You can get sabotaged when applying for a new job. There have been many instances when a job hunter, ... [+]
You can get sabotaged when applying for a new job. There have been many instances when a job hunter with all the right skill sets and experiences was knocked out of contention due to disparaging comments made by former employees.
Recruiters refer to this as a “back-door” reference. On an unofficial basis, behind the scenes and without the candidate's knowledge, former colleagues get wind that a person is interviewing and go out of their way to deliver unflattering opinions about the person to people at the new company.
Now, human resources, the hiring manager or other executives at the company are placed in an awkward position. They’ve received an unsolicited negative reference citing issues of the person not being a team player; they botched a big deal; are difficult to work with or some other action that raises red flags.
Armed with this knowledge, they have a couple of choices. If the applicant has impeccable credentials and is a perfect fit for the role, the company may want to bring up the negative reviews during the interview process. It would make for an uncomfortable conversation and blindside the applicant. However, raising the topic would allow the interviewee to offer their side of the story.
Some managers may elect to halt the interviewing process, offering vague comments to the candidate that they are going in a different direction, placing the role on pause or have already isolated a person for the job. This action signals that the managers lack confidence in themselves.
They could continue the process, which for mid to senior-level white-collar professionals, may mean three to six-plus interviews with several people conducted over about three months. After the culmination of the process, they’d possess sufficient information to render an intelligent decision, including the damaging unsolicited performance review. On the condition of extending an offer, the firm could require the candidate to submit references from their last two or three employers. The responses may be in complete contradiction to the allegations levied against the person.
This happened more frequently pre-pandemic when interviewing was nearly 100% in person. You need to be prepared. As companies pivot toward hybridization and workers back in the office, the pattern will start again. Staff will deduce you’re there for an interview, sizing up your new wardrobe and haircut. You could be that person walking into the building and navigating the hallways into the meeting rooms when a former co-worker recognizes you.
Some People Just Can’t Let Go Of Past Grudges
An empathetic person would make a mental note to say something positive about the candidate to help their chances of getting hired. Managers and human resources place credence on internal referrals. They feel more comfortable hiring someone well-known and highly regarded by a currently valued worker.
Unfortunately, there will always be people who harbor past grudges and can't let go of prior arguments and disagreements. Some may feel that the person got a promotion, but believe they richly deserved it. There may have been some long-standing rivalry or they just disliked the person.
Try To Work And Play Well With Others
You don’t always have to be a people-pleaser, but try to get along and make friends and allies instead of enemies. It’s essential to be honest and trustworthy and deliver on your promises. Be respectful to your boss, co-workers and staff. Burnish a reputation above reproach that will follow you to the next job. Remain humble in your victories, and don’t blame others when you fail to achieve your objectives. Avoid talking badly about co-workers behind their backs. Praise and applaud your colleagues when they do well. The advice is both helpful for excelling in your career and minimizing the number of haters who are wishing for your downfall.
The Broken Recommendation Process
Recommendations from former employers are mostly a farce. Nearly all businesses ask for one to three or more references when applying and interviewing for a new job. This is one of the many standard practices that don’t make sense, but continue to happen out of habit.
The reality is that the applicant will seek out only those professionals who will say positive, flattering and overly kind things about them. It's an open secret that everyone helps each other out in this aspect of the job search. Few people would say anything negative when asked to submit a reference. If that happens, the candidate would cast it aside and choose another person to write a reference. The result is that the company receives questionable references that may not be wholly accurate and are tilted in favor of helping out a work friend. Nevertheless, employers pretend that the reference checks are legitimate, which checks off another box on the interviewing to-do list, and have some cover if the newly hired person turns out to be a dud.
