I'm relatively new to Wells, less than 3 years. I was wondering how difficult is it to change jobs within the company? I have seen a few positions that I might want to try for and may be a little less layoff proof than my current role. What's the process and should I tell my manager before finding a new position?
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I liked my manager a lot but I did not tell them I was interviewing internally until the HR person specifically called to ask me if I had (which I knew meant that an offer was coming). That was absolutely the right decision - in that job I had been recommended for promotion for two years straight and never received it although my own manager was having the same issue so I know it wasn’t personal. The new job was a pay grade up plus a substantial raise. It can and does happen.
Be sure to confirm what the offer will look like before you tell your manager. No sense in upsetting the cart if the offer terms are not what you would accept.
@eeh... thanks for the information. That clears up a lot.
You can wait to tell your manager. Your HR recruiter will let you know when it comes to the point where the hiring manager needs to do a reference check with your current manager (hint: that typically means you’re the finalist). They will wait for you to confirm that your manager is aware, or for you to give them permission to just reach out though they will prefer for you to come clean to the current manager first to avoid awkwardness.
For roles that I’d hire for, I’d be very hard pressed to hire outside WF because it’s so much easier if the person has knowledge of the subject matter and organization. But there is pressure to hire from outside, so your mileage may vary.
OP here. If you get through the final round of interviews and haven't told anything to your manager, would your manager mention anything to you if he received a reference check from a hiring manager? Or would he just keep quiet about it?
Would the recruiter or hiring manager let you know that they are doing the reference check? Or is it all done behind your back?
I made the tremendous mistake of falling for my boss's fake, southern charm, and indicated that I wanted to post out...
From that moment on my boss has been trying to manage me out of Wells. Things seriously went south very quickly.
Unless you have a good working relationship with your manager, I wouldn't tell them. Usually WF requires an internal reference before any offers are made so I would ask the recruiter if it's still that way and that you'd like an opportunity to speak with your manager before they are blindsided by an internal reference request.
Wells Fargo loves institutional knowledge, so with the exception of the CEO and other execs who only consider hiring from the outside... the managers farther down the hierarchy tend to like hiring from the inside. Also, for cost reasons managers are encouraged to hire from within, to no increase overall headcount. So I'd say IN GENERAL being internal helps you.
My experience is... my boss has always been told I was interviewing once I got past the screener, despite me specifically asking for it to be kept quiet. Annoying, it wasn't like I wouldn't tell eventually but why do it before there's an offer likely coming my way?
So my advice would be... if you are worried about your boss being ticked that you are looking elsewhere, only apply for roles that truly interest you. And just have your explanation ready, for when your boss finds out.
I also think that a lot of the tech jobs are fake, they often get cancelled too. I think they are trying to test the market to see # of applicants and what salaries they are looking for. Other companies do this same thing.
I personally would suggest looking outside until the company gets all their bigger issues resolved.
"Moving internally is a little harder now than it has been"
At least in Saul's organization, it's impossible, especially if you are a telecommuter not located in a core location. I've applied for a couple dozen roles that I qualify for and all my apps were rejected within 24 hours by HR.
from what I've seen of late, most new positions posted are really positions that are being created due to re-orgs and people previously in those org's have to apply for them. Not to say they wouldn't hire someone else, but there's obviously some level of preference there. As others have stated, there's certainly quite a few times when the hiring manager already knows who they will be hiring but need to go through "the process" and post the role. The process now does require that you tell your manager, and they (old and potential new) speak before they will extend an internal offer. Makes it quite awkward if you don't have a good relationship.
As a hiring manager myself, what I’ve seen is that HR/Recruiting suggests that the hiring manager has a conversation with the former manager BEFORE making a verbal offer. At that point, the hiring manager sees you as the top candidate and will speak to the former manager to discuss timing of a transition. Some HM also use this step in the process as an opportunity to find out if there aren’t any issues with you as a team member that would cause concerns.
As far as telling your manager, It depends on your relationship with her. If it’s a good one, I would recommend letting her know that you are open to a new challenge and that you will be reviewing internal posts in the future. If it’s a difficult relationship, I would not say anything until you know you will be getting a verbal offer. Build a good relationship with the recruiter and ask him to inform you when you get to the verbal offer stage before the HM contacts your manager.
Again, all the above is what the process should look like with everyone playing by the rules. It goes without saying that corruption and retaliation is rampant at Wells, so be careful with who you talk to and be prepared for people to abuse the process for their personal gain.
why do you want to stay here? Go outside, then you can always come back. Thing is the tech here is beyond obsolete, so you are losing your skills by the second. Some of the tasks seem to be fake too.
Then they also bring on all these Tech Secretaries, i saw this mentioned in a different post, they pretend they are managers.
I have found a lot of times the hiring manager knows who they want before they even post the job, but they have to for show. I have interviewed for a lot of internal jobs, had great interviews and ultimately not selected. Excuses range from someone else a better fit to someone else having more of the skills required. I know one case where I clearly was a better fit and more experienced than who they hired so I figured they were either cheaper or the choice all along. Also make sure you have all the bullet points they want represented on your resume because HR is lazy and won’t even screen you if they don’t see them there.
Internal job transfer is a joke. Trust me on this. I really started to wonder if we had a competent HR dept or if the job postings were just there for show. Funny part is it's easier to quit then apply for the job you want because HR could care less about hiring internally. Its all a "system". In this company no one is above the bottom line so there goes layoff proof.
be aware, their process from application to hire takes 4 to 6 months, no sense of urgency in this process either; also many jobs get cancelled too after you start
Your manager will be notified well before the final interview/hiring stage. If you don't let your manager know in advance, your manager will likely not be thrilled by finding out from hiring manager, HR, etc.
Your manager will be contacted so they can ask about you for the new role. I would talk to your manager & just let them know you're going to apply because its a great opportunity for you.
- Moving internally is a little harder now than it has been, outside hiring is a priority and there seem to be metrics around it that HR is stressing
- I’ll play devil’s advocate. As a manager, assuming I have someone who is meeting or higher, and is ready for a new challenge, I’m supportive and have advocated for them to the new hiring manager on several occasions. If you trust your manager, I would tell them at least once you get to the interview stage. On the flip side, I’ve found out twice from the new hiring manager in past years, and I find that in poor taste (although I know it’s sometimes the directive from HR).
Ultimately, go with your gut based on your relationship with your manager.
Do not tell your manager until you accept the job offer. In my 17 year experience at Wells, managers are slighted by you wanting to leave their team and will use “performance management” aka slowly take responsibilities from you to pigeonhole you in your current role. In fact, do not tell anyone on your team. It’s business, you are looking for an opportunity. Good luck, with your job search!
Don't tell your manager until after you accept the offer.
Don't tell your manager until you are in the final round of interviews, or you know you will be receiving an offer for the new position.
Don’t tell your manager. They will apply for this great new position you found, too.
Many great career options at Wells Fargo. I would not tell your manager