My boss and her boss are bringing in people from the bank they worked with previously. I can see 1 getting past HR but isn’t it unethical to be glossing over other candidates who have applied? Who’s to say the candidate you used to work with is more qualified then those who applied? It’s like 6 people now. They opened the positions for them.
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The worst managers in the industry work for Wells Fargo.
I'm seeing more and more responses from ignorant hiring managers that aren't even aware how far behind they in the recruiting game. Statistically, the odds the the best person for a job is someone you know or is even in the same building is extremely low. If you actually knew 21st century methods of how to research recruits and test them psychologically you would know more about them than they knew about themselves before you even interviewed them.
Good luck with your STAR format.
They expect the peon employees to follow rules but these clown managers don’t do it
Epidemic for years. This will not end
Don’t hate the player, hate the game. This is the game. Of course you want people around you that you trust and that can do the job. If I were hiring, I would 100% favor someone I already know. What can I really learn about you in an interview? Lots of people are good at bsing on their resume and in an interview. If this job is really critical, I don’t want to gamble. I want to have folks I can have honest conversations with.
I’m not made managers bring their people over. I would do the same.
As a manager, it can be a useful way to get someone in the door that you know firsthand and from prior experience that has done a good job. This is particularly helpful if you are not already getting a robust candidate pool that fits your needs.
However, it is widely abused at WF! In time, we will see and suffer the ramifications because all of the “yes” people they brought in wouldn’t speak up and challenge THEM as the manager who hired them here.
A current Director job posting was tailored specifically to allow the hiring manager to quickly hire a former direct report.
A manager I had got her sister, with zero qualifications other than being a coach at a gym, hired into a team I worked on. Then got her promoted to a senior role after a year. The director of that group got his son hired, promoted to a senior, now a manager. Gotta love nepotism.
That’s quite unintelligent to say.
You don’t think it’s possible that regardless of questions asked, an individual could present smooth and well in an interview, but then choose to get up in the mornings to come after getting hired and not work hard?
The people here who support the ignorant, idea of only hiring people you know well, are the primary reason why Wells Fargo is stagnant. WF has fallen far behind other major banks, in cost efficiency, regulatory compliance, and JD Power rankings, among other things. Comfort is the solace of the weak. You need a John Tapper type character to get in your face and make you feel uncomfortable. If you find yourself hiring people who aren't as they seem in the interview, that is because you are bad at interviewing and are only asking standard formula questions that can be found online. Charlie Scharf still has a huge mess to cleanup.
Here’s the reality:
Everyone who’s managed people has hired someone who seemed great, interviewed well, but turned out to be TERRIBLE.
Thanks to those experiences, many will absolutely not take a risk on someone don’t know personally, or at the very least, come with great references from people they trust.
Do as I say, not as I do. When I need to hire someone I HAVE to go to HR and can't interview anyone who isn't referred through them.
I was always told don’t trust a leader who doesn’t bring “their people” with them. If they don’t- they’re hiding something.
Panels do not matter, as the hiring manager has the most sway. The panel will discuss afterwards and as long as the candidate doesn’t cr-p the bed, the hiring manager can sway the results in their favor.
Many of the executives and directors came from JP Morgan.
As long as they are transgender Indians they meet our new employee profile
Really bad in Tech. They don't even try to hide getting candidates thru the system they want. Make sure there's diversity in the interviews then hire their friends and promote them at record speed. Welcome to the privileged club.
That's why so many have left.
I was coming here to basically say what @uas+1mybxNPt posted below. I used to be in that org and at least 8 of the people in leadership worked with or for the head of the area in another dept at Wells or at a Big 4 firm. And it’s no secret at all, they all talk about it. I will say that in this case all of the people are competent and were value adds.
“This is the way in corporate America, especially at WF. ITV Tech testing head did this with 6+ people and even hired a married couple to be on the same team. You expect ethics at WF?”
I’ve never seen it as bad a here. But maybe it’s just a cultural thing.
Welcome to...the world.
Nothing wrong with hiring people you know from past experience you can count on.
It’s when the drinking buddies start showing up that hilarity ensues.
This is exactly what happened with Charlie and the suits. He brought all his unqualified friends into the firm. Fraud at its best!
I have seen nepotism and favoritism. Both hires are gone.
What kind of hiring goes on in your group? My group is all panel based so it does not come down to one persons choice. 3-4 people interview a candidate, all record their own scores and then HR approves the hire based on cumulative.
This could be gamed, sure. But it would take direct collusion. Other option would be to stack the interview board again, requiring collusion. It can occur, but it would likely take years for the manager to set this up and in my neck of the woods turnover and reorgs happen too often for either scenario to exist for long.
The other problem with hiring friends is that the hiring manager's judgement is severely impaired due to the emotional connection.
It's a lot easier holding someone accountable that you only know from being in your current job. It's a lot harder yelling at your friends.
Nepotism is just bad all around, regardless of how long it's been in practice.
While this practice is old, it still reeks.
Wells has all sorts of mandatory disclosures (personal relationships, etc.). They should have an attestation form for the hiring manager about whether or not they have a previous working relationship with an applicant. If they do, an offer cannot be extended until the OC approves it (if they approve it). Part of that approval process is examining how many others were/are also friends with the manager. Limits need to be set.
The main reasons for the above are for Wells to put its money where its mouth is regarding diversity. Having a small, inbred team is hardly diverse in thought. The other reason is contrary to the comments posted so far in that being personal buds with the hiring manager does NOT even remotely ensure top performance. All it ensures is that the hiring manager has 'yes' people.
'Yes' people do not create excellence. And if those 'yes' buds are so great, then they'll have no trouble finding other employment.
This is the way in corporate America, especially at WF. ITV Tech testing head did this with 6+ people and even hired a married couple to be on the same team. You expect ethics at WF?
They are just following Charlie’s lead and all the Chase people he’s brought over to senior level positions.
This is a good practice for hiring the best people. Why should I risk hiring some consultant from Dallas that just arrived in the US and can barely speak English vs someone I know and have worked well with for many years?
The managers need more say in who they are hiring, it is being taken away from them in many ways.
Happens all the time at all levels and industries.
This is literally done everywhere since the beginning of time
As a hiring manager, you know what you are getting when you hire folks you have previously worked with. Some applicants are great at interviewing but terrible employees.