One of those sticky interview questions....

Not knowing the details....

Why would you not say "they were asking me to behave in an unethical manner"? (ie, are the legal issues you'd like to avoid?). If they asked you to book revenue that couldn't legimately be recognized, you should say, "they asked me to book revenue that couldn't legitimately be recognized. They did not deny it was wrong, but said that it was the way they did things. I couldn't do it, and chose to leave."

Was it an honest difference of opinion regarding appropriate and ethical behavior? Rather than saying "they were unethical" would you have to say, "I was uncomfortable with practices that were legal, but outside my personal code"?

Not sure this helps. Honesty seems a core value of yours. You should not shy away from it. Many employers would welcome it.

John

Don't talk about the issues that you discovered. Perhaps there is a way that you could navigate the rapids, but most likely you will take a misstep and wind up squashed against a rock. Total open honesty is probably not the best path - the phrase "I wanted to avoid committing a crime" or something similar generally doesn't go well in an interview.

Usually you are only asked about your reasons for leaving the most recent job. If this was two jobs ago, it probably won't come up.

Be honest without going into too much detail.
- I didn't see advancement in that company as an option in my future and I looked for other opportunities.
- The business situation wasn't developing in ways that looked promising, so I decided to look outside the company.
- Opportunities for good personal growth weren't available. I didn't see any chance to become a better manager by staying there.

If something like one of these was your reason, then use it. Perhaps it is heading toward an ethical grey area, but if the reason is true, I do not see these answers as dishonest or unethical. It is quite a bit like not answering with your worst fault when asked about a weakness.

If you want to go for more detail
- I had a (moral, legal, ethical?) difference of opinion about an aspect of the business. I talked it over with the leaders and I understood they were not going to change. In the end, I decided that it was not something I was willing to support, so I gracefully exited the company.

You don't want to be labeled a troublemaker. Or a whistle blower. Additionally, there could be legal complications if you are not careful about what you say.

You left for good reasons. Don't turn your good reasons into a handicap on your future.

Brian

Brian, excellent points.

You're right that they are unlikely to probe, so maybe it is best to be vague without bending the truth. If they push, then you can reluctantly share whatever details won't create legal issues.

Tricky balance: how to show ethics without coming across as self-righteous?

This is a great question. Anyone else have ideas?

John

[quote]You're right that they are unlikely to probe, so maybe it is best to be vague without bending the truth. If they push, then you can reluctantly share whatever details won't create legal issues. [/quote]

Truth is an absolute defense to slander, so telling the truth should not get one in legal hot water.

I've been in [b]exactly [/b]this situation, and I had no problem stating the truth. At one point, I worked for an employer who asked/expected me to commit fraud, on multiple occasions and in multiple ways. I got out.

In interviews after the fact, I stated basically exactly what I just wrote - I didn't give chapter and verse, but made it clear that I could not ethically continue working for that individual.

Given my experience, I'll happily pass on those employers who are put off by that. That may sound naive, but I'd rather be unemployed and sleep at night.

[quote="skwanch"]
Truth is an absolute defense to slander, so telling the truth should not get one in legal hot water. [/quote]

Only so far as the truth is agreed upon. If your version of the truth and their version of the truth don't match, then you could land in a lot of hot water.

This is a situation where I go with risk avoidance. There is no upside to including someone else's actions in your answer. There is great potential downside and ample opportunity to make a misstep.

What is true or false is probably not relevant to the new job.

Brian

[quote]This is a situation where I go with risk avoidance. There is no upside to including someone else's actions in your answer. There is great potential downside and ample opportunity to make a misstep. [/quote]

Upon reflection - your'e right. My case was out-and-out fraud. . . there were no shadings of meaning or 'misunderstandings' that could be defended. In the original post, it sounds like there was room for interpretation and he was uncomfortable w/ how that mgmt was making the call. So - my comments probably don't apply.

[quote="skwanch"]Truth is an absolute defense to slander, so telling the truth should not get one in legal hot water. [/quote]

Not everywhere.

Here in the UK a slander or libel case can be based purely on the intent or perceived intent of the revelation, regardless of its truth or lack there of. You can tell the truth and still be sued for slander.

It may be worth checking with a lawyer for your area before revealing negative information about a previous employer.

Stephen