Me AND my people?

7 Comments

1. LaurenMay 27,2022 at 3:41AM UTC

   It sounds like it would be helpful to get clarity on what the expectations are of your current employer. If there are certain contacts you do not want to share for whatever reason perhaps you can share some but not all (until you wish to do so). If they say they were thinking that you were well connected and open to sharing your contacts now you know. However, you still get to decide if there is a boundary you want to set. Hope this helps!

   Wishing you all the best, always!

2. AnonymousMay 27,2022 at 5:44AM UTC

   Does your job require you to tap into your network? If yes, you can set boundaries on who you want to connect with for your job. If no, you can say, you’ll need to ask your contact if they’re open to xyz before formally asking them for something.

   Also, if another staff also knows that person, you could say it’s better suited for that person reach out due to xyz.

3. AnonymousMay 27,2022 at 6:35AM UTC

   Sure if that's what you signed up for.

   If the expectation was that you are highly connected and can open doors and you agreed to create opportunities for the company then absolutely.

4. AnonymousMay 27,2022 at 8:05AM UTC

   It depends on what the job entails and whether they laid those specific expectations out to us upfront, if not sure, ask them directly.
   If so, I hope you played that to your advantage to get the pay you want. Even if so you can use it to your advantage since after all they are YOUR contacts and you have some leverage here so use it to your benefit. If that is not what you signed up for then you may need to talk to see if they are willing to reset expectations

5. Kimberley Ferretti HammettMay 27,2022 at 2:04PM UTC

   I would say a key phrasing here is "access" to your connections. If part of your role is to use your network for the business then yes, I think you're on the hook for that. But it should be YOU. You shouldn't have any obligation to hand over your contacts. That's a risk on your own reputation. All contacting should be able to be handled by you at least initially. You've worked hard to build your network like any other skill. They have the expectation to utilize that skill to apply to the role but handing over contact information would be like them requesting you send them documents of previous projects you completed.

6. Kimberley Ferretti HammettMay 27,2022 at 2:13PM UTC

   Also I should add, even if you're doing the contacting, if there is anyone you aren't comfortable reaching out to on behalf of your current company you may have to obligation to explain ("I don't think that would be a good partnership" or "I don't have that kind of relationship with them and this could negatively impact a personal relationship" etc) but you should have no obligation to risk hurting your relationships for your company.

   I had a that experience where I was hired for a marketing role that was supposed to be focused on planning and hosting marketing events but was told I had to solicit my family and friends and network to post positive reviews about the company and like and comment LinkedIn posts (they even tried to require me to put posts on my personal LinkedIn, not just the business page.. I might have normally done so but they had already pushed me enough at that point I started to just say "ok" and not do it.. I wasn't trashing my image with their brand.)

7. Shelli Foster BagwellMay 27,2022 at 6:11PM UTC

   They hired me as an Estimator. I can do that without any connection to outside contacts. It's math and knowledge. I think they want me to partner with the Business Developer and make introductions. That is NOT part of my job description.