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Recommend fired colleague?
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I work at a multi-location company, on a project involving people from different offices. I had a co-worker at another location who worked on the same project as me for a few months. Recently she was fired (I don't know any details, but it was quite abrupt).
A few weeks later she approached me because she was up for a job interview and she needs references from previous employments. I'd like to help her, so I gave her permission to use my contact information for reference.
I don't expect the prospective employee to actually contact me, but in any case - shall I mention to the prospective employee that she was actively fired, not simply "being redundant"?
She wasn't that bad for her job (I've seen worse and lot worse), but wasn't particularly good either and was pretty high-maintenance, bordering on annoyance (but this was partly due to the project setup) - shall I recommend her and stress the positives, be as diplomatic as I can and avoid the negative stuff, or be blunt (deep down inside I feel I wouldn't want to work with her in the future)?
coworker recommendation-letter
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Joe Strazzere
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up vote
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I work at a multi-location company, on a project involving people from different offices. I had a co-worker at another location who worked on the same project as me for a few months. Recently she was fired (I don't know any details, but it was quite abrupt).
A few weeks later she approached me because she was up for a job interview and she needs references from previous employments. I'd like to help her, so I gave her permission to use my contact information for reference.
I don't expect the prospective employee to actually contact me, but in any case - shall I mention to the prospective employee that she was actively fired, not simply "being redundant"?
She wasn't that bad for her job (I've seen worse and lot worse), but wasn't particularly good either and was pretty high-maintenance, bordering on annoyance (but this was partly due to the project setup) - shall I recommend her and stress the positives, be as diplomatic as I can and avoid the negative stuff, or be blunt (deep down inside I feel I wouldn't want to work with her in the future)?
coworker recommendation-letter
edited 10 mins ago
Joe Strazzere
226k107666939
asked 1 hour ago
My Full Name
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My Full Name is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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Unless you are planning to lie, you would make a poor reference if contacted. When I talk with a reference, I always ask about good qualities and bad qualities and "Would you hire this person again?" And if you don't answer enthusiastically, I know the truth. When you gave her permission to use your name you should have discussed what she was going to say about her dismissal during interviews and what you would say if called.
– Joe Strazzere
7 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
3
down vote
favorite
up vote
3
down vote
favorite
I work at a multi-location company, on a project involving people from different offices. I had a co-worker at another location who worked on the same project as me for a few months. Recently she was fired (I don't know any details, but it was quite abrupt).
A few weeks later she approached me because she was up for a job interview and she needs references from previous employments. I'd like to help her, so I gave her permission to use my contact information for reference.
I don't expect the prospective employee to actually contact me, but in any case - shall I mention to the prospective employee that she was actively fired, not simply "being redundant"?
She wasn't that bad for her job (I've seen worse and lot worse), but wasn't particularly good either and was pretty high-maintenance, bordering on annoyance (but this was partly due to the project setup) - shall I recommend her and stress the positives, be as diplomatic as I can and avoid the negative stuff, or be blunt (deep down inside I feel I wouldn't want to work with her in the future)?
coworker recommendation-letter
edited 10 mins ago
Joe Strazzere
226k107666939
asked 1 hour ago
My Full Name
212
New contributor
My Full Name is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
I work at a multi-location company, on a project involving people from different offices. I had a co-worker at another location who worked on the same project as me for a few months. Recently she was fired (I don't know any details, but it was quite abrupt).
A few weeks later she approached me because she was up for a job interview and she needs references from previous employments. I'd like to help her, so I gave her permission to use my contact information for reference.
I don't expect the prospective employee to actually contact me, but in any case - shall I mention to the prospective employee that she was actively fired, not simply "being redundant"?
