Companies ask job applicants for references all the time. It’s a way to verify a potential hire’s history and skills, vet their candidacy, and assess character and cultural fit.
So why can’t the same thing be done in reverse—where you can ask past employees to assess the company you’re applying to?
Sure, there’s Glassdoor. But short of salty ex-employees publicly dragging old employers on social media—a relatively uncommon move, considering it’s deemed unprofessional and may result in legal retaliation—there are no real formalized processes to run references on a company you’re applying to.
A recent Reddit post presented the argument: “Jobs be asking me for 3 references and I think I might start doing the same,” it read. “Let me talk to three happy employees please.”
The logic is simple: When booking a restaurant for date night, most double check the reviews for other diners’ experiences before making a reservation. Before pulling the trigger on a big purchase, many will scour the web for recommendations and product reviews, to ensure they are getting a good deal.
Why shouldn’t the same be available for job seekers? Well, some in the Reddit thread say they’ve already put this into practice, in their own ways.
“When I get an offer, I always ask to come talk to the people who would be my peers/reports (since you usually already talk to the superiors in the interview),” one Reddit user commented. “Do people not normally do that?”
Another added: “I did that for my last job. Got some actual good feedback and decided not to take it.” But as some pointed out, current employees may not be the most helpful barometer.
“Don’t speak to the happy ones, speak to the honest ones,” one wrote. Or, perhaps candidates could see “a stack of resignations with the reason for leaving highlighted,” another suggested. After all, Glassdoor reviews exist for a reason.
Currently, this sort of “reverse reference check” doesn’t really exist, probably because of the mountain of potential legal issues around defamation. Companies could take retaliatory action against former employees who speak ill of them. (Besides, even the traditional model of companies asking candidates for references has come under more scrutiny and criticism in recent years.)
But potential consequences aside, social media platforms like TikTok and LinkedIn have also become fair game for disgruntled ex-employees to publicly air their grievances. Some have even gone so far to film their exit interviews, published for the world (and potential future employees) to see. With company issues like culture rot, quiet cracking, and toxic workplaces putting off potential hires, the once-hidden realities of workplace culture are now being shared in the open.
This shift in transparency could return some of the power to employees. Yet, at the same time, job openings are down, while the number of unemployed professionals are rising. Employees are being encouraged to cling onto jobs, even if they no longer enjoy the work. So those with offers on the table might be tempted to seize any available opportunity with both hands—regardless if a “reverse reference” would produce red flags.
For now, the next time you’re applying for a job, ask your hiring manager how many times this specific position has been vacant and filled. If it’s already cycled through three hires in the past year . . . it might be worth a quick stalk on LinkedIn to check if anyone knows something you don’t.