Girlawhirl received a voicemail message the other day she wasn't expecting at all. A former employee listed her as a reference, and while she really wished he hadn't, it appeared the company he had just interviewed with was calling to find out what she thought. While Girlawhirl did not ask him to leave the company, and did not think poorly of him on a personal level, truth be told, she was glad he was no longer part of her team. So when a potential employer asked for her opinion, Girlawhirl was glad to have some time to think about how she was going to put it…
Girlawhirl has to admit she was a little shocked to get word her former employee was looking for a reference in the first place. Usually she's asked in advance if she's ok with being listed as a reference, something Heather Mayfield, vice president of operations and training for Snelling Staffing Services, says is good practice. It also made Girlawhirl wonder if she was listed under the assumption the hiring manager wouldn't actually check the references. As someone in a hiring position, she can say firsthand, they do. And that's something she reminds all of her Super Pals when they are updating their resumes.
In the CareerBuilder.com article, How to Handle References by Anthony Balderrama, Mayfield says calling ahead is the best option for everyone involved. This way, the job seeker knows in advance they are going to get a positive reference. It also ensures a potential employer doesn't feel as if they have wasted their time calling a reference that has nothing to say about - or worse, doesn't remember - their former coworker or employee.
As for her surprise reference request, Girlawhirl's going to have to think about it before she returns that call.
Click here to read CareerBuilder.com's article, How to Handle References by Anthony Balderrama.