Employee discreetly looks for a new job, then discovers a hiring manager contacted their boss and revealed their intentions, boss confronts them: ‘Not cool’

Author image for Bar Mor Hazut
Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
Feb 18, 2025 10:00 AM EST

It is no secret that looking for a new job is always better while you are still working in your current one. The job market is hard enough, you shouldn't put necessary strains on yourself no matter how urgent you feel like you need to get out of your current workplace. 

That being said, searching for a new job while working in another is no picnic. Not only is it extremely time-consuming and mentally draining, but you are also treading a very thin line. You have to be extremely discreet while job hunting, so no one in your current job finds out. That means doing job interviews from home (or hiding in the office's supply closet, if you have no other option), avoiding conversations with your boss as much as possible, and generally keeping your head down.

Even if you do all that successfully, there is still a chance your boss will find out about your intentions of leaving the company, which happened to the employee in the story down below. Keep scrolling to read how that happened.

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  • 01
    Cheezburger Image 10469142784
    via mediaphotos

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 02

    "Thanks for calling my boss!"

    I've been searching for a new job since last April or so and since then I've probably applied for a couple of hundred jobs via LinkedIn and Indeed, etc.
    via Handiwork1
  • 03
    This week one of those potential employers happened to reach out to my boss and let him know I had applied for a job. Then, of
    via Handiwork1
  • 04
    course, my boss called me into his office to talk about it. Not cool.
    via Handiwork1
  • 05
    I have always realized this is a risk, and I'm not terribly concerned that my boss knows, but geez.
    via Handiwork1
  • 06
    EDIT: Thank you all for the advice, encouragement and kind words. To clarify, I have applied for many jobs using LinkedIn and Indeed. I don't
    via Handiwork1
  • 07
    know who did it and would never give permission to do this. Someone who knew my boss somehow received the online application and reached out. My boss - based
    via Handiwork1
  • 08
    on candid discussions we've had should not have been - surprised that I'm looking. He's probably also reading this right now on Reddit and I'll be back in his office tomorrow. :)
    via Handiwork1
  • 09
    Resume
    via kanchanachitkhamma

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 10
    BeatThePinata This might actually be a good thing. If your boss thinks/knows you're considering jumping ship, he or she might take measures to try to keep you, or at the least reflect on why you might want to jump ship and improve working conditions.
    via BeatThePinata
  • 11
    Handiwork1 OP Yes
    via Handiwork1
  • 12
    No_Jacket1348 Similar situation happened to me, I applied to this company and recruiter contacted me about an interview, I went ahead and took the interview, next step was an interview with the hiring manager so we
    via No_Jacket1348
  • 13
    set up the interview with hiring manager and later on in the same day I get notified that the interview is canceled due to my current company not being ok with it as it seemingly
    via No_Jacket1348
  • 14
    they have a customer relationship, next day my manager calls me to ask whether I was looking for outside employment
    via No_Jacket1348
  • 15
    Handiwork1 OP This is n ts!
    via Handiwork1
  • 16
    Catch Melf YouCan09 2 things. For starters, never give the local contact number. Go online for the company and find the corp HR line and give that. They can verify employment and nothing more.
    via CatchMelfYouCan09
  • 17
    Secondly, next time tell your boss....Oh.... actually i was being head hunted by a recruiter so I figured i would hear em out. I'm not actively looking to change companies but I never burn a bridge in the industry. JIC.
    via CatchMelfYouCan09
  • 18
    lost01010101012 Dont give your current employer info for a reference and tell them that since you are currently employed, you don't want them being contacted. Ive never had an issue with that.
    via lost01010101012
  • 19
    fuzz_64 My old boss was really good at this. He was big on 5 year skill development plans and giving good reviews so we could get senior jobs elsewhere. The man set me up for life.
    via fuzz_64
  • 20
    NextGreatJob One time, I applied for a position at a company that I later found out was headed by a former colleague of the CEO of my then current employer. He let the CEO know, which is about as
    via NextGreatJob
  • 21
    unprofessional as it gets. I eventually ended up leaving the company, but never forgot the name of the other company that did that. Karma always comes back around and I hope to get the opportunity to repay the unkindness.
    via NextGreatJob
  • 22
    creatively inclined That person knew what they were doing.
    via creatively_inclined
  • 23
    Mz_Febreezy HR here. Not illegal but unethical and unprofessional. I don't reach out to anyone's current or previous employers without written consent. I only will contact if I extend an offer.
    via Mz_Febreezy
  • 24
    This becomes part of the background check process. Even on my résumé, my current position states confidential. Unfortunately, I don't trust employers to not contact my job.
    via Mz_Febreezy
  • 25
    Not-an-Al-Pete Call the interviewer's boss and tell them, not cool!
    via Not-an-Al-Pete
  • 26
    longndfat just say that it was an old resume which they noticed now.
    via longndfat

  • I can't imagine how awkward it must be to go to work every day from now on, knowing that your boss is fully aware of your intentions to leave your job as soon as you can. They might not fire you, but it surely is going to create at least a somewhat hostile workplace environment, all because of a hiring manager who meddled where they shouldn't…

    What do you think of this situation? Let us know in the comments below.

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Tags

boss workplace-stories employee manager job hiring manager job hunt tales-from-the-workplace reddit story hiring workplace Reddit company job interview interview
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