Not getting job offers? You could be a reference slamming victim.

You spend hours of time preparing your resume and cover letter, posting to job boards, going on interviews without the results you expect.

You might be a victim of Reference Slamming.

What is "Reference Slamming"?

Unintentional Reference Slamming - when a former employer responds to a reference inquiry by giving vague information about your employment or expressing doubt about your abilities. They may not mean it, but their comments are not being helpful in your job search.

Intentional Reference Slamming - when a former employer discloses so much negative information about your employment that it would be impossible for you to get a new job.

Are you a Victim of Reference Slamming?
What are former bosses or coworkers saying about you and your job performance?
You interview well, but still no job offers, and you're not sure why?
Is your former employer disclosing untrue (false) information?
What have your co-workers been saying about your employment?

FACT: You need to know what your former employer is saying about you. Without that information, all the time you spent on your resume, interview preparation, time and effort going on interviews, etc. will get you nothing.

After years of loyal service and excellent reviews, you have a right to expect a good reference from your former employer. You may be getting "Reference Slammed" by your former boss
Let one of our counselors call your reference today! http://www.checkmyreference.com

So, you think you have a Bad Reference, what do you do next?

The first thing you need to do is confirm the reference is bad. If you are going on interviews and then nothing happens, your job references might be hurting you. There is only one way to find out, have your references checked. We have had job seekers call us after they asked their friend to call the former employer to get do their employment reference for them. It is really not a good idea having your friends call your former employer. Not many people will sound professional enough to get the information you need without raising suspicion from your former employer. A suspicious employer becomes very difficult to get information from. The other problem is, if your friend does get information for you, is it really useful? They are not an independent 3rd party and anything they do get will likely not be admissible in court. Visit www.checkmyreference.com if you want to know exactly what your references are saying about you. Use coupon code 10PERCENT for 10 percent savings when you purchase 2 reference checks.

Is it illegal for employers to give bad references when responding to employment reference checks?

When it comes to employment reference checks, state laws won’t protect you in most cases.

Every state is different. The common theme to most laws is that the employer must give the reference in “good faith”. Meaning, employers should not say negative things about you unless it was true and documented. Most laws protect the employer from civil litigation, not you the employee if they violate it.

Employment references should be like the information reported from a credit reporting agency. If you paid your bills on time, they should report that information as such. If you paid your bills on time and they report anything other than that, the information would not be accurate. The real question is, even if employment laws said employers couldn’t give a bad reference, how many people go through stop signs every day. That law is very clear in every state! However, most people don’t make a complete stop, roll through the sign or ignore it all together.

The next issue is, did the person who gave the reference violate company policy when saying something about you? More than likely, your employment references aren’t following company policy or state law when giving out information.

The simple fact is, if you want to protect yourself from a bad reference, you need to know what your references are saying about you. If you find out that your former employer is saying things about you that you do not agree with, you have remedies.

The fastest way to cure a former supervisor giving you a bad reference would be to contact the Human Resource department and ask them to verify the company policy on reference checks. Most Human Resource departments will tell you they verify your dates of employment, title, confirm ending salary. Ask them how they would handle a supervisor in the company that is deviating from the company policy. Depending on what is being said, it might be best for you to take this information to a local attorney and get a legal opinion on your case. Having proof is the smoking gun! Finding a lawyer to take your case becomes a lot easier once you have proof that your old boss is giving you a bad reference. The best way to protect yourself from a bad employment reference check is to know what your former employer is saying about you.

For information about laws in your state about employment references, please email customerservice@checkmyreference.com


CheckMyReference calls on former employers to check employment references for job seekers. We have been doing this since 2002. Many attorneys use our service for their clients. Our service is fast, reliable, accurate and priced lower than most other reference checking services. Getting you information is what we specialize in. When you need to know what your former boss is saying about you, you need use www.checkmyreference.com. We have an A rating with the BBB. For more information, contact CheckMyReference.com at 877-835-3551

Bad Employment References Can Kill

With unemployment hitting record highs can you really afford to waste interview opportunities?

It has been reported by our customers that went on great interviews; everything went well, they were shown the area where they will be working and then a letter saying the position has been filled. When they left the office, the potential employer said they wanted to check their employment references. That is when the interview process came to a dead stop for them.The moral to this story, you really need to know what your former boss is saying about you.

CheckMyReference the leader in low cost employee reference checking finds the following four different outcomes from calling on former bosses. 1. Good Reference, They say glowing things about you and assist in your job search. 2. Bad Reference, They say things about you that are direct and negative about you. 3. Indifferent Reference, they say that company policy prohibits them from giving any information out about former employees. 4. Code Speak, they single you out by saying, “oh her, I was told I can’t comment on her.” or “litigation prevents us from commenting on him”.If you really want to set yourself apart from others on an interview, have your references checked by an independent third party and bring the report to your interview with you.

Most HR departments hate doing reference checks. It is a necessary evil of the selection process. Help them do their job by providing them with your references. It will also help the people you are listing as a reference. How many times can you expect your former employer to pick up the phone and say great things about you? (If that is what they are doing) In today’s economy, candidates are going on many more interviews to find jobs. If you go on 20 interviews, do you want 20 prospective employers calling your previous employer for information? Bring your completed employee reference check reports on the interview and ask they call only when you have reached the final stage of the decision process.

You take the time to write a resume, cover letter, pick out your best outfit, prepare for the interview, etc. Don’t leave the most important piece to chance. Know what your references are saying about you before you give names and numbers to prospective employers.