My HR department searches resume databases daily to make sure current employees aren’t searching for positions elsewhere.

54 Comments

1. AnonymousJune 1,2022 at 5:27PM UTC

   Family business much like small nonprofits are paranoid, highly intrusive collections of characters in my opinion. Theirs leadership generally don't have boundaries, lack business acumen and are ego driven which allows complete freedom to own those who work for them.

   This not only doesn't surprise me, it is the kind of behavior I expect from them.

2. Colleen MolloyJune 1,2022 at 5:28PM UTC

   That sounds super invasive, but I don't think there is anything you can really do about it outside of sharing the feedback that you didn't appreciate the tenor of the conversation, and can't imagine it would ever make people more likely to stay (retention) OR speak positively about the company in the future (attraction).

   For your personal search, I would avoid posting your resume to sites like Indeed. It's a pretty low ROI as is, and the potential risk with your specific company sounds high.

3. LorraineJune 1,2022 at 5:47PM UTC

   I am an HR manager and I see current and former employee's resumes often. When I see a resume of a current employee that we value, I will have a private conversation with them and let them know I have seen their resume, and I inquire if there is anything the company can do to change their mind about their "looking" elsewhere. Sometimes things can be fixed before it's too late. It's all about communication.

4. AnonymousJune 1,2022 at 6:14PM UTC

   I agree- it's invasive and uncomfortable. It's also bad business, even if they find someone on-line that currently works for them, they should wait for that employee to tell them they plan to leave first then they can make counter-offers to stay. If they have no vacancy they need to fill, why are they looking at and searching for resumes? Are they trying to catch someone? BTW, the way for a company to prevent turnover is to treat employees with respect and reward with appropriate benefits.

5. Kristie WhiteJune 1,2022 at 6:57PM UTC

   Unfortunately, this company has an idiot for an HR Manager.

   This is a waste of time, money and resources. And what is she going to do when she finds one? Confront the employee and solidify their decision.
   If I was happy at this company, I would complain to the HR Manager's boss about this invasive practice. What you do with your own time is your business and I am fairly sure that her boss does not want to waste money on such a foolish use of resources. It also makes the company look bad because instead of making their work environment better so they can retain employees, they are being petty and paranoid and ensuring they create an environment of disrespect for their employees.
   This HR Manager needs to be demoted and/or transferred out of HR. She doesn't have the faintest idea what she is doing. And as a small organization, this could also be coming from the executive suite - which also says something about how this company is run if that is true.

6. AnonymousJune 1,2022 at 6:57PM UTC

   I think they need to concentrate on keeping current employees and not stalk them. This is very bad behavior and makes them look bad.

7. Gretchen SkalkaJune 1,2022 at 6:58PM UTC

   Eww

   I could elaborate, but why?

8. Julie HumbirdJune 1,2022 at 7:22PM UTC

   This is toxic and will cause more to leave than stay. What that HR Manager should be doing is researching the roles of your staff and make sure they are paid relative to current job postings. Then they should review your benefits package for improvements to reward employees further. Having a resume online can mean nothing more than being prepared if an opportunity comes your way.

9. AnonymousJune 1,2022 at 7:51PM UTC

   We are all job seekers. We came from somewhere, we will go elsewhere at some point. If they pay people to sneak around and spy on you, they are not worth your loyalty. You can post your resume on LinkedIn and set it so your current employer cannot see you looking.

10. Karen Annette DossJune 2,2022 at 1:18PM UTC

    That's nearly exactly what my mom always told me to tell my bosses if they ask if I'm looking to leave. "I came looking and I'll leave looking. I don't have any immediate plans to leave, but I always have my eyes on potential growth opportunities because that is important to me. If I miss one, it won't be because I don't know about it, it'll be because I decide to stay put at that time."

11. AnonymousJune 1,2022 at 11:06PM UTC

    That is probably the most disgusting thing I have ever heard. It’s one thing for HR to do it but to confront the employee that’s going to far. I would have responded what I do outside of my normal work hrs is non of your concern.

