Last time we discussed Sam Edwards. He suspected something was not quite right with the information being given by his past employers. So what is his next step?
Job seekers like Sam can now turn the tables on their former bosses. Many have begun to check up on former bosses, colleagues and even trusted friends, by using professional reference checking firms to see what those references will say about them to prospective new employers.
“When you get right down to it, you don’t know always know for sure who you can trust. There is simply too much at stake – your job, your income, your family’s well being – to leave to chance that your references are positive and accurate” says Heidi Allison, Managing Director of Allison & Taylor, Inc. (www.allisontaylor.com) a professional reference checking firm.
Ms. Allison states that about half of the references they investigate offer mediocre to downright negative input – often to the surprise and dismay of the clients. “People they believe will give them a good reference, frequently do not,” she says. “And the likelihood is that such references will continue to “poison the well” unless their negative input can be documented and addressed.”
Is your past employer ruining your job search? Find out what to do in part 3.