1 Million Job Seekers Find Out What Former Employers Are Saying About Them
JobReferences.com powered by Allison & Taylor, The Reference Checking Company recently achieved a major milestone in their 40-year history. Namely, surpassing 1 million job seekers wanting to find out what previous employers will say about them to prospective new employers.
More than a few of these job seekers had initially regarded their references as an afterthought, citing some of the following reasons. Unfortunately, all of these assumptions are frequently wrong.
- Only those references that they list will be contacted for a reference
- If a former supervisor is contacted, they will simply redirect the call to Human Resources per company policy
- Human Resources will only confirm employment dates and title as per company policy.
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Here are 4 reasons why every job seeker should have their references checked:
- Your former employer may be violating appropriate reference policy. Reference-checking firm Allison & Taylor relates that 57% of all reference checks they conduct reveal some level of negativity. Such input is particularly characteristic of former bosses and supervisors. Even Human Resources – by stating that you are “not eligible for rehire” or that you left the company for “involuntary reasons” – can be toxic to your employment prospects.
- Your information may not match the HR records. Previous employers may have different employment start and end dates, position title, or a supervisor or manager listed other than what you have presented. This type of discrepancy may suggest to an employer that you are being less than truthful about your former position’s title or responsibilities.
- Your record may have been omitted from the HR records entirely. This happens more often than people might think, especially in the case of mergers, where not all records make the transfer into a new system. It is also frequently the case with the self-employed; many companies do not hold records for a contractor in their HR system. It doesn’t look favorable when an employer calls and is told that there is no record of your ever having worked there.
- Your reference contact may no longer work for the company. Many job seekers make the mistake of not staying in close contact with the person they intend to use for a reference. You need to be confident that your reference is still there to respond to inquiries. If the reference is no longer there, a reference checker may be shuffled though the system and end up with someone who doesn’t know the former employee, or who won’t cast them in a positive light.
Clearly, it is critical to ensure that your references don’t ultimately become your career-enders, intentionally or unintentionally. Rather than experiencing lost job prospects, consider having a reference check(s) conducted to reveal what your former employer is actually saying about you. It will likely prove to be one of the soundest investments you will make in support of your career.
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