How Honest Should You Be About Resignation Reasons in Job Interviews? Seeking HR Insights

Hi all,

Please pour your suggestions.

Whether a person (senior/top contributor/best performer) can state the exact reason why he left the X company, why he resigned, etc., in the upcoming job interviews.

The reasons may include:

1. Because of deferred bonus without any reason (announced during appraisal).
2. Because of a lower percentage of the high (not given as promised before completing the task).
3. Forced to stay for one more year.
4. Not given the proper designation as previously stated.
5. Change in designation not corresponding to the appointment letter and work.
6. Demotivation and unnecessary comparisons.
7. Deduction of salary for excess leave (8 days) and lack of acknowledgment for extra workdays (worked excess 5 hours at night for 3 months and 9 Sundays/holidays).
8. Having an inappropriate relationship with a junior person - degrading him to elevate the junior to a senior position.
9. All of this occurred despite being a top contributor since day one - praised by the same Head.

What should be mentioned in the interview regarding the reason for resignation from the previous company?

Please provide your suggestions as it is urgent.

As an HR professional, what would you expect?

If he tells the truth, would you accept it?

During employer references, if that individual fabricates stories for revenge, what would be your course of action?

Awaiting your replies.

Vennila

Hi Vennila,

As an HR professional, we expect truth from any candidate. However, if this is the truth, then there would be a question mark on the candidate's stability and integrity. All the reasons you have mentioned happen to more or less everybody in almost every organization, at different levels and in different capacities. These issues are often too petty to warrant resignation. Such issues need to be discussed and resolved.

A candidate who complains is seldom welcomed in any organization. HR personnel generally seek a more viable reason from candidates, such as a career move, relocation, growth, learning opportunities, and so on.

Thanks,
Yash

Hi Akka,

As mentioned by our friend below, today's HR seems to have lost its judgment, and it is unfortunate for the candidate to have experienced any of the situations as described above by you. It is reasonable to assume that initially the candidate attempted to resolve or compromise the situation but found that despite being honest and dedicated to his profession, the wrongdoers held more power and influence, leading him to resign.

In such a scenario, how can HR expect the candidate to resolve the matter through discussions, as suggested by our friend YASH, who termed these issues as minor problems when in reality, they are not trivial at all?

There should be a regulatory body established to advocate for candidates who face injustices within a company, especially against those who wield power and abuse it. I have witnessed companies that routinely mistreat candidates, and instead of taking action against the wrongdoing, candidates resign quietly and provide false reasons to HR, fearing that the truth would jeopardize their future job prospects, as HR often dismisses these issues as insignificant.

In such companies, a cycle ensues:

Candidate Joins → Faces Injustice/Harassment → Resigns

→ Warns friends about the company → END

then again

NEXT CANDIDATE JOINS → and so on.

This cycle continues until there is assurance from a regulatory body that will champion candidates' causes, encouraging them to fight for their rights rather than silently resign. Most candidates opt to resign quietly and withhold the real reasons, aware of HR's mindset that may lead to rejection if the truth is revealed. In such cases, it is deemed better to lie.

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I have corrected the spelling, grammar, and formatting errors in the text while maintaining the original meaning and tone. Let me know if you need further assistance.

Hi Yash,

As an HR person, we expect truth from any candidate. However, if this is the truth, then there would be a question mark on the candidate's stability and integrity. All the reasons you have mentioned happen with more or less everybody in almost every organization at different levels and capacities, but these are too petty issues to resign over. Such issues need to be talked about and resolved. A complaining candidate is seldom welcomed in any organization. HR personnel generally look for a more viable reason from any candidate, such as a career move, relocation, growth, learning opportunities, etc.

If HR thinks like this, then tomorrow, there could be a theft somewhere, and in the scuffle, the shop owner is injured, and the thief runs away. However, the police tell the shop owner that it is a petty thing and question why they let the thief go, refusing to accept the complaint just because, for the police, it is a daily game of hide and seek with thieves while for the shop owner, it is not.

