my contractor suggests me to join his company 2

[rex05]

Hi,

My company (A) is a subcontractor to a company (B) and I work at the client site (facility of company B). Because of my presence at B's facility, i have developed frindship with some employees of company B.

In a friendly chat, a friend in company B asks me to join his company as there are some vacancies ( advertised on the Internet). He is not a boss there and this is not a formal job offer, just a suggestion.

For me, there are very good opportunities in company B so I am willing to leave my current job in A for that position in B. Also, because of my familiarity with the work and people there, I stand a fair chance of making through the selection procedure.

But, the problem is the very fact that I was at the client facility for some time and I came to know of this opportunity during that period makes me feel that I am cheating with my current employer (A). It was A which gave me this opportunity to visit B and now I am willing to leave A for B.

Also, there may be some policies in company B regarding relations with subcontractors which I am not sure of. Can there be any such policies? I feel that if I apply for this job, then I will end up tarnishing the reputation of my current employer (A) and of myself. I am not clear of the reasons but my concience tells me that.

Over and above that, I can be in trouble if the boss in company B tells my own boss in company A that I have applied in his company.

The above reasons have prevented me to apply for job in company B till now. But, I do not want to let this opportunity slip away.

Can someone please guide me of the correct way.
TIA.

 

[willir]

Well you certainly posted this query to the right forum.

From my perspective, there is no right answer, but I have been in the same position. Except I was offered the job to transition over. Then a couple of buddies of mine recently transitioned over to the company they were servicing.

There are some legal issues here...
- Does your company have a formal agreement that addresses this issue? If your employer is big enough, I suspect there is. There may be legal consequences and penalties. Investigate first.

- When you transition / if you transition, you may be on the bottom of heirarchy again. You may loose vacation, seniority, etc.

- Which company is the most viable and offers the best chance for improvement. Temper this with which location makes you happier.

Me. I advised the manager to go through my employer. The employer wanted a "finder's fee" -- not uncommon. In the end, I decided to stay with my employer -- even though the grass appeared much greener on the other side, it turned out to be a wiser choice.

Good luck.

 

[chiph]

You might want to review your employment contract. Often there is verbiage about not working at a client for 6 months or a year after you leave your company.

Even if your contract doesn't explicitly say this, it's possible that your company and the other company have a "no raiding" agreement.

willir is right - if the other company really wants you, they should talk to your company about doing a contract-to-hire for you.

Chip H.


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[SantaMufasa]

Rex,

In addition to following Willi's and Chip's excellent suggestions to clarify your legal/contractual situation, there is also a personal/professional approach that you may wish to consider taking, depending upon the nature of your relationship with your manager:

Request a one-on-one with your manager. At the one-on-one, explain to her/him how rewarding the assignment at Company B has been and how much Company B has appreciated your contributions. Explain how Company B has one or more positions open that appear to fit nicely with your personal-professional-growth path. After much consideration, you would like Company B to interview you for their job opening(s), but only if Company A is amenable and if there is nothing contractual or ethical that prevents your pursuing that opportunity. Because of your respect for her/his opinion, you are seeking her/his advice.

There are multiple benefits of your taking this approach:

1) Everything is above board...you do not have to feel as though you are sneaking around.

2) It confirms your respect for your manager's advice and opinion.

3) It signals your company that
a) You are eager to raise your career to the next level, and
b) You have other options that you are interested in pursuing and that if Company A wants to keep you, that they need to address your needs and make it worth your while to stay. (I am not implying that your intent here is to "blackmail" Company A into raising the ante on your compensation.)

4) If your manager understands and agrees to your effort, you can assure Company B that Company A finds no problem with your discussions, and you can even use your manager as a job reference for Company B.

5) If your manager does not concur with your discussions with Company B, then see "Item 3", above.

You should confirm with your manager that you don't want this discussion to jeopardise your position with Company A, but rather you are seeking professional advice from a respected colleague.

Of course, all of the above depends upon the nature of your relationship with your manager, and you need to tailor the approach to your personality and style.

In my personal experience, open communication with the current manager fosters mutual respect and relieves you from feeling uncomfortable about your interviewing.

Mufasa
(aka Dave of Sandy, Utah, USA)

http://www.dasages.com

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Then click here to join Utah Oracle Users Group on Tek-Tips.

 

[rex05]

Hi Willir, chiph and Mufasa,

Thanks for you excellent advice! I certainly think that I should go back to my employment agreement again and understand the implications thoroughly. Also, I will try to see if there are any specific policies regarding this issue.

I liked Mufusa's suggestion of discussing with my manager. I have good relations with her and I feel that this way nothing is hidden and doesn't seem like a conspiracy to me. I hope this doesn't cost me.....

Company B has not made any offer to me . I just came to know of the opportunities while I was there. Had the offer been made, I could have asked the person in B to talk to my company. But right now, I need to approach the person in company B and apply for that particular job. This I felt was looking very dangerous and unethical.

thanks again,
regards
Rex