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Don't Provide Your References to a Recruiter Until After Your Last Interview

kvonhorn.github.io

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Re: Don't Provide Your References to a Recruiter Until After Your Last Interview

#131

Post by [deleted] »

cncrnd wrote: post #51
ageitgey wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is so important! Story time: I once hired someone as a Mid/Senior Dev at a large company in SV who had strong dev skills. Everything seemed great at first and we were very excited to have this person join the team. I respected this dev and had no personal issues with them. Our interactions were positive. However this person quit suddenly after maybe two weeks because they didn't like having to justify their tech…

Eh. He probably just didn't like the team/felt that they didn't know what they were doing/they wasted more time on meetings and discussion in general rather than him just not wanting to justify his approach.

[deleted]

Re: Don't Provide Your References to a Recruiter Until After Your Last Interview

#132

Post by mavelikara »

greggarious wrote: post #113
ageitgey wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is so important! Story time: I once hired someone as a Mid/Senior Dev at a large company in SV who had strong dev skills. Everything seemed great at first and we were very excited to have this person join the team. I respected this dev and had no personal issues with them. Our interactions were positive. However this person quit suddenly after maybe two weeks because they didn't like having to justify their tech…

To clarify: you took issue with this person quitting mainly? I'd be careful saying negative things about an employee for quitting - under at will laws, it can create legal liability to retaliate when someone exercises their at-will rights.

Stating the fact - that the GP knew him only for few days in a professional capacity - should be legal, rt? Any negative inference from that is left for the company doing the reference check.

Re: Don't Provide Your References to a Recruiter Until After Your Last Interview

#134

Post by s1mon »

deoxxa wrote: post #36
paxy wrote: post #23

The recruiter can look up all your connections on LinkedIn or wherever else, so it's not like the name of your old manager or director is some super valuable secret like the author is treating it to be.

Seems a bold assumption given that I (and many people I know) don't maintain accounts on linkedin or similar.

In my industry, I would be highly suspect of someone without a LinkedIn presence. It's table stakes.

Re: Don't Provide Your References to a Recruiter Until After Your Last Interview

#135

Post by kelnos »

karthikb wrote: post #97
nashashmi wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Anecdote: I once listed three references. All three had favorable opinions of me. But I didn't tell any of them and they were unprepared to answer the questions that followed in a reference call. One of them was able to wing it well. Second one answered questions flatly and without enthusiasm. A third was more nervous not to hurt me than he was confident he could help me with his answers. I thought the surprise effec…

For most people, it takes conscious thought and effort to take an impression and articulate it. When you tell your references ahead of time, you're giving them a chance to take their impression/opinion/emotion of you and figure out how to put it into words ahead of time. There's nothing artificial about the outcome if you give them the time to do this. In fact it may seem more natural since they aren't nervous and on…

Not to mention that by asking someone for a reference, you're asking them to do you a favor. So you should, y'know... actually ask them first.

Re: Don't Provide Your References to a Recruiter Until After Your Last Interview

#136

Post by jopsen »

greggarious wrote: post #113
ageitgey wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is so important! Story time: I once hired someone as a Mid/Senior Dev at a large company in SV who had strong dev skills. Everything seemed great at first and we were very excited to have this person join the team. I respected this dev and had no personal issues with them. Our interactions were positive. However this person quit suddenly after maybe two weeks because they didn't like having to justify their tech…

To clarify: you took issue with this person quitting mainly? I'd be careful saying negative things about an employee for quitting - under at will laws, it can create legal liability to retaliate when someone exercises their at-will rights.

Besides, if an employees quits after two weeks because it was a bad match, that's actually good.

Sure, it's painful to find someone new. But it's a lot better than having to fire someone that who later. Or be stuck with someone who doesn't want to be there.

Re: Don't Provide Your References to a Recruiter Until After Your Last Interview

#137

Post by UncleEntity »

gav wrote: post #57
ageitgey wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is so important! Story time: I once hired someone as a Mid/Senior Dev at a large company in SV who had strong dev skills. Everything seemed great at first and we were very excited to have this person join the team. I respected this dev and had no personal issues with them. Our interactions were positive. However this person quit suddenly after maybe two weeks because they didn't like having to justify their tech…

I’ll second this for a different set of reasons. Firstly, if you talk to your reference about the position you are applying for they will be in a better position to give meaningful feedback. I’ve been able to take somebody from a “maybe” to a hire because I knew how their interview went and their perceived weaknesses. Secondly, you want to make sure that the person isn’t just going to be cold called—ideally they can…

> They then proceeded to tell them that they’ve never heard of me and that I didn’t ever work there.

I did that to my boss once when I worked at a temp agency, someone called asking about employment history so I dutifully typed the name into the computer and was like "nope, looks like they've never worked here." Right after I hung up the phone I was like "wait a minute..." Office staff wasn't in the workers database so we couldn't cut ourselves checks and I totally spaced on the last name.

Re: Don't Provide Your References to a Recruiter Until After Your Last Interview

#138

Post by coding123 »

wonderwonder wrote: post #5

I got an email from a local recruiter a few weeks ago and stepped outside during my lunch break to give her a call. On the initial phone call she asked me where I worked currently. After the call I stepped back into my work where I sit back to back with my manager. No more than 5 minutes later his phone rings, its the recruiter calling to see if they have any need of her services. I emailed her while he was on the ph…

This comment is very helpful, for anyone that hasn't had this experience, learn from this one.

Re: Don't Provide Your References to a Recruiter Until After Your Last Interview

#139

Post by jopsen »

dragonwriter wrote: post #91
EpicEng wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You don't have to break a law to be ruled against in civil court (in the US), but I agree with you; I don't see a case here (even checked with a lawyer who happens to be visiting.)

> You don't have to break a law to be ruled against in civil court (in the US) Yes, you do; civil courts enforce civil law, which is actually law.

If you ask and confirm that they won't contact your current employer, then might it not fall under contract law?

Re: Don't Provide Your References to a Recruiter Until After Your Last Interview

#140

Post by sfbaytechgirl »

I only get references from candidates at the final onsite stage. The candidate can determine what they are comfortable with at all times. There are good external recruiters out there. The last point is the most important one: know your worth. Don’t work with people you don’t fee you can trust.
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