Need some potential employer advice

[daza]

Right having a bit of a toughie with this for the last year, so time to start seeking advice.

I was working for a well known retailer for the past 5 years since I left in 2011, I originally joined in one store A and had to leave when I had an altercation with a member of staff (my ex), I transferred to different store B half way across the country. I got on with all the staff at the new store and was the perfect worker due for future training, unfortunately I had to leave due to personal family commitments. Store B tried everything to keep me on but we both decided it wouldn't work, they tried placing me in my old store A and Store C (the only two within my area) but both were full and wouldn't bend the rules.

I've since gotten things sorted and have been trying to regain employment within the same retailer within stores A and C But both have just sent me letters saying I'm unsuitable and to try again (this has happened 4 times) I've spoke to the HR leader at store A, and was told that they would have to take into consideration my ex and her new bloke work there and the impact it would have (a week later I got the first rejection letter).Store C have been roughly the same (the HR departments are friends) I know the store manager who sent me an application form saying he'd love to have me there yet I keep getting rejection letters saying I'm unsuitable and they've gone on to higher new people.

I'm at a loss as to why I'm been singled out as unsuitable I'm trained within there company, have an outstanding track record and go above and beyond what I was meant to when I worked there.
I have spoken to someone from head office about it and have been told there going to look into it as I expressed my disbelief that its more cost effective to train and teach a new person when I am effectively ready to go.

I've tried to keep it brief and as neutral as possible but I'm at a loss where to go next, I do have a current job put it part time and my income is smaller than my outgoings even though they've been somewhat trimmed to the bone. They'll also be alot saying just find another job again thats easier said than done the only jobs that we have pop up are for exc manager jobs that I'm not qualified, care+child work or IT work that I'm not qualified.

It's getting to the point where I'm seriously thinking of relocating again simply for a better job, yet if I do I'll have to tell me family and it wont go down well but Im seeing no other option.

Sorry for the rant/not making sense/jibberish.

 

[gumbo-67]

i will stick my neck on the line and have to say it may be down to reliability sorry, HR departments may say look he has messed us about in the past what if he does it again? sorry to say it.

 

[Steep]

The problem is large companies don't see you as a real person, you're a series of reports/incidents. Unless they are actively hiring they are not going to look any deeper than your name cropping up in connection with past trouble, even though it may not have been your fault or whatever. Better to try and find work with another retailer in the same field if you can.

 

[Dale_tem]

It sounds like you will always have problems with this retailer (whether it is your fault or not). Move to another company, fresh start, no background history.

 

[MartynK]

You worked for Branch A but 'had to leave' following some sort of altercation with your ex, and the company transferred you to Branch B. You subsequently left (resigned?) because of family/personal commitments.

I think it's pretty clear that they have no intention of offering you another position, and there's really nothing you can do about this. I doubt if anything will change. This relationship is over, for the foreseeable future anyway.

These things happen, but trying to hang on to the past doesn't often work very well. Put it behind you and move on. Relocate if you have to. You said your family won't be very happy about this, but didn't explain why. That's fine, it's none of our business anyway, but surely they understand your situation?

Good luck.

 

[Dale_tem]

I presume he is a dad and his wife and kids have to change schools, job, find new friends etc.

 

[big soft moose]

can you not change retailers but stay in the same area (ie if for example you work for tesco - go work for asda )

As to why they say you are unsuitable .. I don't want to be harsh but you had an altercation and had to relocated, surely that speaks for itself - most companies (rightly or wrongly) expect their staff to be proffesional no matter what and to check the personal baggage at the door - that you havent done this in the past doesnt speak highly as a recomendation to hiring you in the future

 

[RD400]

For get about the past company find a retailer that does the same as your past job and try to get on there .
Look at it as there loss your gain and the new retailer who as employed you

 

[daza]

i will stick my neck on the line and have to say it may be down to reliability sorry, HR departments may say look he has messed us about in the past what if he does it again? sorry to say it.

Didn't mess them around everything was mutual from my point of view.

The problem is large companies don't see you as a real person, you're a series of reports/incidents. Unless they are actively hiring they are not going to look any deeper than your name cropping up in connection with past trouble, even though it may not have been your fault or whatever. Better to try and find work with another retailer in the same field if you can.

They have been actively hiring and I've been recommended with by two store managers and an arm of references that work at varying levels within this company.

It sounds like you will always have problems with this retailer (whether it is your fault or not). Move to another company, fresh start, no background history.

Theres not a lot of variety I have been trying but it is rather small where we live, hence thinking of relocation

You worked for Branch A but 'had to leave' following some sort of altercation with your ex, and the company transferred you to Branch B. You subsequently left (resigned?) because of family/personal commitments.

