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As an update to what I posted a while back, a potential employer I interviewed with is still insisting on references from a prior supervisor. She contacted my last 2 employers and they told her its company policy to not give references, but they did tell her that I was employed there and when. I gave her references from friends and a co-worker, she said that wasn't enough. To my surprise, she has again contacted my old employers and demanded they give her information. She re-sent them a questionnaire through email (I know because I was copied on it). I have given her a total of 5 people to contact, 2 friends, one former co-worker, and two HR people at my previous employers. She wants the HR people to talk and wants to disregard the other 3 people.
At this point, I've given up on the job anyway, as I cannot force my former employers to talk about me. But I am disappointed that she is still pursuing references.
WHY would you keep asking someone for a reference if they already told you its not their policy to give one?????? Asking a second time is not going to change their mind.
At this point, I've given up on the job anyway, as I cannot force my former employers to talk about me. But I am disappointed that she is still pursuing references.
WHY would you keep asking someone for a reference if they already told you its not their policy to give one?????? Asking a second time is not going to change their mind.
I would give up too if in your position. When someone is this paranoid and intrusive before the offer, what is it going to be like to work in that company? Are they going to conduct random background checks and psychological "pogrom tactics"? Monitor how long you sit in the john or eat your lunch? Are you 5 minutes late? What color are your socks, show us. So forth, and so on. There things only get worse with time.
Why keep asking for refs after the company told her it's not their policy? Simple. She's looking for dirt. She's hoping someone will crack under pressure and give it to her. She's a muckraker. I would mail her a letter stating that I am no longer interested in the position. Further, I would advise her to stop and desist from inquiring about my past employment and stop harassing my references.
Of course, if she doesn't stop, I would kick up this campaign a notch or two. You know, things like glassdoor, yelp reviews, etc.
Wow.... I gotta say, you are better off not working with that nut-case. She sounds like an obsessive-compulsive control-freak, if not a borderline case.
Well, if she's looking for dirt, she can find out whatever she wants by doing a background check, which I have already consented to. I have nothing to hide. I don't have a criminal record or anything.
She's already hinted that she thinks its a "red flag" that my former employers won't talk about me. She isn't aware of corporate policies these days. Since the mid 90s, most employers have refused to talk about their former workers as a matter of policy.
I thought previous employers could only do 2 things - verify salary and dates of employment. But what do I know.
She needs to be set straight, and I'd be letting someone else at the company know what kind of moron they have working for them, while moving on to a better opportunity.
I thought previous employers could only do 2 things - verify salary and dates of employment. But what do I know.
A previous employer can provide a reference (as in their experience with said person) if they choose to, but it's not as if they're required to do so, and another employer can't force them to provide that information...
She's already hinted that she thinks its a "red flag" that my former employers won't talk about me. She isn't aware of corporate policies these days. Since the mid 90s, most employers have refused to talk about their former workers as a matter of policy.
It would be seen as strange in some fields. I've never had trouble when calling somebody's former supervisor or when asking a former (or current in the right circumstances) supervisor to give me a reference when I was looking for work or when giving a reference to somebody I used to supervise. If there is a policy, nobody outside of HR seems to worry about it.
Of course, I've never encountered who used a form to get a reference.
Anyway, I don't think it is reasonable to have the refusal to get a reference reflect badly on the applicant, but it certainly would make the former employer look bad in my field.
There are some places that want a honest reference rather than just a canned "you worked there and when." When they start push the envelope and borderline harassing former employers, I'd drop them. Imagine how invasive they will be to you.
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There things only get worse with time.