Perhaps for you as an HR professional, these may seem like petty issues as they are part of your daily routine, but they are not so for other employees, especially those who are not from HR. They have to do their work daily, and the injustice and harassment done to them demotivate them, lower their performance, and ultimately result in resignation.

Thanks,
Yash

Hello,

I always believe asking the question, "Why do you want to resign from the existing job?" is a waste! I ask this question but generally ignore the replies too. The fact remains that the person wants to resign, and it may be a little difficult to find out the hidden reasons.

I have changed jobs five times, and I have given reasons like designation, salary, job content, etc. But I, and only I, was aware of some hidden reasons... could be family, could be financial, could be boredom with the job... and I can name a few.

My advice is to take it at face value, examine, believe, and consider whether the person would perform well in your organization.

Siva

Hi Yash,

If this situation comes to you, what will you do?

You have discussed, convinced, argued, and you are supposed to get relieved with so much trouble even though you are the best contributor to the company.

The company has given some useless designation in the name of promotion. Arguments, requests, and discussions went to waste.

To retain for a specific tough project, they promised to give so much high bonus. After completion of the project, if they do not keep up the promise, what will be your reaction?

Because of the resignation, they have not given the experience certificate, salary certificate. What can the employee do?

Now, with the present designation, it is tough to get an interview call.

Will you be quiet and continue in the organization?

If selected somewhere, they are giving worst feedback, unrelated feedback. What will you do?

Thanks, Thambi Ravi,

It is very tough and gives a lot of worries to tackle the situation.

Being a top contributor and performer, why does this happen?

Thanks, Mr. Sivasankaran.

Sir, thanks a lot for your reply. Pour some more comments to guide us.

Mr. Sivasankaran,

You are giving advice to HR people to select such a candidate... But please give suggestions to the employee on how to face this situation...

Dear Vennaila,

All reasons for anyone to look for a job change could be broadly categorized into four heads.

1. Very personal and family reasons (like children's education, parents' health, spouse's health, etc.).

2. Career-related reasons which will include job content, salary, and designation (this also includes company plans, company size, and potential growth).

3. Job peripherals like atmosphere, boss, colleagues, team, distance (partiality and favoritism).

4. Differences of opinion, integrity issues, quarrels with the boss, or any other relationship issues, lower rating on performance, etc.

While it is easier and more convincing when a candidate gives reasons in areas (1) and (2), it will definitely be embarrassing for the candidate to explain reasons under areas (3) and (4).

I would advise candidates to be honest in giving reasons. However, reasons under 3 and 4 will have to be carefully worded.

Whenever we look for a change, there is usually more than one reason. It is recommended to give at least one reason from areas 1 and 2. If you have a reason from areas 3 or 4, carefully choose your words. For example, instead of saying, "I was rated low this year hence I am looking for a change," you could say, "I get a feeling over the past three years that performance is not being recognized in this company." Many senior HR people will understand the hidden meaning in this statement.

In such instances, I typically check what the candidate's ratings have been in the past three years. If they were happy for two years and are only unhappy this year, then I would infer that they are generally good and only this year their performance was not up to par. In such a case, I would consider selecting this candidate.

I hope this clarifies things enough.

Siva

Hi Vennilla Natarajan,

The HR managers should be the first to be trained in companies like these, focusing on attitude and psychological expectations of the employees, whether they are in labor categories or managerial positions. Human values are not universally considered, necessitating a fact-finding team in every organization rather than a fault-finding analysis. Implementing the above points can lead to a reduction in incidents, as you have mentioned.

With regards,
Rashmi

As far as possible, one should be realistic, rational, and convincing! If you try to conceal the truth, it may lead to more lies and result in a loss of confidence. Everybody will have their own personal reasons for quitting. Not necessarily do we have to mention what exactly went wrong.

The answers should be reasonable, convincing, and universally applicable.

Venila,

I got your point :) but just for your information all that you have mentioned has already happened to me. Promises were not kept, relieving letters/certificates not issued, environment not friendly, etc.

