How to double-check my job references?

March 16, 2009 1:34 PM

I recently got turned down for a job I thought was a slam dunk, and am now really concerned about the quality of my references. Going forward, is there any way to check the quality of what people would say about me, or negotiate to improve whatever negative opinions they might have?

The job in question was for a full-time position at the same place where I'm currently employed part-time, and while I know it's a tight economy, I believe I had equivalent paper qualifications to most of the other applicants, plus substantially more experience (one of the key listed criteria for the position). So, given that I wasn't even selected for an interview, the only thing I can think of is that there might be a problem with my references.

All three were from supervisors in the field, and I'd checked with everyone before listing them (all agreed). I also thought I'd performed well in all three positions, although in anxious retrospect I can definitely think of imperfections (an unresponded-to email here or there; a single negative comment on a performance evaluation, etc.) that I guess could have been expanded into a negative or lukewarm rec, depending on the person. Since I was hoping to use all these people on future applications, I'm wondering:

• Is there any way to get more specific info on what kind of reference each of these people would give me? (All three supervisors are fairly passive, nice-guy types, so I'm wondering how to get a straight answer from any of them). Can I ask for individual meetings to discuss it more specifically, or would that just be awkward? Any alternative options for getting the straight dope on the issue?
• In the case of people with whom I have an ongoing relationship (my current supervisor, for instance), is it fair to ask for feedback on what (if anything) I could do to change the quality of the reference in the future, or would I be wiser to write it off as a lost cause, assuming anything negative does come up?

posted by anonymous to work & money (9 comments total)

You don't say what field you are in, but as a hiring manager in a technology field I do not check references until I'm at the point of making an offer. If you didn't even get an interview, I'd suspect something else - internal politics? Is this a company that makes it easy for people to go from part-time to full-time? I'd be more worried about being blackballed internally somehow rather than being panned by someone you listed as a reference.
posted by handful of rain at 1:36 PM on March 16

The only way to really know for sure what your references are saying about you is to have a friend or relative call them, pretending to be a potential employer and asking relevant questions. It sounds sneaky, but it's a commonly-used method for ferreting out potentially hazardous/negative references.
posted by amyms at 1:38 PM on March 16 [1 favorite]

What might have happened is that there was already a candidate "in the bag" for the position, and the job listing was a legal courtesy.

I've run into that recently, where I'll get called in, and it turns out that I was the "diversity" candidate so the company could claim to have interviewed, but then moved forward with a significantly lower cost person.

Also, in this economy, keep in mind that insanely qualified candidates are taking jobs at sometimes half what they used to make, just so they can keep a roof over their heads and keep their kids fed. I've seen MBA jobs listed recently for as little as 35k, and the companies are getting hundreds of resumes.

It's an insane job market right now, and people are desperate. I'm willing to bet that your references were fine, but you just got trumped by someone with a lot more experience who was willing to work for a crazy low amount of money.
posted by dejah420 at 1:46 PM on March 16

The job in question was for a full-time position at the same place where I'm currently employed part-time, and while I know it's a tight economy, I believe I had equivalent paper qualifications to most of the other applicants, plus substantially more experience

If they employ you for the full time position, then they have to find someone suitable to fill a part time position within the company. This may be harder then filling a full time one. It could just be as simple as that.

In addition, if you didn't even get an interview I see no reason they would have looked at references. After all, they already know who you are, either the place is large and you already have an HR file, or its small and they know you anyway. Why would they bother with references?
posted by Brockles at 1:47 PM on March 16

If you didn't even get an interview, I'd suspect something else

Seconded. Most hiring managers are too busy to bother making calls until after the first round of interviews. It may not be your references. Have you had your resume independently evaluated? How are your cover-letter writing skills?

it's also an insanely competitive environment right now. You wouldn't believe what fabulous candidates are on the market. It's just not an easy time to get attention.
posted by Miko at 1:47 PM on March 16

handful of rain is correct, I have never heard of anyone anywhere checking a reference before an interview.

The thing about job hunting is, it kind of sucks sometimes. There are millions of reasons why you could be turned down for a job you're well qualified for, but you'll almost certainly never know, so it just doesn't pay to obsess over it. It's a bit like dating: yeah it stings at first, but if they didn't want you, they didn't want you- it doesn't matter how "good" you were, you just weren't for them for whatever reason, and it's their loss. You just have to go to the metaphorical strip club with your friends, call the one who turned you down some rude names, and remember there are a lot of fish in the sea.
posted by drjimmy11 at 1:48 PM on March 16

I was rather amazed recently, when a soon-to-be-laid-off contractor asked if she could have a "reference" from me, instead of asking if she could have a "positive reference". You should always ask what kind of reference a person is going to be, before you give them out.
posted by nomisxid at 1:49 PM on March 16 [1 favorite]

What handful of rain said is in fact the norm - a check of references is normally among the last things that a hiring manager does, rather than the first. Think of it this way: you've got (say) 50 resumes on your desk, and want to interview five to ten people. Would you call three hundred people (three references per resume)?

So, why weren't you even given an interview? You might have been considered overqualified. Or there were plenty of full-time internal candidates, and the hiring manager had a strong preference for those. Or the hiring manager happened to know someone who has worked with you, and called that person to get some insight into what you offered, and decided against interviewing based on that. Or, unfortunately, the job might have been "wired" - there already was a preferred candidate, say someone that the hiring manager knew and liked, and the manager decided not to interview anyone else who might be really competitive.

In short, there are a lot of reasons why you weren't interviewed. At this point, I think the best thing to do would be to make sure that your resume has no obvious mistakes or omissions (it's absolutely a good idea to have a friend - or better - two friends take a look and see). And your cover letter to the hiring manager could easily have been the make-or-break factor; a couple of misspellings, or going something obviously wrong (like a three page letter that simply repeats your resume) could easily have derailed your candidacy; have someone else take a look and give you some feedback, yes?
posted by WestCoaster at 1:50 PM on March 16

Yes, there are affordable reference checking services out there. Do not use them now, on someone you currently report to, while you are still employed!! (Make sense?) Normally I would agree with everyone who says references aren't even checked so early in the process, but for an internal applicant I could see myself picking up the phone and calling around the company a bit. Possible, but not likely.

Are you sure the position was filled? Sometimes companies open hiring reqs that are later canceled due to budget cuts or whatever. Also, how do you know what the qualifications of the other applicants are?

In the case of people with whom I have an ongoing relationship (my current supervisor, for instance), is it fair to ask for feedback on what (if anything) I could do to change the quality of the reference in the future, or would I be wiser to write it off as a lost cause, assuming anything negative does come up?

It's always a good idea to touch base with your supervisor on how he or she thinks you're doing. You don't necessarily have to do this in the context of a reference. If the response is more negative than you'd like (and remember that everyone has something they could do better), then commit to them to improve, ask for any assistance they can offer, and follow through.
posted by txvtchick at 3:07 PM on March 16