How do you deal with a request for a reference about a mediocre former employee?
I received a request from a local company for a reference. The thing is the former employee who I'll call David was not a terrible employee, he wasn't very good either. He did the job with minimal competence, and called in sick a fair amount, especially on Fridays and Mondays. But David never had any really major screw ups, and didn't exceed the number of sick days allowed. More or less, he was like a character in the movie Office Space; he did the bare minimum required to keep his job. So how do I handle his reference? If I were to be absolutely honest, I would say that I wouldn't hire him again, but on the upside he probably didn't steal many office supplies. I won't actually do that, but I don't want to misrepresent him as a stellar employee either. What's the best way to deal with the situation?
Answers
Remember that old saying "if you can't say anything nice..." In this situation you are probably best just noting that he or she worked there, and leaving it at that. As the other answer noted, you can simply say that it's company policy not to say more than that. This way you protect yourself and avoid any possible headaches from disclosing further information.
- Share this answer
- Permalink
Related Questions
As I have mentioned above, I have done CCNA, but because it expires every 3 years and also you must spend your entire...
I've been in IT a long time and am currently updating my resume. I'm not sure what things I should/should not include from the...
Our workforce has a widely varied level of technical expertise. I'd like for everyone to at least have the same basic level of...
I've heard often, "you're only as good as your last job." You may have held a high-ranking position three or four years ago, but if you'...
For all the IT professionals out there, I am curious:
What do you wish you would have known before you got into IT?
What...
Ask a question
White Papers & Webcasts
Webcast On Demand
Virtustream (Vayence) video taking a 3000-Seat SAP Environment to the Cloud
Sponsor: NetApp
See more White Papers | Webcasts
I think the safest way to deal with it is to simply confirm that he worked there, his position, and the period of his employment. You can include in your letter that company policy prohibits you from commenting on other aspects of the personnel files of current or former employees. This is probably the safest route for you, and avoids legal liability traps from providing either positive or negative references. It is a shame that you can't just write what you did for your question, but that's the nature of the litigious world we live in these days.