I have a friend that has stumped me on his problem and perhaps one of you would have a better answer. My friend has worked for a small company for approximately the last 4 years, he is an excellent worker. A couple months age the company folded and he has been trying really hard to get a job with no luck. Well come to find out his former boss is headed to prison for milking investors, fraud, tax evasion,etc.,, and may explain that his former boss may have not gave him the best reference- if any at all, (my friend has nothing to do with any of this foul play- he is simply a production worker and handles no finance, books, or business outside the actual production and was not aware of any wrong doings.) My question is how should he handle his former boss as a reference when applying for new work ? I really don't think that a guy headed or in prison would be a great reference, and most likely who wouldn't give one anyways . My friend is a real hard working dedicated professional that unfortunatley is paying for anothers crime. Anyone in Human resources that could give my friend advice on how to handle this situation ? This small business was him (my friend) and the boss/his family only-- they are also most likely to be going the same place , so there really isn't anyone else that could give an honest reference on my friend. My friend is also out all of his equipment, tools etc, so financially he has suffered greatly- he needs a job bad and not to have to deal with this. MY friend only performed work for this company and not a partnership or other.

 

Well, provide other references... it's easy to explain that there's a pending trial and his former boss/associates are not available for references. I don't believe they will call your references before interviewing you anyway, so he would have plenty of time to mention that his boss is unreachable due to circumstances that he's unable to disclose. As long as it doesn't sound too shady, I'm sure HR at another company won't care too much. The phrase of the day: "References available upon request."

 

This is a case where the less your friend knows about his companies demise, the better- get my drift? Include the work history in the work experience section, and provide references outside of the workplace, if possible. When asked why he left, the answer should be "the company went out of business." No more, no less. He needs to show his work experience, but keep distance from the events that led to the companies demise.

 

It is always best to ASK a person if they can be a reference before you submit their name.

 

I doubt that the actual owner is the only one that saw the abilities and skills that your friend demonstrated on the job if it was a company big enough for any sort of an idiot to bilk out of enough money to warrant being jailed over it, therefore there must have been supervisors, and/or co-workers.

Any one of them might be useful and willing to provide a witness to demonstrated ability and reliability; if your friend can contact them.

This way - all that experience won't go to waste.

It is not the employees that were at fault, only the employer.

Prospective employers realise this - that only at the senior levels of management is it possible to defraud, cook the ledgers, and all of that...

The alternative is to scrap the entire work experience and gain NOTHING from it in terms of references, in which case your friend starts out "cold". That, it seems to me, would be unacceptable.

~Wolf

 

It is always best to ASK a person if they can be a reference before you submit their name.

Outstanding point, Dennis. It's also helpful to let that person know what job you're applying for, and some possible good points you might have relating to the new position. I've hired people before based on what a reference said, even though I wasn't overly impressed with the interview itself.

 

Sometimes you just can't tell what a persons capabilities are on paper, or in person.

Many highly skilled people either don't write good resumes, write them too well (padding them out), or don't present themselves effectively.

There are also people who only know how to make themselves look good on paper, and cannot be trusted with a screwdriver.

-Go figure...

I have had to go so far as to not only ask people if they would mind being references for me, but to go back and remind them of my actual name, since most people call me by one nickname or another.

It really wouldn't be helpful if people that knew me as "Dutch" or "Greywolf" were contacted by a business asking after me by my christian name, only to be told by my references: "I have NO IDEA who the hell you're talking about..."

 

As stated before my friend was the only worker. The owner and his wife (bookeeper)were the only other staff- there is no one else in the business- no managment, no sups, no anyone. Must be really easy when you and your wife are the ony ones watching the cash flow-- was for them.....You have most likely used their products, but his job was mostly taking care of automated production equipment-- therefore no need for other employees. They farmed out the packaging, etc., and there was No one that he had to deal, just boss, wife and machinery.

 

If your friend collected a couple of personal references from someone ,say like you pointing out his dedication ,loyalty and skill and abilities I'm sure he could find a job .

As Polarbear has pointed out neither the resume nor the interview determine by themself if I would hire a new employee .

Most people that handle human resourses on a regular basis have already developed a very good judge of character that would see through any BS and can judge a person's attitude and outlook with the first 5 min. of an interview.

I was always willing to hire someone to fill a position if they struck me as being worth their salt and would learn the requirments of the position once hired . Plus they could not try to BS me during the interview which I always made informal over a coffee in the office so as to put the applicant at ease
which made it easier for me to judge their character and ability to fill the position open .

Tell him to get out there and pound the bricks and I am sure if he is the kind of guy you say someone will put him to work .