A friend just told me an interesting thing. She is currently employed, but looking for another job. In the past, the consensus was that you should specify to the employer that you do not want your current employer contacted until after the offer has been made. The employers would then be expected to make an offer contingent on passing the reference check and only once the applicant agrees would the employer be contacted.

Anyway, my friend told me that the following has happened to her twice in her job search, including the latest position she interviewed for. The potential employer made it clear that they cannot make an offer UNTIL the current employer has been contacted. When my friend inquired whether or not she was at least their first choice, in both instances, the employers were very evasive and expressed to her that she was ONE of the finalists and that they needed to talk to everyone's current supervisor before even CONSIDERING the offer. I can understand that employers are now more paranoid than ever that they should make a mistake, but what is an applicant to do in this situation? There must be at least 2-3 "finalists", so if an applicant complies and provides the information prior to the offer, there is at least a 50-66% chance they may not get the job, only now, their current employer will know they are looking and if they are not terminated on the spot, their days there will be numbered. My friend was forced to decline on both occasions.

Has anyone else ever heard of this? Asking the applicant to jeopardize their current job for nothing more than a "maybe" and offering no promises in return? I can't imagine what would possess a working candidate to comply with this. Once I talked to my friend, I did some research on the web and found articles aimed at HR staff and hiring managers suggesting that they take this approach from now on as opposed to making an offer contingent on passing a reference check. How is an applicant supposed to handle this? Employers don't trust unemployed candidates, but yet with this policy, they make it harder for the employed ones to retain their jobs for the duration of the job search. Remember, at least 50% of these "finalists" will be forced to admit job searching to their current employer, and they still won't get the job.

And what about the candidates who are not particularly anxious to leave their employer, but are just applying to this job or that from time to time because it sounds interesting or because it would be a move up and the applicant just wants to see what happens? With this policy, it's either commit to a job change and burn all bridges with current employer, or do not job search at all. Where is the logic in that? Most working candidates cannot afford to be so reckless.

Has anyone else here come across this? My own job search is pretty casual, it would take a solid offer with a salary increase, possibly a higher title, and amazing benefits for me to leave my employer, and I certainly wouldn't risk my current employment for a "maybe". What worried me is that the articles I read suggest that this is becoming a very common policy. Is that true?