Skip to content

Comment on Ex Google engineer claims she was harassed and “Google did nothing about it”parent

Comments

"This kind of accusation... can ruin a career"

It sounds like reporting the harassment ruined this woman's career at Google, so if that's what you meant, then yes. I doubt the man she named will suffer any consequences. Certainly he's never going to suffer the hateful abuse she's currently getting on Twitter.

It destroys the accuser -- I don't want to hire a liability. She may make a similar accusation at my company.

It destroys the accused -- again, I don't want to hire a liability. He may harass someone at my company.

Quite frankly, in a situation like this, I personally wouldn't take a risk hiring either of them. I have a lot of job candidates, and there's no reason to take a risk. Googling someone before you hire them is universal, and a news story like this basically kills careers forever.

It also hurts the employer -- I don't want to work for for a company where this stuff happens -- but much less so.

I would be happy to hire someone like her! She's shown she has guts, and is not afraid to disrupt a stagnant institution. Basically, everything you could wish for in a startup. But I can see why some in the old Silicon Valley establishment might be hesitant; they have very a conservative mindset, and, in general, don't like rocking the boat.

Ellis's new employer doesn't think the way you do, and is a hot startup.

Ellis' new employer hired her before this happened.

Some people will hire her, mind you. It just reduces the set of opportunities perhaps ten-fold, or reduces the level of those opportunities by one or two rungs on the corporate ladder.

That's a career killer in most cases.

AboutSource Built by g1lg1l

Hackerly is an independent reader for Hacker News, built on the public HN API. Not affiliated with Y Combinator.