She wasn't that bad for her job (I've seen worse and lot worse), but wasn't particularly good either and was pretty high-maintenance, bordering on annoyance (but this was partly due to the project setup) - shall I recommend her and stress the positives, be as diplomatic as I can and avoid the negative stuff, or be blunt (deep down inside I feel I wouldn't want to work with her in the future)?
coworker recommendation-letter
coworker recommendation-letter
edited 10 mins ago
Joe Strazzere
226k107666939
asked 1 hour ago
My Full Name
212
New contributor
My Full Name is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited 10 mins ago
Joe Strazzere
226k107666939
asked 1 hour ago
My Full Name
212
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My Full Name is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited 10 mins ago
Joe Strazzere
226k107666939
edited 10 mins ago
Joe Strazzere
226k107666939
edited 10 mins ago
Joe Strazzere
226k107666939
226k107666939
asked 1 hour ago
My Full Name
212
New contributor
My Full Name is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 1 hour ago
My Full Name
212
asked 1 hour ago
My Full Name
212
212
New contributor
My Full Name is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
My Full Name is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
My Full Name is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Unless you are planning to lie, you would make a poor reference if contacted. When I talk with a reference, I always ask about good qualities and bad qualities and "Would you hire this person again?" And if you don't answer enthusiastically, I know the truth. When you gave her permission to use your name you should have discussed what she was going to say about her dismissal during interviews and what you would say if called.
– Joe Strazzere
7 mins ago
add a comment |Â
Unless you are planning to lie, you would make a poor reference if contacted. When I talk with a reference, I always ask about good qualities and bad qualities and "Would you hire this person again?" And if you don't answer enthusiastically, I know the truth. When you gave her permission to use your name you should have discussed what she was going to say about her dismissal during interviews and what you would say if called.
– Joe Strazzere
7 mins ago
Unless you are planning to lie, you would make a poor reference if contacted. When I talk with a reference, I always ask about good qualities and bad qualities and "Would you hire this person again?" And if you don't answer enthusiastically, I know the truth. When you gave her permission to use your name you should have discussed what she was going to say about her dismissal during interviews and what you would say if called.
– Joe Strazzere
7 mins ago
Unless you are planning to lie, you would make a poor reference if contacted. When I talk with a reference, I always ask about good qualities and bad qualities and "Would you hire this person again?" And if you don't answer enthusiastically, I know the truth. When you gave her permission to use your name you should have discussed what she was going to say about her dismissal during interviews and what you would say if called.
– Joe Strazzere
7 mins ago
add a comment |Â
5 Answers
5
active
oldest
votes
up vote
4
down vote
shall I mention to the prospective employee that she was actively fired, not simply "being redundant"?
You shall mention and answer what they ask you, and in a way you feel comfortable.
You say you are not sure on the reasons why she was let go, so you can't honestly answer such questions and would be better if you refrained from speculating on the reason in case you were asked about it.
Instead, try to focus on the positive aspects you recall of her, or the way you interacted with her in the past. Try to keep it professional; if you are not sure what to answer it's better to say you are not sure than to make something up that could backfire on your former colleague.
answered 1 hour ago
DarkCygnus
27.6k1152117
1
Focusing on the positive is the best you can do in this situation. And not making something up is the correct approach.
– Joe Strazzere
3 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
3
down vote
You say you want to help her, so help her. Stress the positives, avoid the negatives, and hope that someone will be willing to do the same for you in your hour of need. If you don't feel comfortable saying nice things about her, you shouldn't have agreed to give her a reference.
answered 1 hour ago
AffableAmbler
3,8772921
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up vote
2
down vote
Recently she was fired (I don't know any details, but it was quite abrupt).
shall I mention to the prospective employee that she was actively fired, not simply "being redundant"?
No. You already stated you don't know any of the circumstances or details around the end of her employment. Since you do not know the circumstances, it would not be appropriate for you to speak to issues that you do not have knowledge about.
If they ask about why she left, simply say "I don't know anything about the circumstances around her employment ending."
Speak to what you do know about - was she technically competent? A good team member? What were her strengths? Etc. If they're looking to see if there was a big stink involved, maybe they'll ask "If you were hiring for a project, would you hire her?" Then, go ahead and answer truthfully, if you are comfortable making that kind of assessment. If not, just say that, since you're not at the level where you supervise her level of worker, you're not comfortable making that assessment, but you did find her to be an excellent (or not so great) peer.
