A friend of mine applied at a small company, the CEO being a more or less well known figure in a moderately sized field of experts. The hiring process stalled, and there were errors on both sides, and ultimately no binding contract was reached, and my friend decided for another company. The CEO is now so upset (claiming waste of resources and time) that he/she threatens my friend with making their view of the story semi-public in the field.
I don't want to have a legal answer (most likely this is not legal, but hard to prove).
What I want to know:
- is this something which is common?
- how unprofessional would such a sharing of information be perceived?
- Is it likely that other people take anecdotes told in such a setting seriously (I would not, since i consider people violating the confidentiality of the HR process grossly unprofessional)?
- how to react? (that may include seeking for legal help, but also other things)