I think it's pretty clear that they have no intention of offering you another position, and there's really nothing you can do about this. I doubt if anything will change. This relationship is over, for the foreseeable future anyway.

These things happen, but trying to hang on to the past doesn't often work very well. Put it behind you and move on. Relocate if you have to. You said your family won't be very happy about this, but didn't explain why. That's fine, it's none of our business anyway, but surely they understand your situation?

Good luck.

They didn't relocate me it was a mutual choice, there was viscous rumours people were taking sides and it wasn't pretty, I thought I took the high ground and made what I thought was the best choice which they agreed with as I would be able to earn more experience, The store manager in store C used to be the store manager in store A and has told me he wanted me there and that he was trying to open up a vacancy for me. I purely put this down to bad a bad HR department. They would understand but it wouldn't be easy they struggled the last time without me.

can you not change retailers but stay in the same area (ie if for example you work for tesco - go work for asda )

As to why they say you are unsuitable .. I don't want to be harsh but you had an altercation and had to relocated, surely that speaks for itself - most companies (rightly or wrongly) expect their staff to be proffesional no matter what and to check the personal baggage at the door - that you havent done this in the past doesnt speak highly as a recommendation to hiring you in the future

I didn't have to be it was decided it was in everyone's best interest, there has been numerous times when I have kept my work life and private life separate and I am very well abled in doing this and has been spoken about in progress reviews since the incident.



I appreciate what everyone is saying and I'm not expecting to be offered a job in a heartbeat but I would like a fighting chance, I'm also actively looking for other sources of employment but having sunk 5 years into one company I'm now not qualified for most of the posts out there and cant afford to retrain a nice catch 22.

 

[MartynK]

Daza, quite frankly, I think you're clutching at straws. You're hoping that your previous employers will change their mind, and your previous manager is now at Branch C and wants to find a position for you. He obviously doesn't have the authority to do this without HR's agreement, and they seem to have made it pretty clear that they're not going to go along with this.

If you're really determined to pursue this, you need to follow up with HR. Make an appointment or call them, speak to someone at a senior level, and discuss it. Tell them how you feel - don't be confrontational - and explain that you really believe that you can make a valuable contribution to the company, and would like to work for them again. Speak to your previous manager and ask if he will support you. Ask HR to be frank, and if there is any prospect of re-employment, and if there is anything you can do to motivate it. If they say no, or that you'll have to keep applying and take your chances, you're just going to have to accept the situation.

I think you're wasting your time, but perhaps this is something you need to do so that you can close the door and move on.

 

[big soft moose]

I didn't have to be it was decided it was in everyone's best interest, there has been numerous times when I have kept my work life and private life separate and I am very well abled in doing this and has been spoken about in progress reviews since the incident.
.

I do get that - but speaking as a manager the fact that there's been an 'incident' at all (and by the sound of it quite a major one if it management involvement) wouldnt encourage me to hire you.

You can say that you are well abled as much as you want , but the bottom line through a managers eyes is that if you were really well abled in this field there'd never have been an incident and you'd still be working happily in store A.

Looking at it from their perspective there is always going to be a risk factor in giving you another chance , and you have to ask what whether that risk outweight the hassle in training someone else from scratch.

(for example the sorts of things they are going to be worried about are, what if your ex or her partner gets promoted or transfered in the future and you wind up working with them again ? , or come to that what if you form a relationship with another colleague and then it all goes south again etc)

I'm not saying that its fair , or that they'd really have any grounds for feeling this way but in the hard light of day that's how its likely to stand in their heads -and therefore i'd concurr with other in saying that you are wasting your time with this company and you'd be better off getting a fresh start somewhere else

 

[Garry Edwards]

I totally agree with the people who say that you should write it off and move on, even though I appreciate that you don't feel that it's your fault, and that it might be very difficult to find another job.

The reality is that people who hold management jobs in large Companies are very much into risk avoidance, and (rightly or wrongly) they see you as a risk.

Re-hiring you would put them at risk if there were any future problems, because they would have to explain why they took a decision to give you another chance when it would have been easier and safer to hire someone who didn't have a track record.

Often, in business, the wrong decisions are taken for the right reasons - that's just the way it is I'm afraid.

 

[Headless Lois]

Based on this :
"I've spoke to the HR leader at store A, and was told that they would have to take into consideration my ex and her new bloke work there and the impact it would have"
I pretty much agree with the above advice - the HR department see employing you as a risk. I really don't know what you can do to change that.
Surely your skills are transferable to another company?

A