If they're fishing for information on why she left your company, you simply don't know. Anything you say would be uninformed gossip or speculation, and you are there to share knowledge you have.
answered 1 hour ago
PoloHoleSet
9,00351833
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
I'm unsure of the standards of professionalism within all fields, but in engineering, if someone asks you for a reference and you agree to provide one, it is not appropriate to offer up negative information about that person when a prospective employers reaches out to check references. It's important to remember, someone who was fired is under a lot of stress and doing a lot of work to find a new job. To do otherwise, is a pretty substantial breach of trust and pretty much torpedos a lot of their work effort.
This is not to mean that you should lie, but when asked questions about the applicant you should present the information in the best light you feel you are able. For example, if asked why are they no longer working at your company, your response should be along the lines that, "You aren't familiar with the nature of their leaving," which is true unless you were directly connected with that person's firing.
This should not suggest that you need to heap praise, either. Simply provide an honest accounting of how your interactions with that person.
If you feel like you cannot do this (i.e. you genuinely don't think this person is qualified at this position and should not be employed doing it) then you've an obligation to inform them that you are requesting to withdraw your recommendation. It is extremely unfair and unprofessional to do otherwise. The reasons being that you'll seriously harm their chances of future success and they will have no idea why (most people checking references aren't going to report a negative one back to the applicant).
answered 1 hour ago
Pyrotechnical
1603
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up vote
0
down vote
If this is someone who you really don't recommend - you say she is mediocre at best, then if you do recommend her and she is hired, and then doesn't work out - all that will reflect badly on you.
Your best bet is to call her back and tell her you've reconsidered, and you would rather not act as a reference.
If you are unwilling to do that, while you should not say anything negative that you are not completely sure about, you should also not say anything positive that overlooks the negatives. You're best option is to say that you have worked with her, and then answer questions honestly. Don't volunteer negative information, but also do not withhold it when asked.
Because if she is hired at your company, based at least partly on your recommendation, and then does not work out - you lose credibility, at best. The next time you recommend someone, perhaps someone you really do think is a good choice, they will doubt the recommendation. You will be seen as someone who can't identify good work. There is a large risk to you, and it is better to say nothing than to say good things that are not deserved.
answered 29 mins ago
thursdaysgeek
24.4k103999
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5 Answers
5
active
oldest
votes
5 Answers
5
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
4
down vote
shall I mention to the prospective employee that she was actively fired, not simply "being redundant"?
You shall mention and answer what they ask you, and in a way you feel comfortable.
You say you are not sure on the reasons why she was let go, so you can't honestly answer such questions and would be better if you refrained from speculating on the reason in case you were asked about it.
Instead, try to focus on the positive aspects you recall of her, or the way you interacted with her in the past. Try to keep it professional; if you are not sure what to answer it's better to say you are not sure than to make something up that could backfire on your former colleague.
answered 1 hour ago
DarkCygnus
27.6k1152117
1
Focusing on the positive is the best you can do in this situation. And not making something up is the correct approach.
– Joe Strazzere
3 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
4
down vote
shall I mention to the prospective employee that she was actively fired, not simply "being redundant"?
You shall mention and answer what they ask you, and in a way you feel comfortable.
You say you are not sure on the reasons why she was let go, so you can't honestly answer such questions and would be better if you refrained from speculating on the reason in case you were asked about it.
Instead, try to focus on the positive aspects you recall of her, or the way you interacted with her in the past. Try to keep it professional; if you are not sure what to answer it's better to say you are not sure than to make something up that could backfire on your former colleague.
answered 1 hour ago
DarkCygnus
27.6k1152117
1
Focusing on the positive is the best you can do in this situation. And not making something up is the correct approach.
– Joe Strazzere
3 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
4
down vote
up vote
4
down vote
shall I mention to the prospective employee that she was actively fired, not simply "being redundant"?
You shall mention and answer what they ask you, and in a way you feel comfortable.
You say you are not sure on the reasons why she was let go, so you can't honestly answer such questions and would be better if you refrained from speculating on the reason in case you were asked about it.
