Sometimes, the Right Answer is No Thank you

By Michael Dennis

I once turned down a job offer because of something the hiring manager told me. Here’s the story:?

It was the first time in my career I had been laid off. A few days later, I was interviewing for a new position with a new company. The salary was competitive. It was a short commute. The company was financially sound, and the hiring manager seemed knowledgeable.

During the interview, I asked, “What is the biggest challenge facing the person hired for this position?”? He responded, “It’s the team. They are demotivated, apathetic, underperforming, argumentative bordering on confrontational, and prone to gossip. Fundamentally, they don’t play well with others.”

Then the hiring manager added, “I expect and require the person we hire to fix this problem quickly. However, everyone on this team is a long-term employee, so the solution cannot involve or result in disciplinary action for any of them.”

I was offered that job. I declined it. I thought that accepting a job where I would be required to quickly and effectively address significant team dysfunction without the ability to implement real change would be difficult if not impossible.

I wanted a position where I could contribute to a positive work environment and grow alongside my colleagues. Not a position where my performance would be evaluated based in large part on the already substandard work being done by the people reporting to me. I did not want to accept the burden of transforming a resistant team without the support of senior management.... and without the tools necessary to make the necessary changes.

After the fact, I learned that the person I was replacing had worked there for less than a year.? She was being forced out because she could not make the necessary improvements in the KPIs for the department without requiring her team to toe the line.... and without the ability to hold team members not meeting their KPIs accountable.

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