everything you need to know about job references by Alison Green on January 30, 2017 When an interviewer asks you for a list of references, are you confident about the names you hand over? Do you wonder what kind of questions they might be asked, or whether you’ve picked the right people? Are you supposed to list your current manager, or is it okay not to? At U.S. News & […] Read the full article →
how do I give a reference for a terrible former manager? by Alison Green on October 19, 2016 A reader writes: My supervisor was recently moved out of my department and I believed she would be looking for new jobs. Lo and behold, I get an email from an out-of-state colleague saying she has applied for the director position there, and would I be able to unofficially tell him anything about her? He […] Read the full article →
did a reference lie to me to stop me from hiring a candidate who she wanted to hire herself? by Alison Green on October 18, 2016 A reader writes: A few months back, my organization had a job opening for which we had a lot of internal candidates. We have a number of part-time, front line staff who are actively seeking full-time jobs, and whenever a full-time position comes available we usually get a lot of interest from those employees — […] Read the full article →
company wants references from “coworkers you didn’t get along with” by Alison Green on October 5, 2016 A reader writes: I’m currently interviewing for a new position with a company that works remotely. Over the past two weeks, I’ve had 10+ video calls with every member of the small team, along with a bunch of unpaid work tests that have included everything from client proposals to personality tests. It’s starting to feel […] Read the full article →
my boss said inappropriate things about me to a reference-checker by Alison Green on August 9, 2016 A reader writes: I started job searching in earnest last year for a number of reasons — mainly, no raises despite glowing performance reviews over the past several years, no chance of a title change despite increased responsibilities, and no opportunity to move into a better position. (It’s a small organization.) I recently interviewed for […] Read the full article →
how do I ask references about a candidate’s personality? by Alison Green on July 7, 2016 A reader writes: I am a manager at a nonprofit and hire part-time workers to work in recreation-type centers across the city. Since they are working with kids, adults, volunteers, stakeholders, etc., strong interpersonal skills are part of what we look for. However, interviews make people nervous, and it can be a little hard to […] Read the full article →
when a positive reference suddenly turns negative by Alison Green on March 2, 2016 A reader writes: My sister was recently chosen for a permanent position at a large organization where she had previously worked as a temp. They performed over three weeks of scrupulous recruitment procedures, and she passed a background check with flying colors. She was asked for a list of her references, which of course included the […] Read the full article →
how to decline to be a reference for a former coworker by Alison Green on October 29, 2015 A reader writes: An old coworker of mine recently got let go from her job. Back in the day, we used to be good friends. She is applying to my current employer and asked me to be a reference. I am hesitant to be one, as I know of some past work performance issues that […] Read the full article →
my friend fabricated his resume and now wants me to be his reference by Alison Green on September 3, 2015 A reader writes: I got a voicemail today for a reference check on a former coworker / casual friend. I had no idea this call was coming, but I’ve been in management for a few years and get these often enough, so it’s not a big deal. So I reached out to him asking for […] Read the full article →
did my friend give me a damaging reference? by Alison Green on August 5, 2015 A reader writes: I just had an interview and they moved incredibly fast and got back to me the very next day, saying they would like to check my references. I have a friend who works at the company, so I gave her name, as well as two other people from a previous company. They […] Read the full article →