Rob simply put its your creditability on the line. The head chesses asked you for honest assessment of him and will make a judgment off yours and others input too make a final decision as too his future with the company. Don't think for a minute that they did not notice you telling the truth.

 

I work with an EE that is like that. Technically a great guy, just has NO desire to do anything other than what he is currently doing.

I figure anyone that is in a career path is either happy where they are or are trying to advance. If they are grumpy, dont wanna work with anyone, then they aren't wanting to advance.

 

Thanks ya'll. I know I did the right thing, but I felt bad. Yes, it was an opinion I was asked for, and that is what I gave. I call 'em like I see 'em.

~Rob

 

I don't know what's happening to the world, it's sure becoming way too touchy feeley for me. What ever happened to just getting the job done no matter what? Sometimes you can't always be nice to people, decisions need to be made that not everyone agrees with and people die if it's the wrong decision. I was never a team player but I had to learn to say "we" and always stood up for those I supervised as a group, there's a time to laugh and joke and there's a time to just git er done. The job and everyones safety came first, peoples feelings and how they felt about me came second. Just my 2 cents worth.

 

I do QA/QC work, and I will be the first to tell you when I walk onto a site, I am NOT here to make friends. I am here to make sure the job is done RIGHT. If you don't want to do it correctly and safely then stop by the office to get you check. They really get nervous in the spring, they know I live a very solitary life, and my social skills need a few weeks to catch up to me. Friends I can count on one hand, don't need any more than that.

 

AK Paul we walk the same trail. You may have more friends than me.

 

It isn't bad to be a Lone Wolf. But some times it takes a team. I'm not talking touchy feely. I'm talking a team. You know like you can't do it alone. If you put 2 basket ball teams on a court and one is full of lone wolf's and the other is full of team players and they are all of equal skill, which do you think will win. I am not speaking ill of anyone. Just making sure that no-one is mistaking teamplayer for politically correct.

 

and some people in the workforce have to be part of a team because they can't do anything by themselves.

 

I agree with that too.

 

Telling the truth is always doing the right thing. I wish everyone did that during a background interview.

It's up to the person doing the hiring what they do with the information. Maybe they have a candidate who has both people and technical skills and is easy to manage... in which case that person deserves the position.

Maybe your friend is the only applicant with the required technical abilities, and perhaps the folks doing the hiring might want to have a little sit down chat with him... IE This position requires a team player, and don't take the offer if you are not able to make that adjustment, because we won't keep someone who refuses to show up at meetings or work OT when required...

 

The hardest decisions are the one's that need to be made in order to best supply our troops with everything they need to prevail in battle. You made the right decision. You can't be a buddy and a boss.

Just my .02, Kurt

 

Reading the original post again makes me kind of wonder where the supervision was at that first position.

At any place I've worked, if someone decided not to show up to a required meeting and/or refused to work required overtime, corrective action would have been taken immediately. If it happened again after that, I'd expect the conversation to include handing the guy his final check...

 

There is a lack of supervision, that is why I left that group and got in a much better run one
A particular program needed the guy's experience and was willing to "overlook" somethings. A long story that I can't get into here.

And thank you to the people who said that you can't equate being a team player with being politcally correct. We work on complex systems, communication between people working is fundamental to getting the product working right the first time. Being an individual contributor is great, and we need that too, but at times you have to show up to the table to discuss how other pieces of the puzzle are going to fit with your piece. You can do that and not be politically correct or be called a brown noser or what ever other name you care to apply.

~Rob