When applying for a new job, do they usually call only your references or your past employer also?

Question

I am asking this b/c I have a feeling that my past employers are going to give me a bad reference (not rightfully)

It is a nurse practitioner position. And, yes, it is a small family owned business.

Answer 1

When you fill out the application, usually it will ask "can we contact this employer" - you can say no to one, but if you say no to all of them, you're suspect.

Understand that a previous employer can only answer the following quetsions:

1) date of hire
2) last day of work
3) job title
4) are you eligible for rehire

4 can be tricky, but if you left on a good note, you are eligible for rehire - if they state no and you are, then they are liable.

best way to find out, have a friend in the corporate world call and ask for a refrence, see what they say, and if they say not eliglble(and you are), your next call is to an attorney.

Answer 2

When I Look For A Job,And Someone Hands Me Paper,I Ask Em To Wipe Their Azz With It,Usually An Employer That Needs Good Help Can Ask U The Q's Needed, To Know Whether Or Not They Want Ya To Go To Work Or Not Or Ur Probably Starting With Another Dumbazz

Answer 3

Many companies (not so much the smaller ones, but the larger corporations) will not contact your references as they assume that anyone you list as a reference will speak good of you (nobody ever lists people who will say bad things!). They will also contact your previous employer. As another writer wrote, the law indicates that a previous employer cannot badmouth you personally. However, many hiring companies skirt around this by asking if "the person is rehireable". This is business code for determining if you have been fired, are difficult to work with, etc. without actually asking a discriminatory question. Good luck!

Answer 4

I do both. References given are generally biased... you wouldn't have listed them unless you knew they'd give positive feedback. Most large employers will only give out information such as positions held, dates of employment, and if they would choose to hire the person back. I wouldn't be worried unless you worked for a small family-owned business. They don't have policies in place to guide them and generally tend to be a little more loose-lipped about their experiences with employees.

Answer 5

I believe there is a law about this. I believe this law prevents a past employer from bad mouthing a past employee. It is not against the law for an employer to fire an employee, but it is against the law for a past employer to hinder the past employee from getting a job. Anyone can go into more detail about this?

Answer 6

A potential employer has every right to check more than one reference and/or all of your past employers. They can also request a search for any felony and/or misdemeanor charges against you, as well as for any federal cases involving you. They can also check your credit rating (especially if you will be handling any currency for the position you applied for). They can snoop just like the FBI, as you have given them your Social Security Number {and permission to verify that your statements are correct}. Now, if you have anything to hide, let me suggest that you give them a heads-up regarding any former boss... it might help! ANYTHING GOES... here!

Answer 7

Sometimes a potential employer will call your references, but they usually just call past employers.

If you are worried about your past employers bad mouthing you, have a couple of your friends call them and say that they are potential employers. Employers can get in a lot of trouble for saying negative things about you.

Answer 8

They'll call whomever you gave for references.

If they know your past employer(s), they might give them a call. Most professionals will just say that you worked for them from X date to Y date if they didn't have a good relationship w/ you, rather than giving a bad reference.

Answer 9

You always can tell them not to call your previous employer, either telling them the truth, or making some kind of excuse like by calling the current (if you still working with the previous employer) employer, they will know you are looking for job, so unfair to you, so told them dun do so.

Somehow, not all the company will call to past employer for reference. so, dun worry too much on tat.

Thsy will employ you if you are qualify for what you are apllying. past employer or reference is just reference. ;)

Answer 10

I used to hire people, and I always called past employers but wouldn't necessarily call references.