4 ms·

My guess is that it wasn't one of your "official" references. Even though they're generally not supposed to, every employer will consider "backdoor" references

My guess is that it wasn't one of your "official" references. Even though they're generally not supposed to, every employer will consider "backdoor" references from other people in their network who know you. Often, these are given greater weight than the references you provide, because those are known by all involved to have been picked and prepared to put you in the most positive light possible. Asking the no-longer-potential employer or your current references about it is unlikely to do any good. Using different references might, but then again maybe not. You probably already know what negatives might have come up in a conversation with people who've worked with you. If those are affecting your career development, the solution should be obvious.

robbiemitchell 10y ago
> Even though they're generally not supposed to Do you mean legally? Or something else?
- notacoward 10y ago
  It's a pretty murky area. Legally, there are four possibilities: * Anything goes. * OK, but you have to inform the candidate after the fact. * OK, but you have to get consent *before*. * Absolutely not. The requirements vary state by state, and are often more restrictive for recruiters than for employers themselves. On the other hand, companies may have internal policies more restrictive than what the law requires. This is often due to the risks involved - defamation, harm from current employer finding out that they were looking, etc. Just about any HR professional will say you shouldn't do it, but usually they're just covering their own asses. In my experience, everyone does it and HR turns a blind eye.