Any Privacy Protection on Resume Sending
It certainly wasn't ethical and lacked a host of morals and contained no common sense whatsoever on the part of the group you submitted your resume to or your manager for even listening to them.
Outside of that, I am not sure how "against HR rules" it is to check on a current or previous employer for a reference that hasn't been authorized first by you.
I am sure that companies have a policy on this. As far as I am aware, no company has ever gone "behind my back" to check up on my past work.
At this point, I would have serious reservations about how I would be treated by the Google group and how much confidence I could place in them.
Check to see if there is a quality control type of site connected to Google that you could register a complaint with.
It's not that Google checked my references - I didn't provide any. It's not that they wanted to know my background - they didn't even consider me for the position. No interviews and no intention to hire me. I think they were absolute weasels to notify my manager about me looking for opportunities there. I would never ever submit my resume to Google again or consider working there now!
They are weasels.
But still, you should check to see if there is a coplaint department. Monster has a department and so does Careerbuilders, that you can contact to state that you believe an employer who advertised on their sites have done something that has upset you or can be considered immoral, unethical or, at the very least, contrary to their agreement with the site.
I find it suspect that your manager says that Google told her you applied. Unless they were checking your resume OR unless your manager and the person at Google are buddies, that's highly unlikely. I think your boss found out some other way. Did you send it from your work? Many employers monitor all your communications. Did you have it posted on Monster or some other public forum? Did you leave a print out of your resume in your recycle bin? Did someone overhear you on the phone talking about it?
There is always a risk that things will get out when you apply. I interviewed once for a job where my boss's boss and one of the people I interviewed with were in an industry group together and had breakfast together every Wednesday. Gary assured me that he wouldn't say anything to Matt until they hired me away and then he'd give Matt a bad time for letting me get away! With this same job, I had to travel for another interview. I ran into a co-worker from the current job in an airport in Phoenix! This co-worker worked in Indianapolis but was on her way to our headquarters with a flight change in Phoenix and we were on the same flight. I had to swear her to secrecy since there was just enough chance that she'd say something by accident that would get back.
I've also been asked by friends if I know so and so because his resume says he used to work at some place I used to work (or currently work). That's how things like this get out. I've never known a reputable company to actually make an effort to call up your current employer and rat you out deliberately.
Tess