12. Barb HansenJune 2,2022 at 12:39AM UTC

    "a little invasive" seems to me to be an understatement, it's super invasive, and super weird.

    If I worked at this company, I would quietly let everyone know what's going on. This is something that needs to be brought into the light. Who wants to work for a company that prevents you from getting another job? That's crazy!

    Side note:

    What does the company do when they find an employee's resume online? Force a person to admit they are looking for another job? Yell at the employee? Fire them? Treat them poorly?

13. Vanda LeeJune 2,2022 at 4:26PM UTC

    Exactly! That's just nuts!

14. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistJune 2,2022 at 4:16AM UTC

    YOU SAID:

    "the HR Manager told her they knew because they found her resume online while doing their daily search."

    Yeah, and?

    I'm trying to figure out exactly what the HR Manager is looking to accomplish by doing this. Like you said, I would think this would only reinforce the employees decision to look for another job.

    For clarification - do you know if they are looking specifically for employees of your company on job sites or are they looking for candidates for open positions in your company and employees pop up in their search results?

    If it's the first, again, I can't imaging what the HR Manager is trying to accomplish by doing this. It's creepy and out of line. And if it's the second, it's still creepy and out of line.

15. AnonymousJune 2,2022 at 3:32PM UTC

    My understanding is a mix of both. I tried to speak with the HR manager about this, as the person involved was my report, and I was concerned with her approach. She justified it by saying that she searches daily so that she’s not blindsided by an employee leaving.

16. Vanda LeeJune 2,2022 at 4:26PM UTC

    OMG! Why doesn't she do her job on the front end and make sure employees are happy in their current roles. So what is she going to do with the info of a posted resume? Try to save that employee or push them out the door with her invasive confrontation. Not a good retention tactic....

    It's just me but I'd spread the word to everyone what she's doing... let her reap what she has sewn.

17. AnonymousJune 3,2022 at 5:00AM UTC

    Just wow! Lady you need to dust off your resume and get out of there too! Follow your report's lead.

18. AnonymousJune 2,2022 at 8:50AM UTC

    They did this at the company I worked for as well and I feel like it left a target on the person's back to harassed.

    What you could possibly make a case for is using this as an opportunity to retention by possibly seeing what might be happening in those departments where employees are open to other opportunities. Hopefully with that mind shift it would be looked at as a negative.

19. AnonymousJune 2,2022 at 8:52AM UTC

    Sorry for the typos I meant to say maybe it wouldn't be looked at so negatively and may more as an opportunity.

20. Lisa WilliamsJune 2,2022 at 12:22PM UTC

    I am going to pose a different point of view. Please hear me out. I'm an HR manager and we are always looking for great talent (not to replace, but to grow the company), which is why I search databases. If I see one of my employee's resume online, I assume they are doing basically the same, looking for better opportunities that might present themselves. I have my resume posted online as well, and I've been with the same company for 15 years. That is perfectly OK. All employees are well vetted and highly valued. If I go to that person just to have a conversation, it is to find out if they are happy. If not, we explore ways to improve things for them so that we can retain them. If it isn't possible, then no hard feelings and I wish them well on their search. We work hard to provide a great working environment for our team. Not all managers are toxic and looking to punish employees for trying to better their lives.

    However, if management is being overly invasive and not approaching it with dignity and genuine concern for the employee's happiness, then it is indeed a toxic place that she wishes to leave.

21. surfnwriteJune 2,2022 at 12:35PM UTC

    It's very invasive. I wonder what other ways they are investigating employees?

22. Michele DarleyJune 2,2022 at 12:38PM UTC

    So they find a person's resume online, bring them into HR and do what? Threaten to fire them? They want to leave. Do they find out why the person is unhappy and try to fix it?

    It's not illegal to post your resume. What a waste of HR's time to do this. I would be very uncomfortable in that kind of environment.

23. Julie SencionJune 2,2022 at 1:09PM UTC

    No, that is not normal. After almost 2 decades working in HR , I have never worked at a company that has done that (all different sizes). The thing that bothers me is that she was called and asked about it. It is no one’s business if she is looking. There are several reasons why people look and those databases are not always current. Your company is creating a culture of fear because employees talk.

