You’ve come through the job application process with flying colors and your prospective employer has told you they need only confirm your job references before making you that offer. You’ve heard that your references can only (legally) confirm your former title/dates of employment; you’re almost home free, right?
Not so, says Allison & Taylor Reference Checking. While legal and/or corporate guidelines may indeed state that only your employment dates/titles can be confirmed, countless job candidates have learned, to their dismay, that this policy is not always adhered to.
Despite the fact that the topic of job references is frequently addressed by state law, many references can – and very frequently do – offer considerably more commentary to a prospective employer than simply verifying your employment dates/title. As a result, many job-seeking candidates who expected a favorable (or at least neutral) assessment from their references unknowingly lose out on employment opportunities that are “torpedoed” as a result of a negative reference(s).
How do you know if one of your references is offering negative, wrongful, perhaps unlawful input about you to a prospective employer? Once identified, how can this negative input be addressed?
Come back next time to find out.