topic Opinions needed please. (Job interview) in Community Chat

Opinions needed please. (Job interview)

Shorty2U — Sun, 08 Nov 2015 04:09:48 GMT

Someone close to my husband and I (a family member) went for a job. (I would rather not say who or where for privacy reasons).

They had an interview. They thought the interview went very well.

At the end, without saying if said person got the job, they handed them a paper and said have your "current boss" fill this out and fax it to us next week, and then we will let you know our answer in 2 weeks.

The paper asks the persons job history and many questions asking if there have been any problems and all kind of job related questions about the persons work history with them (You know questions a job would usually ask if calling to check your references, but in this case they are asking the interviewed person to do this themselves which to us is stupid!)..

We never heard of this and neither did others this person asked! In fact they know people that work at this place and they said they didn't do that when they were interviewed, However they did say they heard it is a new policy to do this.

Here is where the problem is; The person who went for the job has a terrible boss where they work now, that is not very kind to ANY of the workers. There are other issues at this job the person works at that could be considered illegal such as no proper breaks and a long list of things. Plus the person has not had a raise in 5 years. They really need a better job.

The place the person applied to is a fantastic top notch employer and the person wants this job so bad but is afraid to have their current boss fill out this paper for the possible future job because they are worried if they hand the paper to the current boss, the boss might get mad and fire them and they will have no job in the event the new job never pans out.

DH and I said we think the said person should call the job the interview was at, and explain the situation to the place they had the interview with and tell them that they don't want to hand the paper to their current boss to fill out because what if they lose their job, until they know if they have this job? We think it is worth a shot to call and see if the new place will still consider hiring them. (They have an impeccable resume and so we think it is worth a shot to call).

What would you do? Take a chance and hand the paper to the current boss to fill out, or call the new place and explain? Or just not even bother?

(Really we thought this person should have said something at the interview reguarding the paper, but they were stunned when handed the paper and did not say anything about the paper at the time).

Re: Opinions needed please. (Job interview)

Lucky Charm — Sun, 08 Nov 2015 04:14:42 GMT

I've never heard of this before. But I'm out of the work force and things have changed.

Any way your person can give the paperwork to HR and let them fill in their current job description, attendance and anything good in their files as in reviews, recommendations?

Re: Opinions needed please. (Job interview)

Moonchilde — Sun, 08 Nov 2015 04:20:55 GMT

I don't know if it differs from state to state, but in my state what they are asking is illegal, and a "former" employer is not expected to comply either - and doesn't most of the time.

In CA a prospective employer can only ask you a proscribed small list of questions, and if called, a former employer can volunteer NO info about the former employee, and ONLY refer them to HR - who will then only verify dates if employment and "yes" or "no" when asked if the person is eligible for re-hire. If they say anything that makes the other company rule them out/not hire them at the point of the phone call, they can be sued, and former employees have won these suits.

It could well be a "test" to see how people respond. I know I would not want to work for a company (no matter how desperate I was) that would try/pull something like that.

Re: Opinions needed please. (Job interview)

PeterDM — Sun, 08 Nov 2015 04:21:18 GMT

@Shorty2U wrote:
Someone close to my husband and I (a family member) went for a job. (I would rather not say who or where for privacy reasons).

They had an interview. They thought the interview went very well.

At the end, without saying if said person got the job, they handed them a paper and said have your "current boss" fill this out and fax it to us next week, and then we will let you know our answer in 2 weeks.

The paper asks the persons job history and many questions asking if there have been any problems and all kind of job related questions about the persons work history with them (You know questions a job would usually ask if calling to check your references, but in this case they are asking the interviewed person to do this themselves which to us is stupid!)..

We never heard of this and neither did others this person asked! In fact they know people that work at this place and they said they didn't do that when they were interviewed, However they did say they heard it is a new policy to do this.

Here is where the problem is; The person who went for the job has a terrible boss where they work now, that is not very kind to ANY of the workers. There are other issues at this job the person works at that could be considered illegal such as no proper breaks and a long list of things. Plus the person has not had a raise in 5 years. They really need a better job.

The place the person applied to is a fantastic top notch employer and the person wants this job so bad but is afraid to have their current boss fill out this paper for the possible future job because they are worried if they hand the paper to the current boss, the boss might get mad and fire them and they will have no job in the event the new job never pans out.

DH and I said we think the said person should call the job the interview was at, and explain the situation to the place they had the interview with and tell them that they don't want to hand the paper to their current boss to fill out because what if they lose their job, until they know if they have this job? We think it is worth a shot to call and see if the new place will still consider hiring them. (They have an impeccable resume and so we think it is worth a shot to call).

