Colleague left should I say anything

cloudatlas

There was a temp working in our office who has been hired in another part of the company. Although very good at their job I found their manner to be rude and difficult, if they had an issue with anything they were argumentative, arrogant and unpleasant. At a conference a former colleague of theirs without me saying anything asked how was I managing with this person and suggested that I let them think they were in charge (presumably it’s easier that way). My supervisor wasn’t in the office all that frequently so hasn’t experienced the behaviour.

This person has left but management seem to like them, praised them a few times and I’m worried they may be looked on favourably if there is a job in my department in future. Should I just leave it, negativity may reflect on me, appear to be sour grapes etc., or tell my boss they were difficult. How should I approach it?

Peregrinus

You should say nothing.

As matters stand, this person has been hired in "another part of the company", which presumably means they are not working with you, so whatever their manner is it's not causing you any problems. There's nothing in your work situation that needs changing. Anything you say right now is just spreading derogatory gossip.

If they are transferred into a position where they are working with you obviously that could start to cause you problems and, if it does, then you may have a need and a right to speak up. Depending on your own role and level in the company you could, I suppose, find yourself in a position where it's your job to make, or participate in, promotion or posting decisions about this person. If and when that happens, obviously you can take account of what you have learned from your own interactions with this person, and share it with others involved in making the decision. But in fairness to the candidate you'd have to give them an opportunity to address the issue; you shouldn't make decisions about her based on perceptions and judgments that she knows nothing about.

cloudatlas

I wouldn’t be in a position to hire them but I do hope to stay in my current role and I like the friendly environment that has been cultivated despite the recent disruption. I would only speak to my supervisor and relay my experience I wouldn’t spread malicious gossip about anyone, I included what a total stranger said to me at a conference a. Because folks on here may assume that I am the only person who has had an issue and it’s a personality clash (According to her it sounds like her old line manager didn’t like her either) and b. Because it was remarkable that the only thing a stranger said to me after finding out where I worked was that statement about that colleague.

Peregrinus

I get this. But look at it from the point of view of your line manager. They're thinking "(a) cloudatlas is raising with me concerns about what happened in the past that they never raised with me at the time, when they mattered, and (b) cloudatlas is relaying gossip that they heard at a social function from a former work colleague of this person's in another workplace. And I'm not even this person's manager now. Which is fortunate, because if I'm an ethical manager this is not the kind of information that I could properly allow to influence a decision affecting this person."

cloudatlas

Peregrinus wrote: »

I get this. But look at it from the point of view of your line manager. They're thinking "(a) cloudatlas is raising with me concerns about what happened in the past that they never raised with me at the time, when they mattered, and (b) cloudatlas is relaying gossip that they heard at a social function from a former work colleague of this person's in another workplace. And I'm not even this person's manager now. Which is fortunate, because if I'm an ethical manager this is not the kind of information that I could properly allow to influence a decision affecting this person."

I take your first point. I wouldn’t bring up the social function information that was just for the purpose of framing the behaviour in my post, i would only relay my personal experience of working with this person day to day. I didn’t have an opportunity to bring up my concerns at the time the person was on a temp contract and not within the organisation now they are permanent I’m concerned.

Peregrinus

Well, if there is a regular performance review process in your company, you could raise it there. "How has it being going this year?" "Well, to be honest I had a bit of a situation a while back with that temp; if it had gone on I would have mentioned it to you but because I knew they were temporary I just let it pass. This is what happened . . .".

OMM 0000

I'm a little confused.

This person no longer works in the company, and you want to go to management to tell them this person was arrogant, etc.?

I can't see an upside for you.

Peregrinus

OMM 0000 wrote: »

I'm a little confused.

This person no longer works in the company . . .

No, the person was posted to the company as a temp, which is when the OP worked with them, but has since been hired to the permanent staff. They're on staff, but they don't [currently] work with the OP. The OP is concerned that the person could be transferred to a position in which the OP would have to work with them.

HandsomeBob

My experience with this is that companies will drag their heels.

Only time I've ever seen a company take swift action on someone is when a) they've stepped over a personal line with a colleague in a significant manner and someone has had the gall to make mistakes and cost them a nice sum in the process.

