references

Everything you need to know about job references — who to ask to speak on your behalf, what they’ll be asked, what to do about a bad reference, and more.

can I refuse a reference check that’s taking too long?

A reader writes: I’m in a role where I regularly manage students, so I get asked to give references frequently. A former intern reached out to me this week asking me to be a reference, and I got a call from HR at their prospective employer (for a very entry-level role). The reference questions were […]

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we hired without checking references … and it went badly

A reader writes: We recently interviewed some one who seemed okay but I had reservations. We didn’t have many good options, so we asked for her references. She has 10+ years of work history and we could not get in touch with anybody. When we went back to her asking for help, she provided references […]

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should I give a bad reference for a nightmare employee?

A reader writes: I used to serve on the board of a small nonprofit, which I left a year ago. During my time on the board, we had to hire a new executive director. The new hire’s references were stellar and he had a great resume, but there were problems even before he had fully […]

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my interviewer wants a reference from my current boss

A reader writes: I have been at my current job for about six years and have a good relationship with my manager. But for various reasons I have decided that it’s time to move on and have been looking for something new. My manager doesn’t know about my search. Recently, the recruiter for a job […]

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a terrible employee asked me for a reference

A reader writes: I have received a reference request for one of our former employees. I had told this student that I was not hiring her back because she wasn’t reliable. She would cancel her shifts at the last minute, not making an effort to find a replacement. She wouldn’t do anything unless I told […]

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we offered someone a job — and then he got a bad reference

A reader writes: We recently offered a new employee a job, with a job offer email that included the following line: “The position is permanent and will be subject to a three-month probationary period and reference check.” We made the offer contingent on references because one of his references was his current employer and he […]

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what to do if your references aren’t available

A reader writes: This question mostly applies to people working at small businesses where there is one manager and a few employees. I’ve always been told references should be whoever you reported to and/or whoever can evaluate your work. How can I provide a reference to potential future employers when the boss isn’t available or […]

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