Instead, try to focus on the positive aspects you recall of her, or the way you interacted with her in the past. Try to keep it professional; if you are not sure what to answer it's better to say you are not sure than to make something up that could backfire on your former colleague.
answered 1 hour ago
DarkCygnus
27.6k1152117
shall I mention to the prospective employee that she was actively fired, not simply "being redundant"?
You shall mention and answer what they ask you, and in a way you feel comfortable.
You say you are not sure on the reasons why she was let go, so you can't honestly answer such questions and would be better if you refrained from speculating on the reason in case you were asked about it.
Instead, try to focus on the positive aspects you recall of her, or the way you interacted with her in the past. Try to keep it professional; if you are not sure what to answer it's better to say you are not sure than to make something up that could backfire on your former colleague.
answered 1 hour ago
DarkCygnus
27.6k1152117
answered 1 hour ago
DarkCygnus
27.6k1152117
answered 1 hour ago
DarkCygnus
27.6k1152117
answered 1 hour ago
DarkCygnus
27.6k1152117
27.6k1152117
1
Focusing on the positive is the best you can do in this situation. And not making something up is the correct approach.
– Joe Strazzere
3 mins ago
add a comment |Â
1
Focusing on the positive is the best you can do in this situation. And not making something up is the correct approach.
– Joe Strazzere
3 mins ago
1
1
Focusing on the positive is the best you can do in this situation. And not making something up is the correct approach.
– Joe Strazzere
3 mins ago
Focusing on the positive is the best you can do in this situation. And not making something up is the correct approach.
– Joe Strazzere
3 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
3
down vote
You say you want to help her, so help her. Stress the positives, avoid the negatives, and hope that someone will be willing to do the same for you in your hour of need. If you don't feel comfortable saying nice things about her, you shouldn't have agreed to give her a reference.
answered 1 hour ago
AffableAmbler
3,8772921
add a comment |Â
up vote
3
down vote
You say you want to help her, so help her. Stress the positives, avoid the negatives, and hope that someone will be willing to do the same for you in your hour of need. If you don't feel comfortable saying nice things about her, you shouldn't have agreed to give her a reference.
answered 1 hour ago
AffableAmbler
3,8772921
add a comment |Â
up vote
3
down vote
up vote
3
down vote
You say you want to help her, so help her. Stress the positives, avoid the negatives, and hope that someone will be willing to do the same for you in your hour of need. If you don't feel comfortable saying nice things about her, you shouldn't have agreed to give her a reference.
answered 1 hour ago
AffableAmbler
3,8772921
You say you want to help her, so help her. Stress the positives, avoid the negatives, and hope that someone will be willing to do the same for you in your hour of need. If you don't feel comfortable saying nice things about her, you shouldn't have agreed to give her a reference.
answered 1 hour ago
AffableAmbler
3,8772921
answered 1 hour ago
AffableAmbler
3,8772921
answered 1 hour ago
AffableAmbler
3,8772921
answered 1 hour ago
AffableAmbler
3,8772921
3,8772921
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
Recently she was fired (I don't know any details, but it was quite abrupt).
shall I mention to the prospective employee that she was actively fired, not simply "being redundant"?
No. You already stated you don't know any of the circumstances or details around the end of her employment. Since you do not know the circumstances, it would not be appropriate for you to speak to issues that you do not have knowledge about.
If they ask about why she left, simply say "I don't know anything about the circumstances around her employment ending."
Speak to what you do know about - was she technically competent? A good team member? What were her strengths? Etc. If they're looking to see if there was a big stink involved, maybe they'll ask "If you were hiring for a project, would you hire her?" Then, go ahead and answer truthfully, if you are comfortable making that kind of assessment. If not, just say that, since you're not at the level where you supervise her level of worker, you're not comfortable making that assessment, but you did find her to be an excellent (or not so great) peer.
If they're fishing for information on why she left your company, you simply don't know. Anything you say would be uninformed gossip or speculation, and you are there to share knowledge you have.
answered 1 hour ago
PoloHoleSet
9,00351833
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
Recently she was fired (I don't know any details, but it was quite abrupt).
shall I mention to the prospective employee that she was actively fired, not simply "being redundant"?