24. AnonymousJune 2,2022 at 1:20PM UTC

    I too have worked in HR for 2 decades and this is the first time I have every heard of HR snooping around to find resumes of their employees. Do recruiters sometimes find them when they are sourcing for positions, yes? But a constant search? Clearly the HR department doesn't have enough to do! I can send them some work!

    Mine came up in a database search a recruiter was doing for special skills and it had been posted YEARS earlier. I had forgotten I had posted it in the database. She mentioned it to me because she was a work friend, just as an fyi, but that was it.

    I too would feel uncomfortable working in an environment like that. Are they searching employees social media pages? Working with IT to monitor your emails? It is not illegal to post your resume or look for another job. The purpose of HR calling the employee into the office was for what? To let the employee know that they know. Ok, know what? Will this employee be denied PTO because they may be going on an interview? Will this employee's every move be scrutinized?

    I would be very cautious about this and as management, I would consider asking HR what this is all about.

25. AnonymousJune 2,2022 at 1:22PM UTC

    Not normal, and not sure what the point is, unless they're trying to encourage people to leave who had been on the fence?

26. Valerie RiegerJune 2,2022 at 2:26PM UTC

    I've been in HR for 20+ years and I have NEVER done this. I don't have time to troll resume databases. If someone wants to leave I wish them the best and let them know that we're here if they ever need us.

    This doesn't sound like the kind of company that I would want to work for.

27. AnonymousJune 3,2022 at 4:57AM UTC

    Agree!

28. Karen GongawareJune 2,2022 at 3:06PM UTC

    Actually employers are allowed to look at job boards. If you live in an at-will state, they can fire you for looking for another job. However, it is bad business practice as word gets out and employees leave and potential employees don't apply. Job search on your own time, do your work, and keep looking if this place is not a good fit.

29. AnonymousJune 2,2022 at 3:30PM UTC

    To clarify, she had been looking on her own time, definitely not at work! They came across her resume while looking through job databases and confronted her about it.

30. AnonymousJune 3,2022 at 4:57AM UTC

    Incorrect. At will means they can fire you for any reason so long as its not based on protected categories like race, age, disability. How do you know the associate is searching for jobs on company time? She may have posted her resume after work, on a weekend

31. AnonymousJune 2,2022 at 4:52PM UTC

    Wow! First, that is very toxic, get out of there. Second, how does HR have time to do that? It sounds to like they are overstaffed if they have time to search job boards daily to be sure employees aren't applying elsewhere.

32. AnonymousJune 2,2022 at 5:44PM UTC

    Wow they must have a ton of time their hands. I can barely get my HR department to process annually reviews for my team.

33. Nicole OgertschnigJune 2,2022 at 6:19PM UTC

    This is a toxic work enviroment. Employees are not required to be "faithful" to companies.

34. AnonymousJune 2,2022 at 8:06PM UTC

    Not normal. Also to what end? Are they going to fire you for looking?

35. Ashley BasilioJune 2,2022 at 9:56PM UTC

    What was the spirit of the conversation between the employee and HR? If it was to shame the employee then that's toxic I agree.

    But maybe it was to say "Hey, I noticed your resume out there. Is everything ok here at work? Are you ready for a new opportunity or is there something I can help with to make your current position more attractive?" That's definitely how I would approach it if I felt the employee was worth trying to keep.

36. AnonymousJune 3,2022 at 4:54AM UTC

    You are missing the point. Its not about why the employee posted her resume online seeking new opportunities, its that HR is trolling sites LOOKING for current associates who are seeking new opportunities. The associate is smart to get out of dodge!

37. AnonymousJune 3,2022 at 1:51PM UTC

    It was posted publicly. Public info is public. It seems invasive, I agree, but I can see it from the point of view Ashley is outlining. I would go about it a different way and just have regular conversations with employees about how are things going, where do you want to head with your career, etc. and straight up tell people who are top talent that we want to keep that they are indeed top talent and we want to keep you. It would go over a lot better than trying to be sneaky about determining who is looking. I think trolling sites seems like a waste and maybe I'm naive but there are so many ways to find a job I don't know how you would be able to do this in a comprehensive way. Personally, I'd go to a recruiter before I posted online publicly - which the company wouldn't see so whether they are trying to do it to keep talent or they are trying to shame those that are looking - I'd avoid being that public about my job search.