From the way you are writing, it looks like you are pretty much a fresher - I might be wrong, but these are very much the symptoms of a fresher.

In order to tackle all these issues, instead of changing the organization, it's better one should change himself/herself, which will happen anyhow, but it will be easier if you realize that this change is all-pervasive and inevitable. LEARN TO LIVE WITH IT. You cannot keep jumping organizations at the drop of a hat. Even in Microsoft, Google, you are bound to face these issues.

If you are stuck in a traffic jam, what will you do? You can fret, fume, rue, castigate the government (organization) for its infrastructure, its governance, or you can simply put on the music and patiently wait till the traffic is cleared. One always has a choice, right?

Try and look at people who are happier, richer, and more successful than you. You say that your demands are not met, but how about the person who is a super performer, contributing 5 times your contribution and still not demanding. How would an employer look at you? You think that you are a top performer, but is this what your manager/employer thinks? He might have come across hundreds of people better than you and down to earth at the same time.

Ravi,

Let us not underestimate any job/profession - be it of an HR, CEO, or cobbler. Everybody does his/her work and is paid for the same. Injustice/harassment happens to everybody - HR is not an exception. Let us learn to respect every department/individual, maybe this will help us in reducing our set of problems and make life easier.

Thanks,

Yash.

Yasheel2001 wrote:

Venila, I got your point :) but just for your information, all that you have mentioned has already happened to me. Promises were not kept, relieving letters/certificates not issued, environment not friendly, etc.

From the way you are writing, it looks like you are pretty much a fresher - I might be wrong, but these are very much the symptoms of a fresher. In order to tackle all these issues, instead of changing the organization, it's better one should change himself/herself, which will happen anyway, but it will be easier if you realize that this change is all-pervasive and inevitable. LEARN TO LIVE WITH IT. You cannot keep jumping organizations at the drop of a hat. Even in Microsoft or Google, you are bound to face these issues.

If you are stuck in a traffic jam, what will you do? You can fret, fume, rue, castigate the government (organization) for its infrastructure, its governance, or you can simply put on the music and patiently wait till the traffic is cleared. One always has a choice, right?

Try and look at people who are happier, richer, and more successful than you. You say that your demands are not met, but how about the person who is a super performer, contributing 5 times your contribution and still not demanding? How would an employer look at you? You think that you are a top performer, but is this what your manager/employer thinks? He might have come across hundreds of people better than you and down to earth at the same time.

Ravi, Let us not underestimate any job/profession - be it of an HR, CEO, or cobbler. Everybody does his/her work and is paid for the same. Injustice/harassment happens to everybody - HR is not an exception. Let us learn to respect every department/individual, maybe this will help us in reducing our set of problems and make life easier.

Thanks, Yash.

Yash, As mentioned by you, whatever has happened to Venila has already happened with you. But you may call it fate or luck that you survived the situation easily. You might have planned some action plan to get out of the situation and got out easily. Venila must also have tried her best, but when she found out it's no use speaking with the management who, in her case, are as still as stone, ultimately the best that can be done is to resign. There are some situations in life wherein you have to choose to back up. Like while hunting, even the most experienced hunters sometimes choose to back up when a group of wolves confronts them, and there is a level up to which you can tolerate injustice done to you.

How can you expect and say, "LIVE WITH IT," and instead of changing the organization, change oneself? How can one compromise on his values, principles?

Dear Venilla,

I think there is no need to overanalyze sometimes. Many times, some cases are genuine, like, for example, designations being changed contrary to what was offered in the offer letter. On the other side of the coin, the integrity of HR is questionable in many instances.

The most important thing is to try and see if the candidate possesses the requisite potential required for the job. A benefit of the doubt should always be given to the employee. In most cases, the employee does not join the company with a motive to leave, but rather, it is often the management that pushes them to do so. I recommend reading "The Enthusiastic Employee" by David Sirota. We should stop being so skeptical and learn to trust our instincts. There is no way to predict that even if an employee has been moving around a lot, in the right environment, they could stay forever.

