Lost both Jobs - Both Passes

[PNGMK]

Good point about the increasing 'spamminess' on LI - IMO this applies particularly to endorsements of specific skills. However, I'd like to think that individually written recommendations are less prone to abuse. In my case at least I will only write recommendations for people that I know quite well and have actually worked with (not necessarily in the same organisation, but also in a customer / vendor relationship). The other point is that LI can sometimes serve as a conduit for contacting referees outside of the company's bailiwick.

All my LI spam is idiots from India asking for help in surveys. When I ask what's in it for me they piss off.

[Wd40]

Good point about the increasing 'spamminess' on LI - IMO this applies particularly to endorsements of specific skills. However, I'd like to think that individually written recommendations are less prone to abuse. In my case at least I will only write recommendations for people that I know quite well and have actually worked with (not necessarily in the same organisation, but also in a customer / vendor relationship). The other point is that LI can sometimes serve as a conduit for contacting referees outside of the company's bailiwick.

Yeah! LI has helped me a lot in my current job search. Its a cool story: The company where I just got the offer, the hiring manager had approached me via linked in last year and interviewed me, but didn't select me last year, because the role suddenly changed from perm to contract and then they didn't even consider me but hired someone else. But he still remained my LI contact.

This year a recruiter called me and told me that there is an opening in the company and it was exactly same role that I had interviewed for last year and he asked me if I was keen. I said yes and applied through him, but I don't know whether he submitted my profile or not. But what I did was I directly contacted the hiring manager and told him I was extremely keen even though its a contract role and then he asked me to come for interview and then after 2 rounds in a span of a month I got the job. Lots of recruitment companies of the likes of Robert Walters, Palm Mason etc advertised for this opportunity in Efinancial careers, Monster, Linked In etc and I have seen atleast 100 people must have applied, but eventually I got the job, I guess mainly because I approached the hiring manager myself and showed them I was keen. Maybe the fact that by hiring me, they don't have to pay the recruiter's fees, also played a part, haha. Anyways, I consider myself very lucky

In another story, I noticed a job opening in a company and then I asked my friend(who I got to know because he had interviewed me in another company and then I added him in my Linked In and I kept in touch with him) whether he knows someone in that company and my friend had a Linked In contact in that company. I added that person(lets call him X), who was really senior guy and I told him I am keen to apply for the job. This person and me had a common LI contact who was my manager some 8 years and 3 companies back. This previous manager and Mr X had worked together sometime back. Mr X asked him about me and got a good reference and that's how I got an interview call. However, their process was so slow, that meantime I got the other offer.

Just goes to show how powerful Linked In is and it really pays to maintain your contacts.

[Wd40]

From what I know, when you join a new company, you need to provide contact details of people from your previous company/other people for character references. Some companies insist you need to provide your boss's contact.

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I have never experienced this. Maybe this is an industry specific practice? You do not want your boss to know that you are applying to other companies. You also do not want your colleagues to know sometimes as there could be a leak to management.

Yes, some employer ask for relevant character reference normally a former colleague or superior or school professor but rarely a current one.

This is after accepting a new offer and resigning your old company. During the notice period is when the new employer/their agency do the background verification.

Seems very strange and too late. What if background check turns up a problem, you have already resigned and accepted?

I thought referee check is last step before getting an offer and yes unlikely to be anyone from the current employer.

An example of someone who's background check happens after accepting the offer:

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[Beeroclock]

From what I know, when you join a new company, you need to provide contact details of people from your previous company/other people for character references. Some companies insist you need to provide your boss's contact.

.

I have never experienced this. Maybe this is an industry specific practice? You do not want your boss to know that you are applying to other companies. You also do not want your colleagues to know sometimes as there could be a leak to management.

Yes, some employer ask for relevant character reference normally a former colleague or superior or school professor but rarely a current one.

This is after accepting a new offer and resigning your old company. During the notice period is when the new employer/their agency do the background verification.

Seems very strange and too late. What if background check turns up a problem, you have already resigned and accepted?

I thought referee check is last step before getting an offer and yes unlikely to be anyone from the current employer.

An example of someone who's background check happens after accepting the offer:

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Yeah I see what you mean WD40.

Still personally I think it would be much better for all parties concerned if they just complete background check prior to making offer. I mean if the case is clearcut and the applicant has lied about something then there is no issue. But if there is some grey area as per the case you linked, then it will be very difficult for the candidate to resign from existing job if he/she is not sure how this history will be interpreted by potential new employer. Also if new employer tries to terminate the contract based on a grey area from the background check, but the employee doesn't accept the termination and sues for damages etc....

[Wd40]

Yeah I agree with you, but I think the scope of background check is very limited. Its based on the information furnished by the employee like, companies where he was employed before, the start dates and end dates and the reason for leaving. As longs as the documents submitted are not forged and the employee wasn't terminated in the previous employment due to some mischief, I doubt whether the person will fail the background check.

I don't think they even go checking for police records, leave alone immigration records. But I do think they verify your address and phone number. In one of my previous background checks, I was away and my wife was at home and she got the verification call to our home phone number.

[PNGMK]

Beer... large MNC's need to move faster to get better applicants.

SLB will now make you a binding offer in two hours (subject to background checks), WFT and BHI and Hali and GE are going to have to do the same to keep up. We've just implemented the same procedure. We can formerly offer and hire on the same day as the interview (subject to compliance checks).

It's the way of the world.

In the old days we'd wait 3 - 5 months for background checks and lose the applicant to someone smaller and quicker.