Thinking about your prospects for landing that new job? You should think first about what your former boss and other references will say about you. There is no doubt, for many job searchers, a person’s past will have a direct bearing on his or her future. “No matter what the nature of the job or pay scale, people should take their references very seriously,” said Heidi M. Allison, Managing Director of www.allisontaylor.com. “They can make or break a hiring decision. Wouldn’t it be nice to know what your references are really saying about you during a job search? We check references and give the results directly back to you.”
Ms. Allison says it’s time to dispel a number of myths about job references:
Myth No. 1:
Companies are not allowed to say anything negative about a former employee.
Reality:
While many companies may have policies dictating that only title, dates of employment and eligibility for rehire can be discussed, their employees at both the supervisory and HR level frequently violate such policies. Due to human nature, providing a reference may be an emotional call for some. How about the boss with whom you had philosophical differences or the supervisor who sexually harassed you? Maybe a boss was just jealous of you? Approximately fifty percent (50%) of Allison & Taylor’s clients receive a bad reference, despite the strict policies in place.
Myth No. 2
Most corporations direct reference check requests to their human resources departments, and these people won’t say anything bad about me.
Reality:
Most human resources professionals will follow proper protocol. However, in addition to what is said, prospective employers often evaluate how something is said. In other words, they listen to tone of voice and note the HR staffer’s willingness to respond to their questions – both critical factors. Often heard is “Check this person’s references very carefully”, an ominous statement from any perspective. A human resources department will often divulge if a person is eligible for re-hire. Are you?
Myth No. 3
If I had any issues with my former boss, I can simply leave him or her off my reference list and nobody will ever know.
Reality:
Many companies actually check references without your even being aware of it. They conduct what is known as a “social security check” to determine where you have worked in the past and then call the human resources department or office administrator, frequently at each employer, for a reference. This practice is also used to determine if a prospective employee has left any significant places of employment off of a resume – a bad move that should be avoided.
Next time I will talk about the next 4 myths.
Consider what on Allison and Taylor, Inc. client had to say after using our professional reference checking service:
“Would definitely recommend and use this service again”
For more information regarding Allison and Taylor, Inc.’s services click here.