Asked two alums from same company to talk with me about openings on linkedin, both responded to my request. How do I deal with this properly?

Question

I typically send requests to multiple alums from one company in my job hunt, because there is a high chance that my message gets ignored. However, this time, I got both to respond willing to talk to me.

Should I inform them both about this? I don't want to make the second person to talk to me feel like they are wasting his/her time. Personally, I think I should tell them about this, but what is the proper way to respond?

I've already accepted the phone call from the first alum, the second alum I haven't responded to. Should I tell the 2nd alum that I already have plans talking with someone else in the company, but would be glad to learn more about the specifics of his job?

Answer 1

Unless the company is so small that they would have overlapping experiences what would be the harm?

Some companies change after a merger; some change after a big contract win or a loss; some vary by position: better to be a developer or better to be an engineer; some have better experiences at facility X; some are better for young employees while some have a great work life balance for families.

Two opinions can't hurt, other than having to de-conflict their points of view. Asking one person what it was like is only a shot-in-the-dark anyway.

Answer 2

One potential reason to tell the second alum about the conversation with the first is referral bonus. Assuming you have not yet applied to the company, and you are going to apply, one of these alums might be entitled to some sort of referral bonus from the company if you were to be hired. This may not be an issue, but lots of companies are now offering these bonuses to the employee who referred the candidate into the hiring process.