What would you do? Take a chance and hand the paper to the current boss to fill out, or call the new place and explain? Or just not even bother?

(Really we thought this person should have said something at the interview reguarding the paper, but they were stunned when handed the paper and did not say anything about the paper at the time).

Your family member probably should have nipped this in the bud in the interview and explained the situation. Since that moment has passed, I would take a different route. I think it's pretty customary to tell a potential employer that one hasn't given notice, and has cause for concerns about current job security if they decide to stay in their current position or don't get the new position. I would tell the tell the potential employer that I'd be happy to provide references for any employers previous to my current one, but that the implications of letting my current employer know that I'm seeking new employment outweigh the risk of not getting the job for which I am being vetted. This way, the truth is still being told without speaking badly about the current employer.

Re: Opinions needed please. (Job interview)

Shorty2U — Sun, 08 Nov 2015 05:17:52 GMT

Thank you and I agree with everything that was said here.

I agree they should tell the new place what Peter said.

I also agree that since we never heard of this we wondered too if this is proper or legal.(this is in the state of PA). And like I said this place did not used to do this, so therefore I also agree it may have been a test to see how the person responded and they didnt respond to the paper at the time, so maybe? they blew it. OR perhaps they had trouble with others lying on resumes but really IMO they should have just called the other jobs the person had to check on it themselves!

I also agree is it worth it, if this is what this place does what else will they do?

We just find the entire thing bizarre about the paper.

Thank you and i will check back for more responses tomorrow, but I think the person will probably do what they said and call and explain. If it works it works, (if not then they must move on).

Re: Opinions needed please. (Job interview)

Mustang Shar — Sun, 08 Nov 2015 05:26:08 GMT

I wonder if they give these sheets out to the participants that aren't being considered! That's insane...give this to your current employer.....hello, you're fired.

I wouldn't even want to work for a company like that and employers who give out too much information that prevents the Applicant from getting hired, have been successfully sued.

Re: Opinions needed please. (Job interview)

blackhole99 — Sun, 08 Nov 2015 05:39:17 GMT

I worked in PA. for years and had many job interviews and never had a request like that from a potential employer. If they wanted to call my employer to verify my references I would always tell them I was still employed there and to only call them if they were serious about hiring me.

Re: Opinions needed please. (Job interview)

Kachina624 — Sun, 08 Nov 2015 05:44:19 GMT

No supervisor in his right mind would complete such a form. The only things HR departments will supply are his dates of employment and his job title. As soon as he'd hand this for r m to his boss, it would be known that he is seeking new employment and that could jeopardize his present position. He would have to be nuts to do this. This procedure sounds like it came from someone who doesn't know what he's doing.

I'd tell your friend to forget this job and move on. Very unprofessional.

Re: Opinions needed please. (Job interview)

Moonchilde — Sun, 08 Nov 2015 05:44:41 GMT

@baker wrote:
I worked in PA. for years and had many job interviews and never had a request like that from a potential employer. If they wanted to call my employer to verify my references I would always tell them I was still employed there and to only call them if they were serious about hiring me.

Yes. That's pretty standard - what most people have done or would do - and any normal prospective employer would be well aware if that, so the weird request just sounds even more bizarre. They should be reported to the state employment office.

Re: Opinions needed please. (Job interview)

Lindsays Grandma — Sun, 08 Nov 2015 05:58:36 GMT

Shorty2U...I have never heard of such a thing. First of all some people apply for a job without their current employer knowing about it. Perhaps the person you are talking about can tell the person who did the interview that the employer doesn't know he/she is applying for a job. Hopefully that will take care of the problem. I wish your friend/relative lots of luck and hope they get the job.

Re: Opinions needed please. (Job interview)

Tinkrbl44 — Sun, 08 Nov 2015 06:25:05 GMT

That's CRAZY !!! It also doesn't show much sensitivity for individual situations and politics in the current job!

It's either a really bad idea ..... or it's some kind of test.

Re: Opinions needed please. (Job interview)

DoneTryin — Sun, 08 Nov 2015 07:14:33 GMT

That smells fishy to me. If the interviewer really expected the candidate to do that, it was out of line. If that was some kind of "test" I'd think twice about working for that organization. What kinds of weird "tests" do they pull on their employees?

I just recently retired from an HR generalist position & the only info I was allowed to give out was employment verification of job title(s) & dates of employment. Additionally, most of the applications & resumes we received asked that we not contact current employer, which was always respected. Professional references could be contacted for info about job performance.

I am very curious how this will all work out. If you can, please keep us posted, & good luck to the job-seeker!

