Job Discussion Forums

[SydGirl2]

In your experience, how many of your referees have been consulted after you have applied for jobs? I am assuming they would be consulted after the interview. I was told this by one employer. The reason I am asking, is that I have had interviews for 2 jobs recently, and to my knowledge, my referees have not been contacted and I have had no communication from the prospective employers. Given that I have been interviewed for the jobs, would it be reasonable to expect a letter/email regarding the success or failure of my application? Thanks

[zaylahis]

In all my years of working in various jobs, I have yet to hear of any employers contacting referees. I did, however, get reference letters ready and sent them to prospective employers.

[arioch36]

[spiral78]

My references have been checked from time to time. Maybe it's a regional thing? I've worked in Europe and North America.
Or maybe I just look like a scammer!

[Sonnet]

I always check references. I know that the majority of places I've worked for in the past didn't contact mine, though - don't know why, it's not like checking requires a serious amount of time or effort.

[phis]

A reference doesn't mean an awful lot! Firstly, nobody in their right mind would give the name of a referee if they thought that person/company was going to say something bad about them. Secondly, it has been known for a company to give an 'excellent' reference for someone just because he/she is a troublemaker and the company just wants to be rid of the employee. Thirdly, in some 'compensation crazy countries', people have been known to sue if a person/company says something bad about them. Hence a company may be very wary about giving the 'true picture'. A reference, at its best, can only be useful if the HRD has the ability to read between the lines.

Example: 'J is very inventive in his approach to routine procedures'.
Possible meaning: 'J is a bit of a maverick and is unwilling to follow company guidelines'.

I'm sure the DOSs on this site can think of lots of lovely examples!

[spiral78]

I was told that there was a case in the States where a company hired someone based partly on a positive reference from a previous employer, and then filed a lawsuit against said previous employer when the new employee turned out to be an established thief.

Maybe this is urban legend!

But the references I have from my last two university employers don't include any adjectives (responsible, hard-working, good, etc) - they just state the projects I worked on and courses I taught.

This is ok with me. The facts pretty much speak for themselves. I can get personal references from peer teachers (and have) but I assume that potential employers are going to read those with the understanding that they are certainly written by people who wish me well.

[naturegirl321]

I knew a guy who created email addresses and put those down on his CV saying that they were his references and he said he was never contacted. I usually give a reference letter that I ask for upon leaving the place where I work, but I don't konw if they contact the people or not.

[livinginkorea]

I don't think anybody checked my references. Never heard from them about it anyway. If nobody checks them, then aren't they kinda pointless? Maybe schools are very trusting people?

[william wallace]

It's an issue of mistrust and power. In Western countries to flip a burger you need references,so ESL, why not ?

[SydGirl2]

Thanks for your replies everyone. I have another question. When you have been interviewed, have the prospective employers always contacted you afterwards to let you know one way or the other how you went? In my limited experience I have been contacted after the interview but that was a few years ago and things may have changed since then.

[tedkarma]

[zaylahis]

It varies from employer to employer.

Some employers state up-front in their advertisements that they will only inform successful candidates or that only those short-listed will be called fr interviews. I find this very unfair because it keeps the unsuccessful ones waiting.

Some ask you to go for an interview and send an email to inform you...whether you got the job..or not. I once flew to London from Asia, at my own expense, for the interview assuming that the employers would only call short-listed candidates. My very expensive mistake.

Others make an initial offer or tell you that you are not successful immediately after the interview.

Then there are others who inform you by e-mail whether you have been offered the job.

And then there are those who make an initial offer, tell you to hurry up with your documents etc and make you wait and wait and wait for your visa and news of when you have to leave. Nerve-wracking.

[Stephen Jones]

KFUPM always checks, though it is the exception in the Gulf.

When I applied in the UK for K-12 jobs abroad everywhere checked but the Gulf.

[arioch36]

Going back to references, In China, a few schools will check your diploma. If you have been here at least a year, most school will check with the Chinese provincial office to see if you have been bad, or the provincial office will tell the school.

About telling you the results. My first thought was that this is a cultural thing. But then I thought about some westerners trying there hand at recruiting, and they can be just as bad at stringing you along, promising you you've got the job, etc., all the while willing to put you to the side when they get somebody better (or cheaper). I haven't been turned down by many schools in China, but as I remember, I've been usually told politely and timely I wasn't needed. So maybe this is universally considered proper business etiquette.

One thing that drives every Chinese or non-chinese worker crazy is that you won't hear from them for weeks, then they will say ... please come tomorrow. Last year a Canadian friend bought his ticket. Three weeks before he was to leave, school sent him an e-mail to in three days