Regards,

Ravi,

I agree with you - not everybody is built the same way. I might have been luckier. All I wanted to say is that one should not overreact. It's better that one should learn to be flexible and diplomatic rather than being stringent. There would be a point in everybody's career when he/she will realize that these issues were really petty and there are a lot better things to learn, enjoy, and focus on.

At some point in a career, you will realize that you cannot even resign because of so many other factors (professional or personal), then you will be bound to LIVE WITH IT. I repeat - LEARN TO LIVE WITH IT or you will perish. The choice is yours.

Yash.

Dear Mr. Sivasankaran,

Thanks for the suggestions given to handle the interview in such a situation. However, as a top contributor from day 1 of joining until resignation, the feedback provided during the reference is not worth it. They have given the worst feedback, which, according to my conscience, is not even 1% true. They did mention one positive thing, recognizing me as an excellent performer in a specific area.

Let me ask you one question, Sir. Is there any benefit in seeking revenge on resigned employees by spreading unrelated and unbelievable lies? Is it not a sin to destroy the life of the best-contributing employee the company has had so far? How is it possible to create and propagate such terrible stories?

Regards,
Vennila

Thank you, Rashmi Ramanath,

I think you are right from one side of view. In some cases, if HR is okay and the boss is creating a problem, and HR is not able to act against the boss, then what will be the solution for the suffering employees? Will forming a separate forum or statutory body solve the grievances of the employees?

Regards, Vennila

Dear Yash,

"I got your point, but just for your information, all that you have mentioned has already happened to me. Promises were not kept, relieving letters/certificates not issued, environment not friendly, etc., etc."

What did you do in that previous situation? You resigned, right?

"From the way you are writing, it looks like you are pretty much a fresher - I might be wrong, but these are very much the symptoms of a fresher."

I may be a fresher or experienced, may be good or worst in writing, but whoever in this type of situation will lose the confidence level about the company and interest in servicing the company. Job satisfaction will become 0%.

"In order to tackle all these issues, instead of changing the organization, it's better one should change himself/herself, which will happen anyway, but it will be easier if you realize that this change is all-pervasive and inevitable. LEARN TO LIVE WITH IT. You cannot keep jumping organizations at the drop of a hat. Even in Microsoft or Google, you are bound to face these issues."

Is it possible to give up our values and principles?

"If you are stuck in a traffic jam, what will you do? You can fret, fume, rue, castigate the government (organization) for its infrastructure, its governance, or you can simply put on the music and patiently wait until the traffic is cleared. One always has a choice, right?

For the traffic jam to get cleared, will you wait for 1, 5, or 10 minutes? Will you wait for a day or a week? Just like that, I waited patiently with many things for 2 appraisals (previous 2 appraisals were okay) without decreasing my performance, and I lost all my expectations and resigned. Then they forced me to stay back for one more year, but I came out. They have not given proper certificates and are now giving the worst feedback to the reference calls wherever I attend interviews.

Anyways, will it get cleared at least for other employees?

"Try and look at people who are happier, richer, and more successful than you. You say that your demands are not met, but how about the person who is a super performer, contributing 5 times more than your contribution and still not demanding? How would an employer look at you? You think that you are a top performer, but is this what your manager/employer thinks? He might have come across hundreds of people better than you and down to earth at the same time."

For your information, I was an excellent performer, contributed many times more than others in my department (certified by my CEO), and praised by my employer as the top contributor since day one. He has given the feedback in my appraisal as an Enthusiastic Top contributor for the company...

He always suggests many others to be like me in contribution, and I don't think by myself as I am the best. I was told that I am the best.

To say in a sentence, "during my service, I forgot my family for many days to keep up the top performer title."

I believe in my hard work and perfection and hope to reach the goal...

Anyways, thanks a lot for your suggestions...

I will try the "Learn to live with it" concept but not able to give up my values.