Re: Opinions needed please. (Job interview)

terrier3 — Sun, 08 Nov 2015 12:00:05 GMT

Most places now will only give out how long you worked there and what your job titles were. Period.

I learned a pro-active "trick" from my best friend, who has had the same job now for 17 years. If she needed a recommendation from a former employer, it would be VERY old!!! So when people leave the organization, she writes a recommendation on their LinkedIn page if she thinks they did a great job. They often do the same for her. I was one of the people who left the company and followed up with a glowing, well deserved review for her. She now has a large number of recommendations from former co-workers, people she supervised, vendors, clients, etc.

I have followed her lead and now have a lot of recommendations on MY page too. So if and when HR departments are looking for referrals, I tell them to look on my LinkedIn page (which most HR departments do routinely now.)

Re: Opinions needed please. (Job interview)

151949 — Sun, 08 Nov 2015 12:23:32 GMT

In my profession all they ever tell when called for a reference is the date you started to work there and that you are still employed. However, current managers are notified when HR gets a request foe information and is expected to have a meeting with you to see if they can ascertain why you want to leave and what can be done to keep you.

Re: Opinions needed please. (Job interview)

sgraham30 — Sun, 08 Nov 2015 14:22:34 GMT

@Moonchilde wrote:
I don't know if it differs from state to state, but in my state what they are asking is illegal, and a "former" employer is not expected to comply either - and doesn't most of the time.

In CA a prospective employer can only ask you a proscribed small list of questions, and if called, a former employer can volunteer NO info about the former employee, and ONLY refer them to HR - who will then only verify dates if employment and "yes" or "no" when asked if the person is eligible for re-hire. If they say anything that makes the other company rule them out/not hire them at the point of the phone call, they can be sued, and former employees have won these suits.

It could well be a "test" to see how people respond. I know I would not want to work for a company (no matter how desperate I was) that would try/pull something like that.

It's the same in IL. Anyone that I've ever worked for or temped with will only confirm if the person ever worked there & if they did, the dates that they were there. They will not write a reference letter or comment on the employee's job performance or indicate any issues that they might have had with an employee.

Re: Opinions needed please. (Job interview)

maestra — Sun, 08 Nov 2015 14:27:21 GMT

Take the form to HR only. Yes, what they are asking may be illegal. I have been told a reference gives dates of employment. People have been sued over this.

Re: Opinions needed please. (Job interview)

lolakimono — Sun, 08 Nov 2015 16:39:27 GMT

@Shorty2U

Reference Laws in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania employers may not be sued for defamation (in legal terms, they are “immune” from liability) if they provide information about an employee’s job performance to a prospective employer, at the request of the prospective employer or the employee.

The employer who gives a reference is presumed to be acting in good faith. This means that the employer has immunity from defamation lawsuits unless the employee can prove, by clear and convincing evidence, that the employer:

knew the information was false or should have known it was false, had the employer exercised due diligence
provided information that was deliberately misleading
provided information that was false with reckless disregard as to whether it was true or false, or
violated the employee’s contract, statutory, common law, or civil rights.

Getting a Reference

Some employees wish their former employers would keep quiet, but some employees face the opposite problem: They want a former employer to provide information, but the employer isn't willing to speak up. Some employers are so fearful of defamation claims that they won't give references under any circumstances.

To remedy this situation, some states have enacted service letter laws. These laws require employers to provide former employees with certain basic information, in writing, about their employment. However, Pennsylvania does not have a service letter law.

If you want a former employer to provide a detailed reference, you might consider signing a release: an agreement giving the employer permission to respond to prospective employers who call for a reference, and giving up your right to sue the employer for anything said as part of that process.

Re: Opinions needed please. (Job interview)

SydneyH — Sun, 08 Nov 2015 20:10:19 GMT

That form is not legal, no reputable company would try to do an end run about Human Resources or Management for a reference. I would have told the interviewer I would not be able to submit that request and call it a day.

Re: Opinions needed please. (Job interview)

qualitygal — Sun, 08 Nov 2015 20:27:26 GMT

That's lazy of the "new to be" boss. I wouldn't do it though. You're letting the current "bad" boss know what you're doing. It just is red flags all over the place and the interviewee, doesn't want to be out of a job either I bet. I would never do that.

Re: Opinions needed please. (Job interview)

ROMARY — Sun, 08 Nov 2015 20:38:05 GMT

'Seems to me' that the new prospective employer has no interest in hiring this person. Thus, handing your friend this 'paper/questionairre'. Surely he/she knows that it would cause tons of problems, handing this paper to the person's current employer. That's a no-no; I don't care which state it's in. Just common sense. JMO