say I am a 10 year old at school. My mom always packs me a delicious lunch, and it’s always more than I can eat. There is a little boy, Timmy, who’s family is poor. He rarely has more than a few carrots and a slice of bread for lunch. So, I give him parts of my lunch, maybe my milk, every day so that he has enough good food to eat.

One day, another boy, Eric, comes up and complains to me that it’s not FAIR that I share the delicious items of my lunch with only Timmy. Eric comes from a middle-class family and his lunch is as big as mine. Eric is demanding that, to be fair, I must split what I share between him and Timmy.

What should I do? Am I required to decrease what I give to Timmy, who needs it, in order to give to Eric? Is the fact that I’m being “unfair” somehow immoral?

Hopefully, this should clear up for you why networking in job placement, though sometimes unfair, is not necessarily immoral…

 

[sedonaman]

…What should I do? Am I required to decrease what I give to Timmy, who needs it, in order to give to Eric? Is the fact that I’m being “unfair” somehow immoral?

…

No. You are like the vineyard owner who hired workers at various times of the day and paid everyone the same at the end. You have done no injustice to Eric because you are generous. :nope: Only an envious person would think otherwise. :sad_yes:

 

[thistle]

Consider this please:

You are searching for a job and your friend who works at an organization advocates to the manager on your behalf to get you employed there too. The manager opens up the opportunity to let you have a chance too.
Would accepting the job be immoral in the sense that you are getting employed thru a shorter route and possibly not playing fair?

I question whether or not the ‘not what you know, but who you know’ way of finding a new employment opportunity a possible form of cheating

Absolutely not!

 

[Dakota_Roberts]

Consider this please:

You are searching for a job and your friend who works at an organization advocates to the manager on your behalf to get you employed there too. The manager opens up the opportunity to let you have a chance too.
Would accepting the job be immoral in the sense that you are getting employed thru a shorter route and possibly not playing fair?

I question whether or not the ‘not what you know, but who you know’ way of finding a new employment opportunity a possible form of cheating

If you are actually qualified for the job then there is nothing wrong.