When Good Referrals Go Bad: A Workplace Cautionary Tale
The workplace referral system has always been a double-edged sword. Today, scrolling through various professional forums during my lunch break, I came across a story that struck a chord - someone dealing with the aftermath of a workplace referral gone wrong. It brought back memories of similar situations I’ve witnessed throughout my IT career, and it’s worth unpacking why these situations can become so problematic.
The scenario is painfully familiar: you refer someone you worked with previously, thinking you’re doing both them and your company a favour. The interview goes well, they get the job, and then… everything goes pear-shaped. Your former colleague turns out to be completely different from what you remembered, or perhaps they show their true colours once they feel secure enough in their new position.
Working in DevOps, I’ve seen my fair share of office politics, but what really gets under my skin is when people deliberately try to create discord within teams. It’s particularly frustrating because in tech, we rely heavily on collaboration and trust. One toxic person can derail months of careful team building and process refinement.
The referral system exists because it’s supposed to help companies find good cultural fits through trusted employees. Walking through the Docklands tech precinct the other day, I counted at least three major companies advertising their referral bonuses on their office windows. But here’s the thing - while referral bonuses might seem attractive, they can sometimes cloud our judgment or make us feel obligated to refer someone we’re not 100% sure about.
Looking back on my career, I’ve made successful referrals, but I’ve also had one that made me want to crawl under my desk and hide. The person I referred wasn’t malicious like the one in the forum post, but they were definitely not the right fit, and it took months to repair the professional relationships that were strained as a result.
The digital age has made it easier than ever to maintain professional connections, but it’s also made it easier to present a curated version of ourselves. LinkedIn profiles and brief interactions in previous roles don’t always reveal someone’s true workplace behaviour. It’s like those apartment listings that use clever camera angles to make a shoebox look like a palace - you don’t know what you’re really getting until you’re there every day.
What’s the solution? Based on my experience, we need to be more cautious with referrals. Just because someone was okay to work with in one context doesn’t mean they’ll be suitable in another. It’s perfectly fine to tell someone, “Look, I don’t know you well enough in a professional capacity to make a referral.” Your reputation at work is too valuable to risk on someone you’re not completely confident about.
For those dealing with a referral gone wrong, document everything. Every snarky comment, every missed deadline, every attempt to undermine team cohesion. The probation period exists for a reason, and it’s better to address issues early than to let them fester and impact the entire team’s productivity and wellbeing.
The workplace has enough challenges without adding unnecessary drama to the mix. Whether you’re in tech, finance, or any other industry, your priority should be maintaining a healthy work environment. Sometimes that means making tough decisions, even if they make you temporarily uncomfortable.
Keep your referrals for people you’d stake your professional reputation on - because, in reality, that’s exactly what you’re doing.