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Sneaky dealings by companies hunting for hires can backfire
Dana Knight
The resume is finally perfect, right down to the references you handpicked, then called and begged to brag about you.
A former boss who loved you. A past co-worker who has been your best friend for years. A professor who clearly thought you were
the next Donald Trump.
But oops. You didn't know about a trend taking place in the world of hiring -- reference interrogation. Some companies, just to stir
things up a bit, are calling references listed on resumes. Instead of asking them questions about you, they ask for the names and
numbers of other people who may know you.
The objective: Get the real dirt on the person they may be hiring -- you. Like that secretary who thought you were a pompous
egomaniac or the manager who told you numerous times you were an incompetent lug.
"There is an assumption by many potential employers that references provided by the candidate may not be as accurate in assessing
the candidate (as they should be)," said William A. Kuntz, managing partner with Princeton One Search, a recruiting firm in
Indianapolis.
Don't think you're fooling those employers, he says. They know references often have personal relationships with the candidates.
They know that sometimes those listed references aren't really in a position to evaluate your performance.
"Thus, the need to identify someone else who can speak accurately and candidly about the candidate's skills and potential," Kuntz
says.
Can employers really do this?
"Totally legal," says Michael Blickman, partner and chair of the labor and employment section of the Ice Miller law firm in
Indianapolis.
OK. They are allowed. But if a job applicant catches wind of the inquiries, it could be a turnoff to them. And companies need to be
careful.
"Competition for talent is fierce right now," says Scott Erker, a senior vice president with Development Dimensions International, a
Pennsylvania-based human resource consulting firm. "And you've only got so many good and talented workers that are going to
show up for any one interview."
Do something they consider a little sneaky and you may lose your chance with them.
In fact, two of three job candidates are turning down jobs based solely on what happens in the interview and with the interviewer,
according to a survey by DDI and Monster. They have choices, and many are opting to be picky.
"A few years ago there were more candidates than jobs, so employers were in the driver's seat," says Erker. No more. "Now is a
good time to be a job candidate because you've got a lot of choices."
According to the survey, a few other things can turn job seekers off, such as when the interviewer:
• Withholds information about the position (57 percent).
• Turns the interview into a cross-examination (51 percent).
• Shows up late (48 percent).
• Asks questions unrelated to job skills (43 percent).
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