No. You already stated you don't know any of the circumstances or details around the end of her employment. Since you do not know the circumstances, it would not be appropriate for you to speak to issues that you do not have knowledge about.
If they ask about why she left, simply say "I don't know anything about the circumstances around her employment ending."
Speak to what you do know about - was she technically competent? A good team member? What were her strengths? Etc. If they're looking to see if there was a big stink involved, maybe they'll ask "If you were hiring for a project, would you hire her?" Then, go ahead and answer truthfully, if you are comfortable making that kind of assessment. If not, just say that, since you're not at the level where you supervise her level of worker, you're not comfortable making that assessment, but you did find her to be an excellent (or not so great) peer.
If they're fishing for information on why she left your company, you simply don't know. Anything you say would be uninformed gossip or speculation, and you are there to share knowledge you have.
answered 1 hour ago
PoloHoleSet
9,00351833
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
up vote
2
down vote
Recently she was fired (I don't know any details, but it was quite abrupt).
shall I mention to the prospective employee that she was actively fired, not simply "being redundant"?
No. You already stated you don't know any of the circumstances or details around the end of her employment. Since you do not know the circumstances, it would not be appropriate for you to speak to issues that you do not have knowledge about.
If they ask about why she left, simply say "I don't know anything about the circumstances around her employment ending."
Speak to what you do know about - was she technically competent? A good team member? What were her strengths? Etc. If they're looking to see if there was a big stink involved, maybe they'll ask "If you were hiring for a project, would you hire her?" Then, go ahead and answer truthfully, if you are comfortable making that kind of assessment. If not, just say that, since you're not at the level where you supervise her level of worker, you're not comfortable making that assessment, but you did find her to be an excellent (or not so great) peer.
If they're fishing for information on why she left your company, you simply don't know. Anything you say would be uninformed gossip or speculation, and you are there to share knowledge you have.
answered 1 hour ago
PoloHoleSet
9,00351833
Recently she was fired (I don't know any details, but it was quite abrupt).
shall I mention to the prospective employee that she was actively fired, not simply "being redundant"?
No. You already stated you don't know any of the circumstances or details around the end of her employment. Since you do not know the circumstances, it would not be appropriate for you to speak to issues that you do not have knowledge about.
If they ask about why she left, simply say "I don't know anything about the circumstances around her employment ending."
Speak to what you do know about - was she technically competent? A good team member? What were her strengths? Etc. If they're looking to see if there was a big stink involved, maybe they'll ask "If you were hiring for a project, would you hire her?" Then, go ahead and answer truthfully, if you are comfortable making that kind of assessment. If not, just say that, since you're not at the level where you supervise her level of worker, you're not comfortable making that assessment, but you did find her to be an excellent (or not so great) peer.
If they're fishing for information on why she left your company, you simply don't know. Anything you say would be uninformed gossip or speculation, and you are there to share knowledge you have.
answered 1 hour ago
PoloHoleSet
9,00351833
answered 1 hour ago
PoloHoleSet
9,00351833
answered 1 hour ago
PoloHoleSet
9,00351833
answered 1 hour ago
PoloHoleSet
9,00351833
9,00351833
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
I'm unsure of the standards of professionalism within all fields, but in engineering, if someone asks you for a reference and you agree to provide one, it is not appropriate to offer up negative information about that person when a prospective employers reaches out to check references. It's important to remember, someone who was fired is under a lot of stress and doing a lot of work to find a new job. To do otherwise, is a pretty substantial breach of trust and pretty much torpedos a lot of their work effort.
This is not to mean that you should lie, but when asked questions about the applicant you should present the information in the best light you feel you are able. For example, if asked why are they no longer working at your company, your response should be along the lines that, "You aren't familiar with the nature of their leaving," which is true unless you were directly connected with that person's firing.
This should not suggest that you need to heap praise, either. Simply provide an honest accounting of how your interactions with that person.
