Often asked: Do You Use A Person’s Current Employment On References Or Where You Know Them From?

Can you use a current employee as a reference?

If you feel comfortable and trust them, you are welcome to list current coworkers as references. Sometimes they may be the most qualified to answer questions about your responsibilities and skills. However, only do so if you feel confident in providing that person’s information.

Can we contact your previous or current employer for a reference?

It’s perfectly acceptable to answer no to contacting your current employer. Most employers understand this and usually won’t have any effect on their decision. Make sure you have a backup of other references or employers they can contact.

Does a reference have to be your most recent employer?

The best references are given by people who know you well and who had a good working relationship with you. You don’t need to choose both referees from your most recent employer – it could be anyone who has had direct experience of working with you.

Who should you use for employment references?

Consider these eight people when making your reference list:

• Recent bosses.
• Co-workers.
• Professors.
• Friends… but only if they’re a professional reference.
• Group members.
• Any place you ‘ve volunteered.
• The person you babysat for or whose lawn you mowed every summer.
• High school teacher or coach you still talk to regularly.

What if I have no references?

If you do not have any professional references, offer to provide twice as many personal references if you can. A personal reference can be from someone who knows you, but has never worked with you in a professional environment. For example, they could be a friend, a classmate, a teammate, a coach, a teacher, etc.

Can I use a friend as a reference?

Although they can potentially be a personal reference and vouch for certain soft skills like your reliability and work ethic, your best friend isn’t typically someone you want to provide to recruiters as a professional reference.

What happens if you say no to contacting previous employer?

Answering “no” to “may we contact this employer ” without some sort of explanation can raise some red flags. This response may make them suspicious that you’re wary of a poor reference, that you could be hiding something, or that you never worked at that company in the first place.

Can a company contact your current employer without permission?

Employment at Will – Firing of an employee for a job interview with another company. Employment at will means you can be terminated for any reason without any notice. Most companies won’t contact a current employer without permission and most current employers won’t use a job search as a reason to terminate an employee

Do jobs really call your previous employer?

Most times, they will speak with the human resources department or your previous supervisor. However, employers most often contact previous employers to verify you are accurately representing your experience with them, rather than get a review of your time with them.

Can I use someone as a reference without asking?

Your references should be people you have worked for or worked with. Don’t use someone as a reference without asking them first. Do not assume your favorite teacher or former supervisor will give you a reference. Always ask for permission first and ask far enough in advance so they have enough time to say yes or no.

Can I use my boyfriend as a reference?

They are looking for someone independent of you, who can and will give an objective statement of your abilities or skills or work ethic. You would certainly get an enthusiastic and very positive reference statement from your husband, but that is not the kind of comment that would do them any good.

Can employers give bad references?

It is commonly assumed that a previous employer must give a reference and is legally prohibited from giving a bad one. This is not the case. Your employer can give you a bad or unfavourable reference, but only if they genuinely believe it to be true and accurate and have reasonable grounds for that belief.

When and how do employers check your references?

Most employers will reach out to the references after the first in-person interview but there are some who do so before the first interview. Before making a job offer, most employers will want to backchannel potential hires to get 360 data that proves what they said in an interview was true.

Who should you not list as a reference?

Don’t Do It: 7 People You Should Never Put on Your Reference List

• You Haven’t Had Contact With the Person in Years.
• You Don’t Know the Person.
• You Don’t Know the Person Well.
• You Never Actually Worked With the Person.
• The Person Has a Bad Rep.
• The Person Has Been Out of the Workforce for a Decade (or More)

What do you do if you don’t have a job reference?

Consider these steps as you ask someone to act as a reference for a potential job:

1. Make a personal connection. When you ask someone to be a reference, make it as personal as possible.
2. Be specific and open.
3. Renew an old contact.
4. Give them tools to verify your success.
5. Show gratitude.