In relation to rude and difficult people, they might get a talking to over their attitude, maybe a warning but that's as far as it will go. They're often cute enough ones so know how to play the system.

Park it OP and see what happens. Management tend to turn this sort of thing back on you as a failure of yours for not being able to deal with it yourself. Unfair of course but that's their way of washing their hands.

OMM 0000

Peregrinus wrote: »

No, the person was posted to the company as a temp, which is when the OP worked with them, but has since been hired to the permanent staff. They're on staff, but they don't [currently] work with the OP. The OP is concerned that the person could be transferred to a position in which the OP would have to work with them.

Thanks for the clarification.

So she wants to go bitch to management about a person she isn't working with?

And who is "very good at her job".

That seems a little self destructive...

skallywag

Complaining about someone in retrospect once they have actually left the current team, rarely tends to reflect well in my experience. It just comes across as bitchy and weak. It begs the obvious question as to why this was not brought up when the person was still a team member.

OMM 0000

skallywag wrote: »

It begs the obvious question as to why this was not brought up when the person was still a team member.

skallywag wrote: »

bitchy and weak

I think you answered your own question.

It will come across as bitchy and weak.

It is very unlikely the OP will come out of this looking good.

Focus on yourself, improve your skills, do a good job, learn office politics. You can make a complaint if this other employee does something bad to you in the future.

cloudatlas

OMM 0000 wrote: »

I think you answered your own question.

It will come across as bitchy and weak.

It is very unlikely the OP will come out of this looking good.

Focus on yourself, improve your skills, do a good job, learn office politics. You can make a complaint if this other employee does something bad to you in the future.

I am not working in a high powered ball buster job where people are concerned about showing weakness. I would never bitch to a supervisor about a colleague that would be unprofessional. What I would say would be prepared, succinct and to the point and related to their work and behaviour in the office.

I couldn't say anything before because my boss was rushed off her feet and barely in the office and that is why the temp behaved and did as she wished. I take your points on board although I think your views that I am bitchy and weak is incorrect, this isn't my first rodeo and I do a good job, I've met domineering, pushy, bullying types before and my fear is if she can't dominate in her new job she will try to get back in our team.

How bad would it be instead of saying something now I wait until this person would be potentially reinstated in some capacity in our team to say something, would that be worse?

OMM 0000

I think you should leave what happened in the past, and if something happens in the future, that's when you say something. You could even do it like this:

"Actually I had noticed this sort of behaviour with her before, but I let it slide the last time as she was new and I wanted to see if she would relax after she settled into the role", or something like that.

witchgirl26

OP I get that you're worried about the future impacts this could have but realistically if the problem was that big, you should have found a way to raise it with your boss when the person was working within your team. As it stands now, I'd leave off. If there is an indication that the person is going to move back into your team in the future, you could possibly raise it then with your boss as a concern by saying that the last time they worked in the team, you felt their work was very good but their interpersonal skills left a bit to be desired. I'd stress though of not doing it now but only if a move back to your team looks like. Otherwise it can look quite bitchy and it can raise the question of why, if it was such a problem, it wasn't raised at the time.

Tiddlypeeps

cloudatlas wrote: »

How bad would it be instead of saying something now I wait until this person would be potentially reinstated in some capacity in our team to say something, would that be worse?

If this person came back to your team would it result in you considering leaving the job?

If yes is the answer to that question then I think you should bring it up with your manager. Just be careful how you raise it, make sure they know there is nothing you want them to do about it right now and that you are not trying to get this person in trouble and that you didn't raise it before because this person was temp and you didn't want to add to the managers stress about a problem that was likely to go away on it's own. You are just letting them know that if the opportunity comes up to bring this person back onto the team then you would like them to consider what you have told them.

If you are a valued team member and you have a good manager then there isn't a hope in hell this person will end up back on your team after a conversation like that.

I don't see any downsides to bringing it up as long as the complaints are raised carefully. It'll either be ignored and your manager will do whatever they were going to do regardless or it will ensure this person never ends up on your team.

