They Can’t Say That, Can They? Part 2

Your Reference May Be Offering More Information Than You Think – Actual Quotes From Former Employers

Last time I discussed that even companies with reference policies in place cannot ensure that their employees will necessarily abide by such rules.

As a consequence, while countless job hunters feel secure in the idea that a former employer will only provide their position title and dates of employment, there’s a very good chance that this is not the case.  The “safe” references many job seekers provide to potential employers may be the very ones that are killing their chances of winning that sought-after new job.

Here are some actual examples of questions and responses in references checked by Allison & Taylor:

We would like to verify that (the candidate) held the position (title) from (dates), is this correct?

  • “He was an account executive, not a Senior V.P.”
  • “His name doesn’t ring a bell.”
  • “We do not have this person anywhere in our records.”
  • “I am not allowed to say anything about this person as they were fired”

Come back next time to read some more examples of what employers actually say.

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