Guys,Should i tell companies who i have applied to which other companies i have applied to. The reason i am asking this question is because i am wondering if companies in HR pass info to each other - if i screwed up an interview would someone in one company pass this info (be it informally, through friends?) to another company saying dont employ him!!Cheers!

This definietly happens with every candiate that comes through for interview. We interview them, reject those that are unsuitable and then tell all the other firms we know, just to make sure that they don't hire duffers either.

This was a serious question. The reason i was asking is because people in the IT industry network - i am sure ppl in HR network. I was wondering if any type of informal communication happens, i.e. to friends. This is mainly a question to HR ppl.

Short answer - no!Long answer:There's no reason why any HR department would waste its time doing this officially and please don't imagine that big business is all interlinked in a spooky, matrix sort of way.Furthermore, it is sailing very close to the wind in terms of employment law and data protection, it is quite probably in breach of the Human Rights Act 1998 and may well constitute a civil wrong against the person who is subject to this.Therefore, in interviews, if you think it helps you demonstrate you interest and commitment to a field of work, then mention who else you have applied for. If a firm likes you it will work in you favour to think that they are competing to employ you.However, should you see a funny looking man in a suit suddenly appear out of nowhere and call you 'Mr Anderson' I'd run like hell!!

I was HR, am now a consultant.No, we don't pass on candidate names etc. We may tell funny stories about some of the utterly incredible things people say and do at interview, but I have never heard one HR person say to another at a different firm 'Tom Brown, IT Manager, slightly concerned that he has overstated the leadership role he took in the project in 2003'- apart from anything else, we all see thousands of CVs and usually hundred of candidates a year...What does happen, though, and this may very well be illegal, is informal conversations pre hire- you call a friend who calls a friend and they tell you why a person really lef their job. Certainly illegal, but something I have seen- and been part of- is when you know someone is really bad news (in my case a guy we fired because he was violent- and he threw a chair at me when I told him he was fired), and you hear they are going somewhere, you call and tell them off the record that they may want to think again...

Thanks chris and PAer for useful comments! From PAers comments it does seem like in extreme cases infomal communication does happen..!

Yes... but it needs to be extreme!!What did you and grego do that you're so worried about?! Honestly, not turning up to interview, rejecting a job unexpectedly etc are all in a day's work and wouldn't really be discussed except maybe at very senior levels i.e if a candidate for CEO didn't come to the interview!

Hello PAer. Just to be clear - it is not PA policy to engage in this sort of underhand assessment. I've been recruiting within PA for some time, and have never come across anything like that within PA. It is certainly not within our policy or culture to do something like that. Integrity is one of the things we pride ourselves on - if you have evidence that this is not being adhered to, then you need to raise this via the Corporate whistleblowing routes.

I would suggest you don't worry too much about it. Remember the aim of a job hunt is to get a job, anything else are not important and also they are not in your control. Just focus and you will be fine!

I would suggest you don't worry too much about it. Remember the aim of a job hunt is to get a job, anything else are not important and also they are not in your control. Just focus and you will be fine!

I think people are people everywhere....People do talk...there is no rule on when/why/what....just the wild card factor at work...Think on a need to know basis...Why would you need to tell people where you have applied...It has zilch to do with them...If they ask be circumspect....

I work in hr and as soon as i know that a candidate has failed at last interview stage i fax other consultancies to make sure that they are fully aware about your life. if a candidate fails at first interview stage i phone other consultancies and talk to the hr director. if a candidate fails at the application form stage, i personally visit all other consultancies with a band of hr support administrators (sometimes with music to make it a festival!) then, when we get there, i write the names of failures on the walls of the hr offices and chant repeatedly before screaming MWWAAHAHAHAHA and ripping of my shirt.