Dear Seniors and Readers
One of the most common question asked to employed candidates !!
“Why you want to leave your current company ??”
Is negative feedback about previous employer accepted by interviewers ?
Under what situations or justification can candidate speak negative truth about previous employer ?
Please present your views and opinions !!

From Kuwait, Salmiya
Hi,
Whenever we go to any interview this question is asked. And common answer is we are leaving current company for professional growth. Our negative replies never works. I have my own opinion that when anybody is leaving company there is reason - like politics, money, post matters, people.
Negative feedback never accepted by interviewers.

From India, Pune
Well personally i dont think that employee should speak anything wrong or negative about previous employer. This will certainly impact on the interview or on the image of an employee..also this can raise more questions about the candidate and their professionalism...
I dont think that negative feedback about previous employer can be accepted by any interviewer..Thats what i understand but i dont know about recruiters/interviewer what they thinks..

From India, Gurgaon
Dear Anil & Readers
"This will certainly impact on the interview or on the image of an employee..also this can raise more questions about the candidate and their professionalism..."
If a candidate has merited reasons and logic to prove negative aspects of his previous employment, how does that put a question mark or blemish his / her professionalism ??
As HRs / Interviewers we shall blindly believe; parroted, goody-goody, scripted, All-iz-well types answers from candidates !! arent we missing a point here ?? Accepting these goody goody response assure a proper and authentic selection or validation of the candidate we are interviewing ??

From Kuwait, Salmiya
Well Mr. Hussain you are right but the thing is that none of any recruiter/interviewer want this negative feedback from any employee about previous employer bcz it threatens their self-esteem and sense of acceptance.
This is certainly a big question..even I would like see more responses by the recruiters ..

From India, Gurgaon
Hi Hussain,

To me, unless every employee of a particular company is on the streets objecting the company's atrocities, there is actually nothing negative about that company.

Personally I left a lucrative job at software company because I thought they software development and project management processes were grossly inefficient i.e. I got board. People could come after 10 am and worked till 10 pm. I hated it but others loved the work environment.

It took me sometime to realize that my values or the things that i value in a job i.e. creativity, efficiency, growth, punctuality were not matching with the companies "practiced values".

With a sprinkle of humor, its like one nice guy breaking up with a nice girl. Sometimes things are just not compatible.,Values don't match and clash of beliefs of how things should work and one should be treated leads to conflicts.

If im an interviewer, if i hire a candidate speaks something -ve about his previous company, I can guarantee that he will speak something -ve about my company the day he quits the job.

Hope this helps

Avinash Tavares

Trainer & Life Coach

<link outdated-removed> ( Search On Cite | Search On Google )

From India, Pune
Dear Mr. Hussain

It is not about your EX-COMPANY/EMPLOYER, it is all about the PEOPLE with whom you have WORKED. They can be your immediate SUPERIOR, MANAGERS or TOP MANAGEMENT as well.

Regarding your query, it is upto interviewer how they perceive interviewee's response/comment. ALL FIVE FINGERS ARE NOT THE SAME. ALL ORGANISATION'S CULTURE IS ALSO NOT THE SAME.

In my view, it is the responsibility of the Interviewer to consider "TWO SIDES OF A COIN" by interpreting how "GENUINE" is the INTERVIEWEE's statement while mapping his/her skills/competencies ETC. There are tons of instances where PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEES had been hunting for better opportunities due to various reasons, as every employee wants to excel(progress) in their professional life, provided they receive genuine support from either immediate superior or respective Dept. managers and Top management.

Did, HR PROFESSIONALS ever tried to understand/evaluate how PAINFUL or SUCCESSFUL is employee's journey with his/her EX-EMPLOYER?

In my thread (DO YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF AS LEADER OR FOLLOWER), you had narrated about "LACK OF OPPORTUNITY TO DELIVER SUCH ROLE". How are you going to relate yourself with professionalism or such experience when you have a strong desire to prove your ABILITY/SKILLS/TALENT/COMPETENCIES where, you haven't awarded an OPPORTUNITY TO PERFORM.

- HR should accept GENUINE FACTS, a BITTER TRUTH experienced by an EMPLOYEE.

- HR PROFESSIONALS need to be more practical in life rather expecting OPTIMISTIC(POSITIVE FEEDBACK about or EX-EMPLOYER) reply from interviewee.

- I would suggest that, FORGET about PREVIOUS EMPLOYER and FOCUS on INTERVIEWEE, so that HR can succeed in HIRING A SKILLED APPLICANT WITH POSITIVE MENTAL ATTITUDE.

Irrespective of the OPEN WORK-CULTURE in practice, ORGANISATION'S will never meet EMPLOYEE EXPECTATIONS but, they always want EMPLOYEES TO MEET THEIR STANDARDS/EXPECTATIONS, hence employees are bound to speak NEGATIVE

With profound regards

From India, Chennai
It is a hypothetical question posed by every employer at the time of interview though all are aware about the obvious reason i.e. better prospects. Pon
From India, Lucknow
Almost every single book, magazine and newspaper article and internet page about job interviews quite clearly states - NEVER EVER EVER bad mouth your previous employers for whatever reasons.

I am surprised that anyone would even ask if this was acceptable. Your own common sense would tell you it is not.

I agree that many of us have endured jobs, organisations, other staff members, and managers we loathed with a passion. Much and all as we want to tell the world about our frustrations, it is best not to and to move on.

So if you are asked the question, the simple answer is that you had reached a point where the job was no longer challenging you and building your skills etc etc. This tells the prospective employer that you are ambitious, keen to learn and willing to take on new challenges.

I doubt any employer who asks this stupid question expects to be told the truth. If you are working in a niche industry, it is likely that Managers in other companies already know that the management in your previous company are not up to snuff anyway.

My personal view is that managers sometimes ask this question in an attempt to trap you into saying something you shouldn't, and that gives them a reason to eliminate you.

As for me, if I was interviewing and you told me bad things about your previous employer, then I would automatically dismiss your application as I would be concerned about what you would say about me and my company when you decided to move on. If you are a person who cannot keep confidences, then you are unworthy of employment.

From Australia, Melbourne
Well I totally agree with Mr. John and Mr KHADIR..
None of single interviewer can be impressed by an applicant who slams his/her former employer because their concern possibly, about what a candidate might say about them in the future and the interviewer won’t like to hear this but actually the purpose of this question is that Interviewer want to know that a candidate really want the position being offered.
Well If I have to answer this question "why do you want to leave that job," I would like say : "I'm actually doing quite well at that job, but I feel that I can't pass up this opportunity because it would allow me to broaden my experience into [whatever it is]". Also I have learned a lot with my past employer but felt like I needed new challenges. My favorite part of the job was …….. etc. but will never say anything negative during any interview in response of this question, always positive positive positive..

From India, Gurgaon
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