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 →
my manager told me I can’t list this job on my resume by Alison Green on July 29, 2015 A reader writes: I recently resigned from my first job, which was a seasonal sales position. Upon quitting, my manager told me I cannot put this work experience down on my resume, nor can she be my reference since I did not work for 3 months (seasonal positions are for 2 months). I was also […] Read the full article →
I didn’t check references on a new hire and he’s struggling — should I check them now? by Alison Green on July 22, 2015 A reader writes: I currently work on a very small team and we hired someone that is fairly “green” to the industry. During the interview process, he talked the talk about what he wanted to learn and could bring to the table. Both my teammate and I stressed during the interview process that training would […] Read the full article →
we made a job offer contingent on references — and the reference was bad by Alison Green on July 6, 2015 A reader writes: We have recently offered a new employee a job, with a job offer email that included the following line: “The position is permanent and will be subject to a 3-month probationary period and reference check.” We made the offer contingent on references because one of his references was his current employer and he didn’t […] Read the full article →
what to do when a bad employee asks for a reference by Alison Green on June 19, 2015 Most managers love being able to give references for good employees. It feels good to help someone land a job, and to help an employer land a good worker. But what do you do if you’re asked for a reference for an employee who you can’t honestly recommend? At Inc. today, I talk about how handle […] Read the full article →
should I be worried that my manager doesn’t return calls for references? by Alison Green on March 5, 2015 A reader writes: I’m job searching and once I have an offer in hand, I plan on letting the company contact my current supervisor as a reference. Problem is, he doesn’t seem to care about giving references at all. Another employee, who was not his direct report, has been job searching and my supervisor has […] Read the full article →