I had an interview today that went amazingly. They stated they will check my references and if they are OK he will be offering me the job.
I get a call from HR shortly after asking for my references, but state I must use my manager!
Here’s the problem. My manager hates me. She is so petty and passive aggressive. We have had a lot of staff leave recently, and she has turned around and told them to their face all the terrible things she said in the reference check. I know she won’t have one good thing to say about me. I know she’s been trying to get rid of me, but hasn’t been able to find anything
I want this job so bad, and essentially I’ve got it. My manager has to be my reference, but she will ruin any-chance of me getting this job.
Do you know if references are collected by phone or by an anonymous survey with questions to mark and a box to complete if desired for "additional information"?
In some states, if references are false the candidate can sue for slander. Many companies have imposed a 'no references rule' for managers and HR will provide hire date and job title only. I usually never provided a phone reference (who knows who is really on the phone) but if it was an excellent employer moving out of state etc I gave a generous review due to those circumstances.
Definitely submit a copy of your last excellent evaluation (or at least have it ready).
Some places will accept reviews from a shift manager instead of a unit manager. Especially true if working a night shift with limited unit manager contact. Worth a try to ask if that would be acceptable plus a copy of your last evaluation.
I have been in a similar situation in that the manager would not provide a reference due to company policy prohibiting it. The company only provides dates of employment and a blanket statement regarding eligibility of rehire to be something along the lines of they are open to all former employees applying for future positions and make decisions based on company needs as that time. Ambiguous at best.
General reference checks seem to jam a lot of people up (both the employee and employer) as well as coworkers if used for reference sometimes. It seems with all the drug screen, background checks, education verification, license verification, I-9 info, etc that would be enough unless the potential employer felt something was off.
Faced with this situation myself. I reached out to one of the Physician's I worked for and another Nurse. They both have worked me and both have given me written references as well. As far as my manager. I gave them Human Resources directors name and decided to let him handle whether he referred the reference to her or not since he was aware of the conflict with her if you decided to leave or transfer. Others had reported it to him. Has always worked out fine.
You know what, If your manager hates you then don’t use her as your reference put someone that would put a nice word on you. I had an experienced in my other job before one of the CNA is very super extra lazy and everyone hates him because of his being laziness and always can’t find him when needed him. Then one day he asked for my recommendations that he applied for a job in Cedars-sinai hospital. I said yes right away. It’s my way to get rid of him. I put nice words on him where in opposite of all what I said. After 2 weeks he is gone and started to his new job. I was so happy not only me, but everyone at my job are happy and the same time I helped him out.
Specializes in Neurosciences, stepdown, acute rehab, LTC.
I would somehow be honest whether it is to say you had a conflict with your manager or that she has admitted to giving bad references. And then also provide other leaders and managers from your past that she could also contact.
So it’s been over a week, and I hadn’t heard anything. I sent the manager of the new job an email. I got response today saying they haven’t been able to get a reference from my current manager. They’ve tried calling and emailing.
talked to my manager today, she said it was done this morning very rudely. I know she was lying because HR emailed me this afternoon saying they were still trying to get the reference, when I said that to my manager she just got ***y. (Didn’t say the lying part to her though)
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I don’t know what to do next. I feel like I’ve lost the job. I just want to get out of here.
Since you may have lost the job anyway, I would contact them and tell them what happened when you approached the manager. They should be able to see where the problem lies, if not, then it might not be a good move for you.
I agree with caliotter3...call the HR and/or hiring manager for the job you want and tell them you spoke to your current manager and she states she did give a reference so you don't know what to do. Be honest and direct with them about your concerns that you are going to possibly lose out on the position because of this one thing. It would be hard for me to believe that they have not encountered this passive aggressive type behavior before from another potential employees manager. I also can't imagine them not moving forward with the job based only on one reference not being completed but then again, maybe they are that particular.
Is there someone in your current job in HR that you can talk to about this? Often times there is an employee relations person that can become involved for employees who are experiencing on the job issues with their manager. You manager must have a direct boss too - you could always request a meeting with that person with your boss there about the chronic issues.
Specializes in Physiology, CM, consulting, nsg edu, LNC, COB.
Get refs from other professionals who know about your patient care— social work, staff development, OT, hospice, docs, managers from other floors who took pts in transfer from you… two of those will trump any bad one your manager could concoct. You could do that now, since they don’t have anything from her yet.
Specializes in Community Health, Med/Surg, ICU Stepdown.
3 hours ago, EDNURSE20 said:
So she gave the reference. I lost the job. I’m now stuck here.
That is so unfair! I've never had anyone specify that one of the references be my current manager. I'm sure there are places that will accept 3 references without specifying this requirement. I hope you will find one soon! And I bet covid vax clinics won't be as strict as potential long term employers, plus sounds like a nice break from ER nursing!!
manager123
70 Posts
Do you know if references are collected by phone or by an anonymous survey with questions to mark and a box to complete if desired for "additional information"?
In some states, if references are false the candidate can sue for slander. Many companies have imposed a 'no references rule' for managers and HR will provide hire date and job title only. I usually never provided a phone reference (who knows who is really on the phone) but if it was an excellent employer moving out of state etc I gave a generous review due to those circumstances.
Definitely submit a copy of your last excellent evaluation (or at least have it ready).
Some places will accept reviews from a shift manager instead of a unit manager. Especially true if working a night shift with limited unit manager contact. Worth a try to ask if that would be acceptable plus a copy of your last evaluation.