The success of an application depends on more factors than qualifications. HR professionals want to feel good all-around before they hire a candidate and draw up an employment contract. This includes a “very good” job reference as possible. But what if you get a bad job reference from your employer? Our recommendation: Don’t just accept the bad testimony! In fact, there are ways you can respond and even ask for a better testimonial.
Bad job reference? Hidden messages!
Bad job references are often well camouflaged. You will never find formulations in the style of “The employee performed below average and was consistently unpopular with colleagues” in a qualified job reference. The reason for this is § 109 of the trade regulations. According to this, employees not only have a statutory right to a job reference. The paragraph also prohibits open criticism in the certificate. Rather, the job reference must meet two legal requirements: It must be “true” and it must be worded “benevolently”. It is forbidden to let your displeasure with the ex-employees work run free. This is to ensure that the professional future of the former employee is not impaired and that the future job search does not fail because of a bad job reference. Theoretically.
In fact, a kind of secret language and certificate codes have long been established in job references. They all sound positive but mean the exact opposite. The devil – when it comes to bad job references, it’s not just in the details, but above all between the lines. In nasty formulations and nicely packaged, but lousy notes. So to be able to take action against a bad report card, you first have to recognize it as such. How does it work?
Recognize a bad job reference
A bad job reference can be recognized by the following characteristics and factors:
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Ambiguous formulations
Even seemingly harmless sentences like “He fulfilled his tasks to the satisfaction” only correspond to the school grade 4. Other formulations can give an even clearer picture of a bad job reference: “She did all the tasks dutifully and properly” means, for example, in plain language: “She only did what she was told and didn’t show any initiative.” Ouch! Therefore, always read your certificate carefully and decipher the common certificate codes using our tables.
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Reverse wording
You should be prudish if you find a negative phrase in your testimony, which sounds apparently positive through a “not” or “no” or “never”. For example: “His punctuality gave no cause for complaint.” Sounds praiseworthy – but it isn’t. If there was really never a cause for complaint, it would simply not be worth mentioning. But that’s how it stands – and consciously wakes sleeping dogs.
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Passive formulations
One expects a certain amount of initiative from talents and high performers. Passive formulations indicate the opposite: Here someone only acted on instructions and was otherwise the same as the formulations: passive and lazy. Examples: “Mr/Ms … the tasks … were assigned.” / “He/she was … working for us.” / “He/she was used for the following activities: …” You already notice: Even if everything is factually correct is not an overly committed impression on the reader.
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Twisted order
Reversing the hierarchical order of lists and job descriptions is also a trick to disguise a bad job reference. For example, if it says: “He/she behaved impeccably towards colleagues, customers, and superiors”, then that sounds good. But because the boss belongs first in the hierarchy, this is de facto a secret code for: “He had problems with authorities.” The same applies if subordinate tasks are actually listed first, but the crucial, higher-value activities only appear at the end.
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Incomplete content
A good job reference not only includes all important activities of your working hours, but also the services that you have performed during your employment with the company. The management of a large project, an increase in sales, the introduction of better work processes … A lack of relevant services speaks for a bad job reference. So pay attention to the depth of the so-called “description of services”. A superficial testimony always arouses suspicion among HR professionals.
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Short text
If your boss can pull himself over to a few sentences in the job reference after many years of cooperation, that indirectly also says a lot about the cooperation and the relationship. The formal basics are then included in the certificate, but such a short job reference still speaks volumes. Or to put it another way: Because the certificate is deliberately not meaningful, it certifies that the employee is dispensable.
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Contradicting statements
Another sign of a bad job reference is the inconsistency of some statements. If, for example, the employer attests to a very good relationship with colleagues, but an overall mediocre result, this can indicate that the employee preferred to chat rather than work.
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Fundamental errors
Incorrect information, information that should not be included in the job reference (e.g., reasons for dismissal, union activity, illness, pregnancy, or parental leave) as well as spelling errors can also result in a poor overall impression that can be negative to other personnel decision-makers.
If you have actually identified several indications for a bad report, you should take action and ask for improvements. Since hidden negative judgments are often difficult to recognize for the untrained eye, you should contact an expert or specialist lawyer for labor law in case of doubt. Specialists can professionally check whether your copy is really a bad reference.
