The job search is one that I think for many of us detest. Among reasons is that there is seldom comfort in the process. If you’re unemployed and looking, the angst is not knowing when you may run out of resources and you will have to settle. If you are employed, you have to keep it a secret because God forbid you actually want to advance yourself and see that doing so will not happen in your current environment.

From the applicant perspective, when filling out a job application you never know if checking the “do not contact” box when listing your previous jobs hinders more than it helps. But the reality is, it’s a no-win situation regardless.

If you are trying to fill a job posting, there are reasons to avoid this practice, and there are many better ways to get information to make an informed decision about who you want to hire for a role.

Your previous employer can’t say anything bad but…

They could also say nothing at all. Legally your previous employer cannot malign your character or say really anything negative about you. The issue is, you have no control over what they can say either. Or worse, they could choose to say nothing when called and asked about you as a past employee. (I have done this) and it is the most impactful statement to make. From the former employee side, as we have seen former employees come back and sue for defamation especially with some higher profile positions, why take the risk and why put someone else at risk?

It’s Awkward:

Imagine you break up with someone, you’ve moved on more or less and you get a DM from someone asking you about your experience with your ex that they are now dating. Referring back to my first point and foreshadowing my next one, what can you realistically say and what should you say? It’s just a weird position to be in. I’m leaning into the relationship metaphors with this one, but imagine you find out your current partner is on a dating app and they matched with someone who knows you, it’s going to spark some questions and possibly ruin the whole dynamic.



Organizationally, it’s best to assume that every employee you have is for sale in some way and they are at the minimum passively looking for a new role. People don’t stay as long as they used to and that reality is not changing. Also, if you make that call and it blindsides a current employer there could be some serious unintended consequences over what could have been an application that may not have been part of a serious job search.

It’s Not Relevant or Helpful:

What if you had a poor experience with someone, does it mean that the next person will? The biggest mistake that gets made in most personnel decisions is that we allow personal feelings to influence decision making. People grow and change so referencing my previous point, what are you as a recruiter hoping to gain from this? If the job is from the distant past, the people this person may have worked with may not have any knowledge of them. If they are from the recent past and decline to comment outside of confirming they worked there, you could be in a position where you may overthink your evaluation.

Ask an applicant to provide a substantive list of references. If they cannot, there is your red flag because everyone should be able to scrounge up a list of people who could personally to vouch for them. If they can, you likely have a sample size that will get you the information you want based on who they were in that person’s lives.

It’s Not Necessary:

It’s 2024 and if your goal is finding information about people, you do not have to try very hard especially with younger applicants. Social media is great for getting information, it is also terrible because the information is not always the best. However, if your role is dependent on someone being a face for your team this may be something to take into account. On the positive for having a digital presence, people are creating their own experience (like I am with this platform) and letting their brand or personality show in a way that is designed to be seen by future employers.

Verifying work experience in itself is not all that difficult if someone doing the interview asks the right questions. Asking about specific projects related to what is shown on a resume can tell the entire story about whether or not someone is being truthful. If it is a high-profile position or something where there is a significant investment being made, hire a professional to do a deeper dive into their background.