38. Teri GibsonJune 4,2022 at 2:09AM UTC

    If the HR team has time on their hands to "troll" sites, then they do not have enough to do.

39. Lisa WilliamsJune 3,2022 at 6:35PM UTC

    This! This is appropriate!

40. Liz MilneJune 3,2022 at 5:09AM UTC

    A small company, checking daily? Yes, very invasive and would be a red flag for me, tbh. I could understand a huge company checking on employees that they're considering for promotion, for example, but just daily checking for resumes, is extremely weird!

41. Sylvia Hollingworth ReichleJune 3,2022 at 12:31PM UTC

    I worked as an HR Director for a midsized company years ago and we did this regularly. Don’t post your résumé publicly if you don’t want it to be seen. Every job board has a feature where you can post your resume with personal information hidden. Although we could tell by the work history if they left the name of their current employer visible. It may seem invasive but we wanted to know which employees were flight risk. It was always someone who was under performing so not usually a surprise. I didn’t run around confronting them.

42. AnonymousJune 3,2022 at 1:21PM UTC

    Let me sum it up for you. Yes, that is very invasive and toxic. If it was me, I would find another job.

43. Terrie McWhorterJune 3,2022 at 2:27PM UTC

    Honestly....this is terrible. HR should be working to boost their retainment qualities instead of looking stealthily to see if people are wanting to leave. Leaders should have an open door policy so that employees can come to them when they feel stagnant...this makes my tummy hurt!!! If I were at this company...I would ask to talk to my super AND the HR super. But that is because I have been working in a collaborative group where transparency is crucial. I have even had a supervisor assist me in taking a different direction in my career. Managers/Supervisors should be mentors and should be proud when their employees spread their wings and move onward and upward. I know that is how I feel watching my previous employees grow. Best of luck...but I would truly have that talk and let them know that you will be looking for a company that uplifts its employees, not one that stalks them.

44. AnonymousJune 3,2022 at 5:56PM UTC

    Should be. I worked long enough in corporations to know to

    -never believe that HR will help you or is on your side

    - never trust management or supervisors

    - that companies ever do anything because out of the goodness of their hearts or because it is simply the right thing to do...

45. Julie Chatman, MBA, CISMJune 3,2022 at 3:34PM UTC

    I struggle to use the word "normal" in many situations; however, I will share that the behavior is concerning.

    It's ironic that they "are trying to protect the company and prevent turnover" because this behavior will surely drive turnover up if employees became aware of it.

46. Bridget HarringtonJune 3,2022 at 5:12PM UTC

    I worked for a company many years ago that did this, along with other invasive behavior. Red flag. I was confronted by their President with my LinkedIn and Indeed profiles and my responses then were what I would say today:

    "There is no loyalty in today's marketplace. You wouldn't hesitate to replace me on a whim, so in order to remain competitive, network and protect my own interests, I'm always considering opportunities. Rather than be concerned about this, were I you, I would focus on employee retention and not barricading the door so people don't leave."

    Nothing was ever said to me again, and I left on my own after 6 months. Another question I would ask (because this was my aforementioned company) is, is the company Indian-owned and managed or a division of a company in India? I'm not saying this to be racist or bigoted. I have worked for two companies that were India-owned and/or with people from India in upper-management. Behavior that Americans and Europeans find inappropriate is how employees are often treated in India. Not to excuse it, but invasiveness and treating employees like property is part of their business culture. Women are also less respected in those environments, even in management. I love Indian culture/food/people but I will never work for an India-owned company ever again.