If you feel like you cannot do this (i.e. you genuinely don't think this person is qualified at this position and should not be employed doing it) then you've an obligation to inform them that you are requesting to withdraw your recommendation. It is extremely unfair and unprofessional to do otherwise. The reasons being that you'll seriously harm their chances of future success and they will have no idea why (most people checking references aren't going to report a negative one back to the applicant).
answered 1 hour ago
Pyrotechnical
1603
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
I'm unsure of the standards of professionalism within all fields, but in engineering, if someone asks you for a reference and you agree to provide one, it is not appropriate to offer up negative information about that person when a prospective employers reaches out to check references. It's important to remember, someone who was fired is under a lot of stress and doing a lot of work to find a new job. To do otherwise, is a pretty substantial breach of trust and pretty much torpedos a lot of their work effort.
This is not to mean that you should lie, but when asked questions about the applicant you should present the information in the best light you feel you are able. For example, if asked why are they no longer working at your company, your response should be along the lines that, "You aren't familiar with the nature of their leaving," which is true unless you were directly connected with that person's firing.
This should not suggest that you need to heap praise, either. Simply provide an honest accounting of how your interactions with that person.
If you feel like you cannot do this (i.e. you genuinely don't think this person is qualified at this position and should not be employed doing it) then you've an obligation to inform them that you are requesting to withdraw your recommendation. It is extremely unfair and unprofessional to do otherwise. The reasons being that you'll seriously harm their chances of future success and they will have no idea why (most people checking references aren't going to report a negative one back to the applicant).
answered 1 hour ago
Pyrotechnical
1603
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
up vote
1
down vote
I'm unsure of the standards of professionalism within all fields, but in engineering, if someone asks you for a reference and you agree to provide one, it is not appropriate to offer up negative information about that person when a prospective employers reaches out to check references. It's important to remember, someone who was fired is under a lot of stress and doing a lot of work to find a new job. To do otherwise, is a pretty substantial breach of trust and pretty much torpedos a lot of their work effort.
This is not to mean that you should lie, but when asked questions about the applicant you should present the information in the best light you feel you are able. For example, if asked why are they no longer working at your company, your response should be along the lines that, "You aren't familiar with the nature of their leaving," which is true unless you were directly connected with that person's firing.
This should not suggest that you need to heap praise, either. Simply provide an honest accounting of how your interactions with that person.
If you feel like you cannot do this (i.e. you genuinely don't think this person is qualified at this position and should not be employed doing it) then you've an obligation to inform them that you are requesting to withdraw your recommendation. It is extremely unfair and unprofessional to do otherwise. The reasons being that you'll seriously harm their chances of future success and they will have no idea why (most people checking references aren't going to report a negative one back to the applicant).
answered 1 hour ago
Pyrotechnical
1603
I'm unsure of the standards of professionalism within all fields, but in engineering, if someone asks you for a reference and you agree to provide one, it is not appropriate to offer up negative information about that person when a prospective employers reaches out to check references. It's important to remember, someone who was fired is under a lot of stress and doing a lot of work to find a new job. To do otherwise, is a pretty substantial breach of trust and pretty much torpedos a lot of their work effort.
This is not to mean that you should lie, but when asked questions about the applicant you should present the information in the best light you feel you are able. For example, if asked why are they no longer working at your company, your response should be along the lines that, "You aren't familiar with the nature of their leaving," which is true unless you were directly connected with that person's firing.
This should not suggest that you need to heap praise, either. Simply provide an honest accounting of how your interactions with that person.
If you feel like you cannot do this (i.e. you genuinely don't think this person is qualified at this position and should not be employed doing it) then you've an obligation to inform them that you are requesting to withdraw your recommendation. It is extremely unfair and unprofessional to do otherwise. The reasons being that you'll seriously harm their chances of future success and they will have no idea why (most people checking references aren't going to report a negative one back to the applicant).
answered 1 hour ago
Pyrotechnical
1603
answered 1 hour ago
Pyrotechnical
1603
answered 1 hour ago
Pyrotechnical
1603
answered 1 hour ago
Pyrotechnical
1603
1603
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If this is someone who you really don't recommend - you say she is mediocre at best, then if you do recommend her and she is hired, and then doesn't work out - all that will reflect badly on you.
