In my last several posts I have been discussing the misconception many job seeker have that past employers will only provide your position title and dates of employment, not additional (perhaps potentially unflattering) information. This is not the case. Many times, even if nothing harmful is actually said, a person’s tone of voice can say a lot.
It is not uncommon to contact a reference and find them hesitant, evasive or annoyed by the call. Sometimes tone of voice and inflection speak volumes- many express anger, shock, unhappiness or disbelief that they have been called regarding the employee. Here are some examples of what has been heard during references checked by Allison & Taylor:
We are calling you as a reference regarding (the candidate).
- “I do not care to comment at all. I let him go and that’s all I care to say!”
- “Are you certain he gave you my name?”
- “I cannot believe you were given my name as a reference”
- “Hold on, let me get the legal file to see what I am allowed to say”
- “Never heard of him!”
- “I’m surprised she even listed us on her work history.”
Allison & Taylor estimates that 50% of their references come back as “lukewarm” or “negative”. Don’t allow yourself to be surprised and sabotaged by an unfavorable reference. A simple reference check, conducted by a professional agency such as Allison & Taylor, can tell you definitively whether or not a reference is providing a positive, professional response to inquiries made about you. If they are not, you can take proactive steps to prevent this continued spread of negative information, and you may even have legal recourse.
To find out more about reference checking, please visit Allison & Taylor.