47. AnonymousJune 3,2022 at 5:49PM UTC

    I know what you mean.
    I have not worked for an Indian-owned company, but my husband did. I work and have worked with many Indians. Usually well educated, competent and simply very nice people. But it seems that some, once they become higher-level managers, start to act superior to non-Indians in general, but also towards other Indians of lower caste. And yes, that thinking still exist.
    One colleague called it the god-attitude.
    So based on my personal, my spouse's and also my friends' experiences I would probably not want to work for an Indian manager - or owner -:either.

48. Gena A.June 3,2022 at 7:52PM UTC

    I think that is ridiculous! Maybe these resume hunters should spend that amount of time improving the work environment for everyone, and they might not have to worry about employees leaving!

49. Sophie JoernJune 3,2022 at 10:16PM UTC

    That is a tough one! As a general rule of thumb, I would say the line was really crossed by confronting the employee. Even if the HR Manager came across that individual's resume, by purpose or on accident, there is not a great reason to do anything further with the information. It is possible that the manager's action were not of ill intent, but it is still not best practice. I think if you find the opportunity, I would have a conversation with the HR Manager and ask more questions about their process in relations to resume searches - sometimes explaining a different perspective helps someone see how their actions make others feel!

50. Teri GibsonJune 4,2022 at 2:04AM UTC

    I work in HR and I have a variety of views on this. First of all, these databases are not cheap and usually an investment to find qualified and sometimes passive candidates to reach out to. If they have time to do this daily, I applaud them for the time they have to do this. Usually, a dedicated Talent Aquisitions team will do this.

    In my experience, I have never come across a current employee when searching for candidates on a database. There are so many reasons why people have their resumes on these sites. Especially since so many people have been laid off or furloughed during the past 3 years. Personally, I have had my resume on certain sites and of course LinkedIn for quite some time. I updated mine when I left a job after 23 years for a new position this January. I did put my new job on my LI, as this is a professional site and you want this to be current. What if things did not work out? Maybe the employee is happy but a recruiter reaches out with a job closer to home, remote or hybrid, fits your work/life balance, offers more money?

    If you are concerned about your market value there are many sites where you can check this out, including recruitment sites. I use them myself when considering a new position and what my competition is offering. Usually, there is not only one reason an employee might leave. I do not plan on leaving - I love my new job. Overall, with the current job market it makes sense. And, most people do not stay at one employer for 23 years anymore. If someone lasts 5-10 years, that's good! It makes sense for people to want to grow, especially if there is no growth for them at their current employer.

    I do agree with another person who comment, you do not confront the employee. That is so unprofessional and sets the tone of how this company does business. Makes sense the employee may be looking for something else.

    On the other hand, meeting with the employee could be seen as engaging a good employee thinking of leaving and finding out why. This would be a "Stay Interview" and are really important for a company to look into their turnover, find out why people are leaving. However, this is usually done when an employee resigns, changes status for less hours. Stay Interviews can be used ongoing, when someone hits a milestone - you want to find out what is working and not working. A good company will meet and engage their employees all throughout their tenure.

    One more thing, not all small offices are "gossip-y". This exists in every company, large, medium or small. It is only a problem when employees are spending their time gossiping and not being productive, or offending a co-worker causing conflict.

    I hope this helped.

51. AnonymousJune 4,2022 at 3:12AM UTC

    Your HR person is bored and likes to play the gotcha game. She is probably also combing social media for all kinds of dirt on her colleagues. She doesn't have enough going on in her life. This kind of behavior points to all sorts of things wrong with the person and the company that signs off on it.

52. AnonymousJune 4,2022 at 1:19PM UTC

    One of my first jobs in my career was at a small ad agency.
    The owner of the agency would remind us often of his unique perspective on this subject. His view was that we should constantly seek other employment and even interview with other companies. He said, “You owe it to me and to yourself to know your market value. You don’t want to find out I’m not paying you enough or I’m paying you too much.”

53. AnonymousJune 4,2022 at 1:56PM UTC

    Sounds like they need to spend more time figuring out how to retain their employees.
    It’s why I left a small company in favor of a large company that knows how to treat employees with trust and respect.

54. Doris AppelbaumJune 4,2022 at 7:54PM UTC

    I think that was an invasion of privacy.