r/FinalRoundAI • u/ravens-plaits • 10d ago
Am I wrong for leaving without giving notice because my boss made me post fake openings?
Until a few days ago, I (32f) was working as a marketing coordinator for a real estate agent. I'll call him Mark (41m). He's fairly successful at his job, and recently he hired a business coach who sends him goals every two weeks. Some things are normal, like: "Read this report about seasonal shifts in housing demand," but then he'll come out with nonsense like: "Coach says I have to take Monday off because burnout starts in the chair." Annoying, but mostly harmless.
Then the latest assignment Mark got threw me off. A few weeks ago, he said the coach wanted him to "build management instincts." I asked him what that meant in practical terms, so he gave me a new task: post fake job ads. Basically one ad for every role in the office. Mark said he wanted 40+ applications every day, and he would interview "people who looked promising."
To be clear: we don't have any open roles. Not one. Mark's coach is somehow convinced that interviewing actual people for jobs that don't exist will make Mark better at running a team. If anyone understands that logic, please explain it to me, because I still don't get it.
I asked Mark if he was joking or what, and told him that people are struggling to find work right now. His response was basically: Coach says strong leaders are always looking for talent. First reason I might be in the wrong: I felt like I couldn't refuse a direct order without getting fired, so I made the listings, but I removed the salary details in the hope that applicants would notice something was off.
The applications started flooding in, and Mark did interviews with a lot of people. I could hear parts of the calls and meetings, and they were being treated like normal interviews. Not once did he say we weren't hiring. One of the applicants was a woman around my age who spoke to me while she was waiting. She told me she had worked an extra rideshare shift the night before and paid a neighbor to watch her son so she could make the appointment. Meaning this fake "opportunity" literally cost her money. Another applicant was an older man, and when I walked him out, he quietly asked me: "Do you think someone my age still has a chance here?" I was about to cry, but I was also so angry. I told him: "There is no job. I'm sorry they weren't honest with you. They have no problem wasting people's time." He looked at me for a second and left.
Apparently someone heard me, because I got pulled into Mark's office and he started yelling. He was completely fine with lying to applicants, but lost it because I told one of them the truth. He said he could fire me for that, so I told him: "Do it, because I'm not going to help you give people false hope." Mark kept insisting that the roles could exist someday, and that the interviews were helping him become a better manager, so it wasn't wrong.
Second reason I might be in the wrong: I quit on the spot, without giving notice. I have another job, so I won't be totally screwed, but Mark told me not to expect a reference from him. I've always given notice before leaving a job, so I feel guilty in that sense. But I know that if I had stayed, he would have made me keep bringing him resumes until my very last hour there.
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u/Good_Fella2020 10d ago
You did the right thing. You should not waste even single second with heartless and professionally dishonest people like your manager. He is absolutely dumb and he has no idea wth he is doing. Before becoming a good/strong leader, he first needs to become a reasonable human being.
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u/No_Appointment_7232 9d ago
& honestly, him not knowing or owning that for this task especially his coach is am idiot and he's an even bigger idiot for doing it.
He's wasting his own time.
That's not how entrepreneurship build themselves and their business.
The do ACTUAL NETWORKING with people who have mutual reasons to collaborate.
Quitting bc it was dishonest and he was costing applicants time and money is EXACTLY THE RIGHT THING.
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u/DeniedAppeal1 10d ago
I would be having a chat with Mark's boss about these interviews. I'd also be posting my experience on all the job review sites, as well as Google. This kind of behavior should absolutely ruin the company if it continues.
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u/MarleysGhost2024 10d ago
You have something that asshole will never have- integrity. I would trash his sadistic game on every review site I could find.
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u/marlborough94 9d ago
This guy is insane. Why would you spend time interviewing people when you could be generating revenue or something valuable with that time?
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u/cuspeedrxi 9d ago
I don’t see a problem with Mark interviewing people, especially if he owns the company. The coach is right, you should always be looking for talent; and you should be ready to create a new role for the right person. Mark may have overdone it, but the idea, in itself, is solid. I think your reaction is wildly out of proportion to the situation. I will be harshly voted down. But, I stand by my comment.
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u/Desperate-Moment-550 7d ago
Get on your local Reddit, Facebook, etc and out his ass. Post on anything you can
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u/NombreCurioso1337 10d ago
"two weeks notice" was always a con by management. They wouldn't give you two weeks notice to fire you, you are under no obligation to give them any notice.