Re: Bad reference

[Kenneth H Werner <KHWerner@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Few companies use references other than to check dates and title/.

Subjective references are known to be very bad sources of information 
although many headhunters say that they have the art of getting out the 
truth from a reference.
Few Texas companies were bend out of shap because they couldn't check 
non-employees as references. That part of the law has been reversed by 
the bill's original author. However, for 2 years there was a law in 
Texas saying a company (think HR department) could not  make a  
telephone call to off their campus or travel off their campus to collect 
background information a person source or to interview or to interrogate 
unless they were licenses by the state as a private investigator or law 
enforcemnt.
Next to honest tests and drug screening the best background information 
for employment decisions is public records:
First, two public things that may shock some, but shows the range of 
information.:
I have legally purchased a certified copy of the birth certificate of 
someone I am not related to and its legal in many states.
I have legally purchased a copy of the original  application for a 
Social Security number of someone I am not related to.
Your driving record is public, if you own a car is public, that you own 
real estate is public, that you are 2 years in the rears on paying your 
property taxes is public, the a[[raised value of your house is public, 
that your took out a marriage license is public, that you divorced is 
public, that you registered to vote is public, that you sued me is 
public, that you served time in prison is public, that you are a sex 
offender is public, SO ON and SO On. 
   
Some public information is useless and the next can be found at an 
Internet site. The Commonwealth of Virginia lists me as a "Fugitive from 
Justice" and drilling down it says Smokey caught me driving 10 miles 
over the speed limit and I failed to show in court. It's true and it 
doesn't make me donate money to Virginia by listing me as a "fugutive.".
Scott Lindstrom wrote:

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>
> What surprises me here is while I'll give names of friends for personal
> references, I know of no company I've ever worked for that will do anything
> other than verify dates of employment on a reference check.  Most companies
> avoid saying anything else just to avoid problems.  They having nothing to
> gain and everything to lose by saying more.
>
> Scott
>
>