Companies always ask applicants for references. It is a way to verify the history and skills of a potential rent, to control their candidacy and to assess character and cultural fit.
So why cannot the same be done in reverse – where you can ask earlier employees to assess the company you are applying for?
Of course, there is Glassdoor. But apart from salty former employees who publicly drag old employers on social media and relatively unusual movement, given that the unprofessional is considered and can lead to legal retaliation, there is no real formalized processes to carry out references to a company you are applying for.
A recent Reddit post presented the argument: “Jobs ask me for 3 references and I think I might start doing the same thing,” it was said. “Please let me talk to three happy employees.”
The logic is simple: when booking a restaurant for Date Night, check most the reviews for the experiences of other dinners before making a reservation. Before they made the trigger on a large purchase, many on the internet will be searched for recommendations and product reviews, to ensure that they get a good deal.
Why would the same not be available for job seekers? Well, some in the Reddit -Thread say that they have already put this into practice in their own way.
“If I get an offer, I always ask to come and talk to the people who would be my colleagues/reports (because you usually talk to the superiors in the interview),” a Reddit user noted. “Do people don’t normally do that?”
Another added: “I did that for my last job. Got some good feedback and decided not to take it.” But as some have noticed, current employees may not be the most useful barometer.
“Don’t talk to the happy, talk to the honest,” they wrote. Or maybe candidates could “resign a stack with the reason to be marked,” someone else suggested. Glassdoor reviews exist for a reason.
Currently, this kind of “reverse reference control” does not really exist, probably because of the mountain of potential legal issues around defamation. Companies can undertake retaliation actions against former employees who speak sick of them. (Besides, even the traditional model of companies that ask candidates for references, has come, among other things strict supervision And criticism in recent years.)
But the possible consequences aside, social media platforms such as Tiktok and LinkedIn have also become an honest game for dissatisfied former employees to publicly express their grievances. Some even gone so far Film their exit interviewsPublished for the world (and potential future employees) to see. With business problems such as culture rot, calm cracking, and poisonous workplaces Postpone potential employees, the once hidden reality of the workplace culture are now shared in the open air.
This shift in transparency can give part of the power back to employees. But at the same time, vacancies are down, while the number of unemployed professionals is increasing. Employees are encouraged to stick to jobs, even if they no longer enjoy the work. So those with offers on the table can be tempted to seize any available opportunities with both hands – regardless of if a “reverse reference” would produce red flags.
For now, the next time you request a job, ask your recruitment manager how often this specific position is empty and filled. If it has already been cycled by three employees in the past year. . . It may be worth a quick stem on LinkedIn to check if anyone knows something you don’t know.
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