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Dear MT experts and experienced,

Should I be supporting the hiring a former colleague, who is an excellent worker but seems to have issues with authority? How and how much do I tell my new boss and the HR about him?

I used to be an individual contributor and project manager in a small company (25 people) and will start my first job as manager in another small company (22 people) on Monday.

The recruiter of my new company called me yesterday to inquire about a former colleague, who is being considered for a position that will make him my direct. I have always found this colleague to be nice, competent, hard working and helpful. However, I am also aware that there were issues with our previous as well as our current management in my old company. He has been with that company from its start for the past say 20 years, but has always been "overlooked" for promotion.  He has told me previously that he is pretty frustrated with that old company, although he told me that he really liked his work. He took it pretty hard when a former direct, was promoted to become his boss.

Supposedly he has been speaking his mind too often and unasked for, as well as criticizing his bosses, which is why he fell out of grace with them. I have never been there for any incidents of that "insubordination" and was only told about this by third parties, that didn't seem to get along with him too well.

I am only starting this job on Monday and I am not even sure how much I will be involved in the hiring process or how much of a say I will have.

Any advice on this matter would be greatly appreciated.