OMM 0000

Tiddlypeeps wrote: »

I don't see any downsides to bringing it up as long as the complaints are raised carefully. It'll either be ignored and your manager will do whatever they were going to do regardless or it will ensure this person never ends up on your team.

Visualise someone who really has their sh*t together and is going places with their career.

Do they do things like this?

I don't think so...

Tiddlypeeps

OMM 0000 wrote: »

Visualise someone who really has their sh*t together and is going places with their career.

Do they do things like this?

I don't think so...

I really can't imagine this impacting anyones career in all but companies with extremely toxic corporate culture, which OP already said is not the case.

If someone on my team came to me about a person that had recently moved to a different team and said they were difficult to work with and they'd prefer not to work with them again in the future then I really can't imagine it diminishing my view of them.

The only things that would likely diminish my view of them is if they had an attitude about it, blamed me over it even tho they never brought it to my attention when I could do something about it, expected me to take it further and make the person who has moved on's life difficult in their new team and things like that. But if the persons objective is clearly just "I'd prefer not to work with that person again" then I couldn't hold that against them.

I obviously only have my own personal experiences to go off and it's very possible I've been lucky with the managers I've had and that has shaped how I manage, but I really hope you are wrong and most are not that insanely unreasonable.

OMM 0000

You might be right. But something about this strikes me as off. As someone else said, it feels a little bitchy. And I feel it's risky considering the management team really like this person.

I'm totally fine with the OP playing office politics, but I think there's a smarter way to do it.

As someone else said, if this person starts causing problems again, or looks likely to move to the OPs team, I think that's a better time to bring it up.

Wildly Boaring

I'd say something.

Your line manager is as well off knowing that you would have issues working with this person again.

Is there a review coming up soon?
Small blip when working with x but flying again now. Didn't complain as I knew it was temporary. Put head down and got stuck in

skallywag

cloudatlas wrote: »

... I take your points on board although I think your views that I am bitchy and weak is incorrect, this isn't my first rodeo and I do a good job...

I'm sure you do a good job, and I don't mean to say that you are bitchy and weak at all.

But, in my own experience anyway, bringing up such complaints once the person in question has left the arena is never going to reflect well on you, and you could easily be then tarred with that brush.

If the person was to come into direct contact you again with the same attitude then by all means escalate and raise the issue, mentioning your past experiences as well.

Tiddlypeeps

OMM 0000 wrote: »

As someone else said, if this person starts causing problems again, or looks likely to move to the OPs team, I think that's a better time to bring it up.

The problem with waiting is the OP may not be made aware of any decisions until they have already been made. At which point it might be difficult to undo and will certainly make the managers life more difficult.

Calhoun

Frankly its none of your business and you run the risk of forming some bad blood as stuff in companies does get around.

As one manager said to me in the past, always be professional when working with people as you never know who you will work with in the future.

If this person is super arrogant and is a problem they will trip themselves up at some point but i dont think you will do yourself much favors with management by raising it as an issue you could be seen as the problem.

OMM 0000

5 people saying "say nothing", 2 people saying "go ahead".

What do you think you'll do cloudatlas?

PS Loved that book.

mvl

Ah, this reminds me of my current dilemma, but in a reverse way; I would be leaving (hopefully soon) to a different dept, and 70% of the reason for me wanting to move now is because of a personality clash with one of my peers.

Question (to myself) was: should I ever mention to my current manager the real reason that triggered my half of year of planning/looking for a new role when he would be looking for feedback (note that my manager is not keen to loose me).

My answer to self is there is no point: damage is done, and nothing I would say to my manager would revert the stress I had to overcome because of that situation (really close to causing me health issues).
Since I want a clean move, this truth must be hidden.

So for OP, my advice is don't give unsolicited feedback about a work situation such as the one presented. When asked, you'd need to be PC about it.
If ever in future you'd end up being in a position to work again with this individual, then you need to take better measures to protect yourself.

cloudatlas

thanks for the advice I’ll follow the consensus unless my supervisor asks me anything. She has been on the receiving end of a raised voice and heated view point from this person aswell which she stopped replying to, so maybe she has copped on. My supervisor is a decent sort.

