Just had a weird internal job interview.

[intheflow]

The back story:

I work 20 hours a week at a public library. My branch requires I work every Saturday, whereas every other branch in the system only requires an employee in my position to work every other Saturday. Because of that, if i worked in any other branch, I could pick up a second 20-hour a week job in the system and get 40 hours of employment. I would say at least 50% of full-time employees are "full-time" by working two 20-hour jobs.

So today I went to apply for a second job in the system. My supervisor was one of the interviewers! Basically, she attacked me for wanting a second job in the system because she would be down a worker two Saturdays a month. Remember: no other location requires employees to work every Saturday. She also disingenuously said that when she started as a librarian, she worked both days every weekend, for two years. Believe me, I do not make librarian wages; at 40 hours I will make less than 50% of her full-time librarian wages.

So I guess I'm asking:

Does this strike anyone else as strange/a conflict of interest? Does this rise to the occasion of contacting HR with my conflict of interest concern? As I understand it, HR just posts the jobs and schedules the interviews, they don't do any of the actual interviewing. That is left up to the clusters (library is divided into service clusters) to decide who does the interview.

What do you think, DUers?

[rbnyc]

1. Yes, it does sound like a conflict of interest.

How's your relationship with her? Can you have a frank private conversation?

[DaveJ]

2. It is weird that she does not respect your ambition

You want more out of your job and that is nothing you should be attacked for.... The worst they should do is (if they want to hire someone else) just simply hire someone else, and give you a reason why and be nice about it. Attacking you for simply responding to an internal job posting in any form is unprofessional and unproductive.

As far as contacting HR, I guess you should if she was being mean. That kind of behavior should be addressed. As far as conflict of interest, I'm not sure I understand you on that one. Her interest is on staffing the library and that does not seem to be a conflict if she is in charge of the library. Nevertheless, I support YOU 100%, if they are not offering you 40hrs at your current job.

[Somewhereinbetween]

3. um yea

Yes there is definitely a conflict in interest, and I hope you did contact HR with your concern! One thing in life that I have learned is that if it feels off it probably is off.