Calling references after an interview

[BlackArcher101]

Originally Posted by CaramonLS

There are a couple times where a previous manager has told me "I really shouldn't talk about it", which pretty much seals the deal IMHO.

That probably stems from the fact that these days, a previous employer should not be saying anything other than "yes, they worked for me" "yes, they were here for that period of time".

It's actually very limiting. They shouldn't even be giving their opinion on the candidate. This is why most large companies have a policy in place to not give our references, and refer to any calls about previous employeers to HR, who will confirm if the candidate was a previous employee.

[Pinner]

How much credibility can you give an ex co worker or manager ? I would think cold calls are made to previous employers. Possibly the very person that may have been the reason for the job search, would in fact be the person your asking for referral.

I've noticed after a person leaves they are suddenly devalued as an employee, it takes about 30 min. before the back stabbing begins, this is why I don't believe in references.

[Flames0910]

what I don't understand about references, is how the person you've been talking to for 30 seconds (on the phone) holds more weight than the guy you talked to for an hour (in person) simply because he manages the local dairy queen.

[CaramonLS]

Originally Posted by Flame Of Liberty

IMO that's a poor way to do things. Do you depend on other people's opinion to do your job (assess the candidate one-on-one)? How do you know that person is reliable? Do you ask for their references too, so you know their managerial opinion holds water?

I have my own method of assessment which I do for candidates 1-on-1, but you do realize that interviewing only tests for certain competencies, right?

A large part of the interviewing that I do isn't about the importance of technical skills (I interview mostly for retail management), but rather soft skills. Character is something that is extremely hard to judge during an interview process - I can ask questions about it, but good communicators can sometimes pull the wool over your eyes if they've adequately prepared for it.

To be quite frank with you, if someone has burned bridges with their last 2-3 employers, given the extremely high value my organization places on teamwork, then I high doubt I'm going to hire that person.

[CaramonLS]

Originally Posted by Pinner

I've noticed after a person leaves they are suddenly devalued as an employee, it takes about 30 min. before the back stabbing begins, this is why I don't believe in references.

Well, maybe 30 seconds later...

But 2-3 months later? After they've hired a real sh*tty employee to replace you? They'll think pretty highly of you, and in a lot of cases overvalue you. I see it every day in our organization, where managers will ask for employees back who they've been happy to see leave.