I have been stressed going into work because of this person and their constant arguing, criticising and unpleasantness hence the thread. I’ll just pray she doesn’t come back in some capacity if a position arises in future.

cloudatlas

mvl wrote: »

Ah, this reminds me of my current dilemma, but in a reverse way; I would be leaving (hopefully soon) to a different dept, and 70% of the reason for me wanting to move now is because of a personality clash with one of my peers.

Question (to myself) was: should I ever mention to my current manager the real reason that triggered my half of year of planning/looking for a new role when he would be looking for feedback (note that my manager is not keen to loose me).

My answer to self is there is no point: damage is done, and nothing I would say to my manager would revert the stress I had to overcome because of that situation (really close to causing me health issues).
Since I want a clean move, this truth must be hidden.

So for OP, my advice is don't give unsolicited feedback about a work situation such as the one presented. When asked, you'd need to be PC about it.
If ever in future you'd end up being in a position to work again with this individual, then you need to take better measures to protect yourself.

Sorry to hear that folks don’t understand how draining and upsetting it can be and it sounds like you may have been bullied, if the situation was different I would have approached my supervisor ie if their contract was extended in my debt, my supervisor not under stress running around the place. Bullying is a different thing all together, this person exhibited some behaviour that was akin to it but it’s something that needs to be knocked on the head immediately.

mvl

cloudatlas wrote: »

Sorry to hear that folks don’t understand how draining and upsetting it can be and it sounds like you may have been bullied, if the situation was different I would have approached my supervisor ie if their contract was extended in my debt, my supervisor not under stress running around the place. Bullying is a different thing all together, this person exhibited some behaviour that was akin to it but it’s something that needs to be knocked on the head immediately.

in a flow for conflict resolution, beside trying to tackle the issue in private, other recommendation was to identify when the situation is out of your hands, and either give up, or go for a management/HR escalation.
when an escalation brings no wins for the business or the individuals, its time to give up imo.

STB.

cloudatlas wrote: »

thanks for the advice I’ll follow the consensus unless my supervisor asks me anything. She has been on the receiving end of a raised voice and heated view point from this person aswell which she stopped replying to, so maybe she has copped on. My supervisor is a decent sort.

I have been stressed going into work because of this person and their constant arguing, criticising and unpleasantness hence the thread. I’ll just pray she doesn’t come back in some capacity if a position arises in future.

From a temp ? That should have made it all the more easier to raise the issue.

How many working in this area ? Are they all of the same opinion ? Was this person destroying a work environment ?

Sounds like a lot of this lies with your manager. Not dealing with the situation has resulted in somebody on a temporary contract behaving badly being rewarded. Your "supervisor" is not going to backtrack on her recommendation as it will highlight other issues.


There was a time and a place and you should have raised it. Lets hope that Jack is better than Billy when it comes down tackling inappropriate behaviour.

cloudatlas

The situation has changed this person got a new job which is related to my field and will be hot desking in our office one day a week. Now do I say something?

skallywag

I would say something on the next occasion that this behaviour happens again.

cloudatlas

skallywag wrote: »

I would say something on the next occasion that this behaviour happens again.

She was rude to me yesterday, I have a meeting with my boss next week just not sure whether to bring it up.

Calhoun

cloudatlas wrote: »

She was rude to me yesterday, I have a meeting with my boss next week just not sure whether to bring it up.

I would bring it up in a 1x1 if she is being really rude ect.

skallywag

cloudatlas wrote: »

She was rude to me yesterday, I have a meeting with my boss next week just not sure whether to bring it up.

In that case definitely bring it up. You could play it along the lines of 'I really should have raised this before but I didn't, but now that she is back I need to say something. It actually ended up in the same situation as soon as she came back, etc.'.

cloudatlas

skallywag wrote: »

In that case definitely bring it up. You could play it along the lines of 'I really should have raised this before but I didn't, but now that she is back I need to say something. It actually ended up in the same situation as soon as she came back, etc.'.

No she hasn’t come back to hot desk yet we just found out today she got the job today.