Reference ChecksHi: Recently, I had a second interview with the two partners of a company in which they expressed interest in me and asked me outright about my observations or concerns about the company. After the lengthy interview, they asked me for professional references which I provided. They followed up with these references. Two of the three professional individuals I listed as references were good enough to get back to me and let me know what they said about me as well as the questions that were asked. They both gave me glowing references which, of course, I appreciated. However, they both made a point of telling me that the partner calling them for the reference kept harping on questions such as "what are the negatives about (me)? What is she really like? Tell me something that's wrong with her? Does she fight or not get along with her co-workers? " My references told me this line of questioning went far beyond the usual, "what are her weaknesses or what areas could she improve on?" kind of questioning. THe one person who was a reference actually said the interviewer seemed quite annoyed when he wouldn't say anything truly negative about me. I found this really kind of strange since the two interviews I had with them seemed to be really positive and they definitely led me to believe they were interested in me. Indeed, they followed up with me after the reference checking to say they checked my references and received "glowing" commendations about me. But then he said, "But what else would you expect? It's not like you'd list anyone who was going to say something bad about you?" My unspoken gut reaction was "If you're not going to believe what 3 references told you, why bother checking them?" Also, they knew there was a time issue with the offer as I had been made other offers which I was currently considering. They said they were aware of this and would be ready to make a decision/offer in 2-3 weeks (after the deadline I had for making a decision on the other offers). They said they needed to evaluate their "global hiring needs" and the amount of new business they were expecting to bring in. I found the whole reference check thing a little disturbing and unusual. Is this kind of extensive questioning on a candidate's negative traits typical? My own reference said he got a strange vibe from the interviewer and thought the line of questioning was odd. Wondering what your thoughts are on this. If I'm made an offer, should I ignore this strange behavior and seriously consider the opportunity, or is this an indication of something to be avoided? THanks! Do you know if it is one of the interviewers who called them? If so, I wouldn't take the job. They sound like Class A backstabbers, and if they are then working there will be like walking on eggshells. I'll bet there's ton of turn-over because people are rewarded for talebearing while they should be working. You'll stay there a year just to prove on your resume that you could, and then you'll hope and pray that they'll go out of business so you don't have an anxiety attack when you next boss mentions that he's going to do a background check. Been there, done that, it ain't fun. Hi: Thanks for your input. I appreciate it. To answer your question, yes, the person who called my references was the partner in the firm. Because the position I'm being considered for is a key senior-level position, I would be reporting directly to this partner. It's a very small firm (15 people or so) but only three senior-level people (including the two partners). So, yes, the whole thing seemed weird to me. At this point, I could write a book about all the "weirdness" I've encountered in my job search. Thanks again! "If you're not going to believe what 3 references told you, why bother checking them?" Good point, that's a major reason why they're frequently eliminated from resumes (along with the "References available upon request"). References, however, can be valuable sources of information to confirm what's already related through your documents, an application plus an interview. Good luck to you. Hey thanks. I totally agree with you. I long since stopped putting "references and clips available upon request" on my resume. I never had to fill out an application for the job I described. They just called me in for interviews. It was only after the interviews that they specifcially asked me to send them a list of references. I guess I'll just chalk it up to more weirdness in my crazy job search journey. Thanks for your input. It's good to know I'm not totally crazy :) Thanks!
Have someone you know call reference #3 (the one who hasn't provided you with details) and pretend to be a prospective employer doing a reference check (make up the name of the company). See what he/she is saying about you. Just a thought.
For goodness sake, take one of the other offers! I've said this a number of times but it bears repeating. Many times I have found myself saying, "I wish I'd known then what I know now." You are would be out of your mind to ignore the strong warning provided by the strange behavior. With a wedding like this, what kind of marriage could possibly await you?
I think they were employing a method of trying to pry a negative response out of someone in a situation where they would not want to be negative. I know when I have been called for a reference in the past, the caller may say "You know, no one is perfect and everyone has some sort of flaw. What would Jane's flaw be?" This puts the reference giver in a position of CONFIRMING a flaw as opposed to introducing one. On a small company where everyone works with everyone else you need to know these little flaws before hand... they may not be that little. They sound like nut cases. Yes, handpicked references will usually sing praises for the candidate, that's why they were picked. That's why many hiring managers, myself included, do not even bother to contact the references. Calling the references and then being disappointed that they didn't dish out dirt on the applicant is unreasonable to say the list. Why would you want to work there after this anyway? If they interrogate people they do not know and who don't even work for them in this manner, how do they treat their subordinates?
What I Have - Truth Shall Set Me FREE When I have had to provide references for previous jobs. I write thatI have or will give the contact of persons who have supervised me or wewere above me. I will not put anything in references. If I amverbally asked for them I will ask inquiring persons if my formersupervisors names and contact information is good enough. I would andwill Not ask for references any of those people. I know I did my joband I am not going to shie away from what folks who above me have tosay about me. Since most of previous jobs were short term, if formersupervisors remember me, I will view that as Not negative/Something. | |
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