Boss forces HR to hire his 'almost-girlfriend' — discovers the heavy price of nepotism the hard way
'She was late to the interview, gave vague answers, and couldn't explain basic industry terms.'
When an employee was tasked with hiring for a vacant position, their supervisor pressured them to select a candidate who happened to be his "almost-girlfriend." Now, most sane people would smell this trap from a mile away, as did this employee. However, despite fervent protests, their supervisor insisted that he would take the heat if anything went wrong. With head hanging low, the employee followed orders, only to watch it fall flat on their boss' face. Sharing the post to Reddit, u/VelvetXGlimmer's story has gained more than 12,000 upvotes so far.
u/VelvetXGlimmer works as part of a small hiring team at their workplace and takes their job responsibility seriously. Some time ago, when they were looking to fill a role that required someone "sharp, organized, and ready to work under pressure," they had already shortlisted several strong candidates. But their supervisor pulled them aside and insisted they hire one particular woman, not because she was the best fit, but because he had a crush on her. According to office rumors, she was his "almost-girlfriend." Unfortunately, she was the lowest-ranked candidate on the list. "She was late to the interview, gave vague answers, and couldn't explain basic industry terms," they shared. But the supervisor did not budge. "So I did exactly what he asked. I hired her," the employee wrote.
However, the decision soon backfired on the company. Within a month, the new hire accidentally sent a confidential client file to the wrong company. "Then she once approved a purchase order for 10x the budgeted amount because she obviously didn't read through all those numbers. It was one wrong after another. We lost a major client over the email slip. Another pulled back on their contract due to delays on her end," they revealed. Once the upper management stepped in, the boss had nowhere left to run.
While the supervisor tried to gain cover by inventing fake excuses, HR already had proof showcasing his role in the 'forced hiring.' "He [the supervisor] was reassigned within the quarter. She [his crush] quietly disappeared not long after," they wrote. A 2021 study published in Risk in Contemporary Management examined multiple empirical studies on workplace nepotism and favoritism. It concluded that consistent favoritism leads to lower job satisfaction, reduced motivation, diminished organizational trust, and higher stress among employees who are overlooked. By awarding the job to his crush, the supervisor not only harmed the company's reputation but also deprived other qualified candidates of their rightful opportunity. According to a SideHustles.com survey published earlier this year, 40% of American workers have thought about leaving their jobs due to perceived favoritism, with 1 in 10 actively prepping to quit this year.
Soon after the post went viral, many users reacted to the story. u/Mo-shen wrote, "Reminds me of my director hiring someone because 'they go to church; they should be great!' And this was after I told them I thought they would be a problem. The person in question was a massive disaster and was fired within two weeks." u/Zoreb1 wrote, "'...and he will take the heat if needed.' Sure, he would. Make sure you get the number of the bus he throws you under." u/Tremenda-Carucha shared, "Really though, that manager deserves an 'Employee of the Month' mug... in irony."
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