Your best bet is to call her back and tell her you've reconsidered, and you would rather not act as a reference.
If you are unwilling to do that, while you should not say anything negative that you are not completely sure about, you should also not say anything positive that overlooks the negatives. You're best option is to say that you have worked with her, and then answer questions honestly. Don't volunteer negative information, but also do not withhold it when asked.
Because if she is hired at your company, based at least partly on your recommendation, and then does not work out - you lose credibility, at best. The next time you recommend someone, perhaps someone you really do think is a good choice, they will doubt the recommendation. You will be seen as someone who can't identify good work. There is a large risk to you, and it is better to say nothing than to say good things that are not deserved.
answered 29 mins ago
thursdaysgeek
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If this is someone who you really don't recommend - you say she is mediocre at best, then if you do recommend her and she is hired, and then doesn't work out - all that will reflect badly on you.
Your best bet is to call her back and tell her you've reconsidered, and you would rather not act as a reference.
If you are unwilling to do that, while you should not say anything negative that you are not completely sure about, you should also not say anything positive that overlooks the negatives. You're best option is to say that you have worked with her, and then answer questions honestly. Don't volunteer negative information, but also do not withhold it when asked.
Because if she is hired at your company, based at least partly on your recommendation, and then does not work out - you lose credibility, at best. The next time you recommend someone, perhaps someone you really do think is a good choice, they will doubt the recommendation. You will be seen as someone who can't identify good work. There is a large risk to you, and it is better to say nothing than to say good things that are not deserved.
answered 29 mins ago
thursdaysgeek
24.4k103999
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
up vote
0
down vote
If this is someone who you really don't recommend - you say she is mediocre at best, then if you do recommend her and she is hired, and then doesn't work out - all that will reflect badly on you.
Your best bet is to call her back and tell her you've reconsidered, and you would rather not act as a reference.
If you are unwilling to do that, while you should not say anything negative that you are not completely sure about, you should also not say anything positive that overlooks the negatives. You're best option is to say that you have worked with her, and then answer questions honestly. Don't volunteer negative information, but also do not withhold it when asked.
Because if she is hired at your company, based at least partly on your recommendation, and then does not work out - you lose credibility, at best. The next time you recommend someone, perhaps someone you really do think is a good choice, they will doubt the recommendation. You will be seen as someone who can't identify good work. There is a large risk to you, and it is better to say nothing than to say good things that are not deserved.
answered 29 mins ago
thursdaysgeek
24.4k103999
If this is someone who you really don't recommend - you say she is mediocre at best, then if you do recommend her and she is hired, and then doesn't work out - all that will reflect badly on you.
Your best bet is to call her back and tell her you've reconsidered, and you would rather not act as a reference.
If you are unwilling to do that, while you should not say anything negative that you are not completely sure about, you should also not say anything positive that overlooks the negatives. You're best option is to say that you have worked with her, and then answer questions honestly. Don't volunteer negative information, but also do not withhold it when asked.
Because if she is hired at your company, based at least partly on your recommendation, and then does not work out - you lose credibility, at best. The next time you recommend someone, perhaps someone you really do think is a good choice, they will doubt the recommendation. You will be seen as someone who can't identify good work. There is a large risk to you, and it is better to say nothing than to say good things that are not deserved.
answered 29 mins ago
thursdaysgeek
24.4k103999
answered 29 mins ago
thursdaysgeek
24.4k103999
answered 29 mins ago
thursdaysgeek
24.4k103999
answered 29 mins ago
thursdaysgeek
24.4k103999
24.4k103999
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add a comment |Â
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Unless you are planning to lie, you would make a poor reference if contacted. When I talk with a reference, I always ask about good qualities and bad qualities and "Would you hire this person again?" And if you don't answer enthusiastically, I know the truth. When you gave her permission to use your name you should have discussed what she was going to say about her dismissal during interviews and what you would say if called.
– Joe Strazzere
7 mins ago