Contacting current employer.

[dville_gt]

Anyone else think this should be a no brainer in most circumstances? I mean, first of all most modern employers have policies in place that prevent them from doing anything but verify dates of employment, job titles, and possibly re-hire eligibility, thus a call to the human resource department would yield the same results (most of the time this is what the direct management would do anyway). Second, current employers are probably the worst reference possible, I have seen first hand employers give bad referrals to good employees (in an attempt to prevent them from leaving) and vice versa (good referral to an employee they just want gone).

I just lost out on an opportunity because I requested that the potential employer not contact my current management until some type of conditional job offer has been made. My feeling is that they saw this is I was hiding something, but in reality I just have too much financial responsibility to go off and risk it for a job that I might not possibly even get. When I say risk, I do not mean I'd most likely lose the job if they found out I was looking elsewhere, but promotability would go out the window and my status within the organization would be forever changed.

In the current economic climate I'd imagine the number of currently employed professional job applicants that do not take issue with their current employer being contacted would be quite low, is this incorrect?

[Vertnut]

Anyone else think this should be a no brainer in most circumstances? I mean, first of all most modern employers have policies in place that prevent them from doing anything but verify dates of employment, job titles, and possibly re-hire eligibility, thus a call to the human resource department would yield the same results (most of the time this is what the direct management would do anyway). Second, current employers are probably the worst reference possible, I have seen first hand employers give bad referrals to good employees (in an attempt to prevent them from leaving) and vice versa (good referral to an employee they just want gone).

I just lost out on an opportunity because I requested that the potential employer not contact my current management until some type of conditional job offer has been made. My feeling is that they saw this is I was hiding something, but in reality I just have too much financial responsibility to go off and risk it for a job that I might not possibly even get. When I say risk, I do not mean I'd most likely lose the job if they found out I was looking elsewhere, but promotability would go out the window and my status within the organization would be forever changed.

In the current economic climate I'd imagine the number of currently employed professional job applicants that do not take issue with their current employer being contacted would be quite low, is this incorrect?

It's a "catch 22", but employer's can be damn picky and if they sense anything shady, they will go with another option.

[dville_gt]

Ya, I explained my reasoning and let them know that I would take no issue to having the offer made conditionally based upon a very favorable referral from my current management, but I guess it was too much work. Hell, I am currently getting a large promotion within my organization, obviously I am in good standings, I just don't want to mess it up if they decide last minute to hire someone else!

[2165 Turbo Rail]

Being from the hiring side of this situation, I can tell you that the majority of people ask for their current employer not to be contacted for this very reason. We do not look at this negatively because we understand the risk in verifying employment as throwing up a huge red flag to your current employer.

My guess is that there is some other reason they decided not to extend an offer to you.

[dville_gt]

Being from the hiring side of this situation, I can tell you that the majority of people ask for their current employer not to be contacted for this very reason. We do not look at this negatively because we understand the risk in verifying employment as throwing up a huge red flag to your current employer.

My guess is that there is some other reason they decided not to extend an offer to you.

i can fairly well assure you that this was the reason. after going round and round with them i finally requested to speak with their hr supervisor as they were obviously unable to extend any level of discretion in handling the matter. next thing i know i got an email stating that i was no chosen. LOL

[Lone Sailor]

If they won't at least make a conditional offer in writing to you before contacting your current employer then that company is probably doing you a favor by not hiring you. It's easy to get around it, all they have to do is put a disclaimer in the offer in that the offer of employment can be terminated if they contact that employer once you leave and find out information you have not disclosed, etc.

[Geor!]

Aren't you on your honeymoon?

[bcoop]

Fuck em. If they decided not to further the interviews and such over that, it's probably someone you don't want to work for anyways. I don't blame you at all for making that request.

[Binky]

Fuck em. If they decided not to further the interviews and such over that, it's probably someone you don't want to work for anyways. I don't blame you at all for making that request.

I agree. I also think you fucked yourself.

If you have to go "round and round" and then "ask to speak to the hr supervisor", you screwed up. HR is not Customer Service.

They round canned your app not because of you not wanting them to contact your employer but because you annoyed them or pissed off the wrong person. They may have decided that you were not the type of person they wanted to work with.

[Chas_svo]

Agreed. As stated above, it is a common request, and should be no red flag to the new opportunity. It IS a big red flag to your current employer.

[dville_gt]

They round canned your app not because of you not wanting them to contact your employer but because you annoyed them or pissed off the wrong person. They may have decided that you were not the type of person they wanted to work with.

Possibly, but I was left with 2 choices, allow them the contact my employer or remove my application. I figured I might be able to verbalize my request in a way that they could understand my management would have nothing but good things to say, but I would be paralyzed in my organization at that point. I pretty well knew that it was over after the first go around though like you said.

[HOOCBB]

I'm in a similar position, have an interview lined up for Thursday and have asked them not to contact my current employer. If for some reason I am not offered a position, I don't want to create tension where I'm at now, forcing them to make a decision that would end with me out the door.

I had to play the patience game with the potential employer, though. My first interview was in March and they are just now getting back around to setting up a second with me. I didn't bug them until a couple weeks ago when I sent a follow-up email just stating that I was still interested in speaking further with them to see if I would be a good fit in the organization.

In the OP's situation, I agree with everyone that said he pissed someone off or was too annoying, causing no offer. Although, I wouldn't want to work for someone that pressed the issue of speaking to my current employer, so maybe it was a good thing in the long run.

[dville_gt]

Just as an addition to this narrative, part of the issue stems from my current supervisor being pretty close to retirement and point blank asking me not to leave until he retires. I've been his point guy for 4 years now and until recently (we had a huge power restructuring) I would have never thought of leaving. Now they are positioning me to no longer report to my super but rather the VP directly. This has already introduced some betrial, if he knew I was looking externally it would change our relationship.

[Mysticcobrakilla]

Lol, good thread.

I just told my boss that I needed thursday off so I could go to my "official" interview. He's already counter offering.

[FastFox]

I owned and operated a private personnel service for half my life. I NEVER contacted a current employer before or after an offer was made. My feeling was the info you got would be totally bullshit either way it went. I did my own research. If an applicant worked at a strong company for a number of years, I assumed he was doing a good job, or they would get rid of him. That's how it works with well run operations. If the new possible employer had a problem with your request, the were a lite weight company with a pompass ass for a personnel manager. Most likely a woman with a degree and no common sense. Stay away from that. Just my opinion, and you know about ass holes and opinions. Everyone has one, and they are all different.