Get bad job reference: what to do?
A bad job reference isn’t just annoying. It has an impact on your future career. It not only complicates your next job search but every professional step. If you receive a bad job reference in your mid-twenties, you will state it in many applications and have to fight it anew every time. The good news: You don’t have to put up with a bad job reference. Don’t just accept that. Instead, take countermeasures and corrections to challenge a bad job reference. Tips on how to do this:
Direct address
The first route should lead you to your boss or the HR department. In many cases, it is not malicious intent, but simply ignorance on the part of the company or an accidental mistake that has resulted in a bad reference letter. An open and clarifying discussion (including correction requests) is often the most unbureaucratic way to achieve the goal. To find a common solution as quickly as possible, you should study the wording in the bad job reference in advance and find out where there are mistakes or which sentences you would like to have corrected.
Written objection
If the correction is long in coming or if the former employer does not react to the direct conversation or if he even refuses to correct the bad job reference, you can request the correction in writing and set a deadline by which the changed version is to be issued. In your written objection, list exactly the passages that you are objecting to and suggest alternative formulations. In this way, you can also compare afterward whether all points have really been met.
Legal action
In the last resort, all that remains is to go to the lawyer. He can try to reach an agreement with the employer. Otherwise, the following applies: If despite the written request, no correction is made, you have the right to submit a so-called “certificate correction action” three weeks after receiving the job reference. Who has the burden of proof in court depends on the grade? According to current case law, a job reference must be at least “satisfactory”. If you want a better testimony, the burden of proof is on you. In the opposite case, if the reference is below average and really bad, it is up to the employer to prove what justifies such a bad reference.
Pay attention to the correction deadlines! If you have the feeling that you have received a bad job reference, you should take care of a change or correction as soon as possible. The right to corrections to the job reference expires after five to 15 months.
Omit bad job reference? No option
Some applicants could now get the idea of simply leaving out the bad job reference when applying. After all, it would otherwise reduce the chances of applying and cause candidates to need explanations… An obvious idea, but not a good one! She’s not even very clever.
The legal right to a job reference is a double-edged sword: It also means that in case of doubt you can (must) prove previous professional positions with a certificate. Many employers expect this when applying. The absence of a certificate (rightly) raises doubts about your suitability and honesty. The trick is as transparent as a flawless diamond: At the latest during the interview, the HR manager will talk about it or ask you to submit the missing certificate. Then the bluff is blown.
Bad job reference: handling-during the interview
Don’t get your hopes wrong: HR managers don’t just leaf over job references, and certainly not bad ones. Quite a few read it as carefully as your résumé. After all, this is about the (objective) judgment of another employer. Who else could better evaluate your previous achievements, working methods, social skills, and successes? This “first hand” statement is given a high level of credibility.
Don’t just leave out bad references (you’ll notice it), but think about a good reason and explanation for them in advance. Especially for the job interview. Admittedly, not an easy task. But one that can be mastered. The following strategies and tips are available to you to explain a bad reference in the interview:
Refer to other testimonials
A bad job reference is difficult to explain away. But maybe not all of your testimonials are like that. So refer to other employers and their evaluation – without sounding like a justification. It works even better if you also bring current references or letters of recommendation with you. They can put a lot into perspective. Especially when they come from other, more sympathetic executives or customers of the same company. In this way, you show that the negative image from the bad job reference cannot be true.
Handle your mistakes constructively
What exactly is criticized in the bad report? Instead of taking flight on the defensive, address the topic offensively and honestly. Explain your weaknesses in the interview – but constructively: What did you learn from them? What are you doing differently today? In this way, you demonstrate the willingness to learn and the ability to learn – a good prerequisite for personal growth.
Explain the differences
It is taboo to blaspheme your former employer in an interview. That boomerang back on you and looks like a protective claim. You can, however, explain objectively that there were differences in content. For example, they had different ideas about the implementation of a project. These ultimately also led to the termination. It happens. Unfortunately, the former boss found this so serious that he absolutely had to record it on his certificate. It’s a shame.
Explaining a bad job reference to the HR manager remains a difficult task. It is better if it doesn’t come to that in the first place and you get a good rating. Or if not voluntarily, then at least through a targeted challenge and improvement, if you are not satisfied with the bad job reference.