Handling Previous Supervisors Who Provide Poor References

Like a skeleton in the closet, a previous supervisor you didn't mesh with can starting rattling around, adding unwanted noise to your job hunt. The topic was recently discussed in the Wall Street Career Journal Online, and we'd like to touch on some of the key points of this matter.

First, by law, previous employers are not allowed to defame you. Owing to the threat of lawsuits, many companies have adopted the policy of providing no more than dates of employment, job titles, and perhaps salary. Such employers fear legal liability for defamation, which can arise from supervisors making knowingly false statements about your performance, integrity, and the situation surrounding your separation from the company.

If you have a former boss out there making life difficult for you, here are some suggested actions, some for immediate damage control and others for the long run.

First, remember that you are your own best reference. If you are midstream in the job hunt right now, and if you are facing questions from a prospective employer who has heard negative comments from a past employer, experts quoted in the Journal article recommend acknowledging the situation clearly and honestly.

Perhaps you and your previous boss had differences on how to accomplish goals. If this is the case, discuss this with your prospective employer. Provide your interviewer with names of other managers and former co-workers who were supportive of your efforts at the company. Also, it will be helpful for you to explain how you handled these problems and attempted to resolve them. If differences arose because of your own shortcomings, you will want to detail what you have done to improve your skills.

Beyond this, consider hiring a reference-checking service, which will call your previous boss, ask about your employment dates and titles and whether he or she recommends you. Such services also provide information on the supervisor's tone and demeanor, including whether he or she was abrupt and offensive.

If you have a former manager making negative comments that are false or baseless, consider calling or sending a letter asking him or her to stop. You may wish to send a courtesy copy of your letter to the company's human resources department. Sometimes the mere suggestion of legal action will quickly solve the problem.

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