Thank you,

Vennila N

Hi Highlander,

Thanks for your reply. Employees with the same team and the same job but different levels are given unrelated titles, which is different from the offer letter in the name of promotion. With the present designation, it is very confusing and difficult to search for a job vacancy. Wherever I go, they are asking who gave this title. Even if I convince at the last moment, the feedback given by the X employer makes my offer get cancelled. Is it justice?

Definitely, I will read "The Enthusiastic Employee" by David Sirota.

Thanks again,
Vennila N

Dear Vennila,

It happens. It happens to many. Worst performers don't face this issue. But excellent performers face this problem. And these excellent performers who can come out of such problems alone reach the top positions in Corporate. Revenge will not help. Attach yourself with a consultant for a year. You can always give a reason that you wanted to be on your own for some time due to some personal reasons. Look for a correct job after six months to one year. Reference is made to the consultant and people in your current organization may also forget and start giving correct opinions. I have come across with people adapting this strategy. This is just one strategy I can recommend. But revenge is not the word you should even think of in your career.

You are in Chennai. If you want to call me you are welcome. You can get my contacts in my profile.

Best wishes, Siva

In job interviews, you are not supposed to bad-mouth your previous company or its policies. It gives the impression that "today you are speaking negatively about your current organization and tomorrow you may do the same about my company."

Just remember, like families and couples, no company is perfect. You do not divorce your spouse or leave your family over trivial matters, and similarly, you do not speak poorly of them in public places.

View things holistically and not just at face value.

Thanks and Regards

Vennila,

I agree with what you say, but we need to face the truth. For whatever reason the employee is leaving the services, but hiding the truth would not change the behavior. His/her behavior would remain the same. If an employee leaves his/her services because of the reasons mentioned above and he/she does not reveal the fact in the interview, not because he/she does not want to degrade his previous boss or policies of the previous company, but because he/she knows that if he/she does so, it would spoil his/her own image. But mind it, he/she would still remain the same person from inside, the same person who has ill thoughts for his/her previous boss or who is not happy with his/her previous company, and he/she would repeat the same action if the same treatment is given in the new company. So, I feel that the truth should always be welcomed as it helps in the longer run. We should not have such an attitude that this candidate is speaking ill about his co., so he/she can be disloyal to us even. Instead of thinking negatively, we need to think about what happened with him/her in the previous company which forced him to leave the job. We would not let this thing happen with any of our employees. It would help us avoid bitter pills with sugar coating.

Regards

Hi Sanjeev,

Thanks for your reply.

When giving referrals, it's important not to speak negatively about the previous company or boss. Unfortunately, some individuals may choose to spread lies during this process, potentially harming someone's career prospects. My advice is to not place too much emphasis on referral checks. Selection decisions should be made based on the candidate's merits such as qualifications, performance in interviews, and overall capabilities.

It's crucial to acknowledge that if an employee leaves a company despite management's efforts to retain them, they may receive a negative referral as a result.

Thank you,

[Your Name]

Thank you, Yash, for your appreciation. I would like to add a few more lines in reply to what Sanjeev said. Sanjeev, as you say that clashes are everywhere, even at your home with your spouse and family, but you cannot think of leaving them because nobody is perfect. Well said, but the kind of trust we have in our family members, in our spouse, no storm can shake that trust. No matter how many times we fight at home with our family or spouse, we know they are the people who love us the most. An employee can feel the same way for the organization, but that trust needs to be developed. The organization should win the trust of the employees; then you will see the employee would never leave the company.

Vennila,

I agree with you. That's the reason many companies now do not go for referral checks. They just ask the candidates to produce the original copy of the appointment letter, relieving letter, and salary slip of the last working month. Some organizations that do conduct referral checks need to understand this point.

Hi Sanjeev,

You are comparing the relationship that a person has with family members to the relationship with colleagues, peers at work. Both relationships are different and cannot be compared at all. Family relationships are more important than job relations, and a comparison between them is unimaginable. Comparing the relationship with your boss, coworker, or others at work with the relationships you have at home with your wife, mom, dad, sister, brother, etc., is not valid.

And all HR professionals here are justifying it...