Employer Unable to Contact References. Now What?

elkpark · Dec 4, 2017

What do you mean by "unable to be contacted"? Did you not ask those individuals for permission to use them as references, and confirm with them how they prefer to be contacted, before you listed them as references? And, if this hasn't actually happened yet (you say you "have yet to follow up"), is there some reason that you are worried this might happen?

Newgurl17, CNA, LPN · Dec 5, 2017

When I listed my references, I did ask them first if I could put their names down as my references and I did confirm with them how they preferred to be contacted. I used my old instructor as a reference and she told me to put her emails down because she doesnt always pick up her phone. I'm just curious to know what to do in case I am faced with the situation in case it does happen?

I'm not a very experienced job seeker.... Being a nurse is only the second job I've ever had :bored:

caliotter3 · Dec 5, 2017

My references are my references, my previous supervisors are my previous supervisors. If they can't be contacted with the information I have on hand, there is nothing I can do about it. One reference who was retiring for good and leaving the area, informed me when she would be out of the area, otherwise these were not people I socialized with. The only problem I ever had was when a former manager promised to be a good reference and then did the opposite. I never would have known that was the case, had not a prospective employer informed me. An employment attorney dealt with that problem for me.

Newgurl17, CNA, LPN · Dec 5, 2017

....(sigh) i went into the interview with my old instructor written down as my reference as well as a classmate and another girl I worked with. When I provided my references to the interviewer, he informed me that The references had to be from supervisors or instructors. I went in thinking that my references would be okay, since the last job I applied to I also used the girl I worked with as one of my references and the facility was okay with that. So I provided another old instructor to the interviewer who I had used to apply to the last facility and someone else who knew that I was seeking another job, right after the interviewer informed me of the references that I had to provide....

Newgurl17, CNA, LPN · Dec 5, 2017

My references are my references, my previous supervisors are my previous supervisors. If they can't be contacted with the information I have on hand, there is nothing I can do about it. One reference who was retiring for good and leaving the area, informed me when she would be out of the area, otherwise these were not people I socialized with. The only problem I ever had was when a former manager promised to be a good reference and then did the opposite. I never would have known that was the case, had not a prospective employer informed me. An employment attorney dealt with that problem for me.

The mistake I made was asking the director of care at my facility to be my reference. I originally asked my manager but she was going to be going holidays. My manager relayed some info to the director. I was thinking of people who could potentially be my references and I thought I could use my manager because people at work would know my work best.

For the last company I applied, I was hoping to get into the long term care facility that thhey had but ended up getting an interview for their assisted living. After the interview, they thought that I would be a better fit for one of their long term care facilities and so the hiring manager was going to arrange to talk with the director of care for that facility. That place has 26 beds. After my references were checked, they decided that I would be a better fit for another one of their long term care facilities which at the time was not hiring. They also mentioned the number of beds in the 26 bed facility. Where I currently work, I work mostly in the evening and day with a max of 24 residents. I work on the locked unit there and called my manager saying that I couldn't work there anymore because I didn't feel safe, this was back in the summer. She then told me how I was struggling on one of the units I was working on and that she didn't want me to get oriented to the upstairs floors because there are more residents up there. The unit upstairs above the locked unit that I work she said was becoming more like the locked unit so she said she didn't know how else to support me. I still work on the locked unit because I was pressured at home to keep working there.

i feel like I would have gotten the job, had I not used people from work as my reference.

KCMnurse, BSN, MSN, RN · Dec 6, 2017

This can come up and I usually try to have a back-up or two in the case that a reference cannot be contacted. It may not be the fault of the person you listed as a reference. I have been asked to provide references and been unable to reach HR (or whomever) to provide the requested information - communication difficulties can flow both ways. I would urge you to come up with some back-ups in the event that your first references don't pan out for you.

Good luck in your job search.

Ambersmom, BSN, RN · Dec 11, 2017

Hey all,
what do you do when you've followed up after you've had your interview and find out that your references were unable to be contacted? I recently had an interview last Tuesday and have yet to follow up but was wondering if anyone was ever in a situation where you followed up but was informed that your references couldn't be contacted.

That happened to me a few years ago. I was told I would have been offered the position if they had responded. I suggest having backup references, sometimes the employer will ask for another reference or two. Good luck!

Newgurl17, CNA, LPN · Dec 12, 2017

One of my references from work phoned me on the first of this month and told me that i couldn't use her as a reference because i didnt sign a consent form. I signed a consent form for someone else but didn't know that i have to sign a form for every person that i ask to be my reference where i work. I thought one form was enough.

So i followed up on the fifth on the phone with the facility i applied to and was told that they were still checking references and would let me know. I also informed them that one of the references I provided couldnt be used and provided another one the next day to the director of care via Linkedin.

This reference let me know on the 8th that she was contacted and that they wanted to hire me.

When would you recommend that I call the facility back to follow up again? I don't want to be a pest and i'm being pushed at home to call today.