This being the case, what steps should you take now to ensure that your social media data isn’t used against you? Consider these five proactive steps to manage your references in the Internet Age: 1. Take the time to research yourself online prior to beginning your interview process. (One example: “Google” yourself.) The odds are very high that your application, resume and credentials will be reviewed by prospective employers for inaccuracies - better that you identify them first, if they exist. 2. Consider expanding your reference list to prospective employers beyond simply an HR contact or supervisor. Associates like a supportive second-level supervisor or a matrix manager(s) can be key advocates in your behalf and might be more supportive than traditional references like immediate supervisors. 3. Find out what your references will say about you prior to beginning the interview process. Use a third-party reference verification firm to find out what references at your most recent places of employment (in particular) will actually say about you. Increasing the scope of your reference search (to second-level supervisors, etc.) may identify additional favorable references in senior positions whose names you may wish to invoke during the interview process. 4. When negative references are identified during a third-party search, consider taking remedial action intended to discourage such references from ever offering similar negative input to your future employers. Tools such as Cease & Desist letters have proven extremely effective in neutralizing future negative input from unfavorable references. 5. Know your rights. Be aware that employers are legally prohibited from using certain social media data they may discover about you during the hiring process, (e.g. data pertaining to your race, religion, age, sex, sexual preference, etc.). Employers open themselves up to lawsuits if they base their hiring decisions on such discriminatory information. The ever-increasing prevalence of social media is a doubled edged sword; it has opened countless employment opportunities, but has also given prospective employers added tools to investigate your background. By recognizing this and taking proactive steps, you use social media to your advantage - and gainful new employment. CHAPTER 25 5 Proactive Steps to Take When You Know Your Employment Reference is Negative Resumes Win Interviews, References Land You the Job References: if you’re looking for a new job or career, they will surely play a role in your hiring process. Since we’ve all heard that former employers are only supposed to confirm your previous employment dates and title, the reference check process shouldn’t be problematic, right? Well, perhaps - but you better not count on it. The staff at Allison & Taylor Reference Checking speaks to references every day, and report that almost 50% of references offer lukewarm or even downright negative feedback. “Many people are completely blindsided by a bad reference - they never realized there was an issue,” reports Jeff Shane, Vice-President, Allison & Taylor Reference Checking . “Bad references can put a sudden halt to a candidate’s search for that great new job”. In some instances, the job seeker may even have gotten the negative input directly from their former employer, e.g. “You’ll never work in this industry again!” (To read similar comments documented by Allison & Taylor Reference Checking, click here.) If you know you have a bad reference, here are some possible options: 1. Eliminate any mention of the reference from your resume or application forms (if possible), instead offering someone more likely to give a positive assessment of your skills and contribution. 2. If you cannot eliminate the reference from employer consideration, address any potential issues when references are
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