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Anonymous

02/09/21 at 1:53PM UTC

Seeking advice.

I do not want a hiring manager call my current supervisor. I have many reasons why. I can list them if you would like me to do so. Please let me know. I don’t want be negative in any way with the hiring manager however I need to leave my current position.

14 Comments

Anonymous

02/09/21 at 2:23PM UTC

It is genuinely hard to give advice with such little information but I can imagine most hiring managers could understand the conflict there. If you were not able to get the position would it affect your current role. Just be honest with them.

Rachel G.

02/09/21 at 2:43PM UTC

Totally acceptable and even typical. Don’t put his phone number on the application if they ask say “I’m not comfortable announcing the decision to explore other opportunities with my current supervisor.

Anonymous

02/09/21 at 2:57PM UTC

Place on your application that they may not call your current supervisor.

Natalia

Global Executive & Leadership Coach

02/09/21 at 3:08PM UTC

It would be great to get more context. However, many job applications have a field that allows you to mark whether or not a future employer can contact your current manager. You can also mention to the recruiter or hiring manager that you would prefer that your current supervisor is not contacted at this point. Most people do that (unless you're looking for a job because your current one is being restructured and your manager knows you're looking for a job). You can provide previous managers from other companies as references. Hope this helps!

Paula Krapf

PR & Marketing consultant and strategist

02/09/21 at 3:58PM UTC

I wouldn't worry too much, especially if you have strong references from people outside of your workplace who can provide insight into your work, quality, etc. In many cases your current employer may not be able to say much about you anyway beyond confirming your employment, and many companies know that. It's often better to get references from people who can speak openly about their work relationship with you, what you achieved, how you interacted, etc. Good luck!

Cayley Rice

02/09/21 at 4:19PM UTC

It's completely reasonable to not want your current boss to know you're looking for work, and if you get the stage where they must have some confirmation you can perhaps point them to HR (for confirmation of employment only) rather than your supervisor. A lot of companies restrict employees from providing references. They only allow confirmation of employment, e.g. through HR or a service.

Anonymous

02/09/21 at 4:21PM UTC

If you have current coworkers that you would feel comfortable using as a reference, I'd give their information to the hiring manager. This is what I did when I was looking for a new job. Don't worry, like many people have said, it is very common for people not to want hiring managers to contact their current boss. Good luck with the job search :)

Andrea Janov

Transforming employees into teammates

02/09/21 at 10:10PM UTC

Have they specifically asked for manager references? I know that a lot of companies want to speak with a manager, so if you have a manager from a previous role that should suffice. If not, be candid yet professional. State that you are not comfortable with them contacting your current manger since you are still employed at that company. I don't think it is unreasonable or uncommon.

Anonymous

02/09/21 at 10:39PM UTC

Agreed. If a potential employer asks for references, you can list people who have supervised you on specific projects, your direct supervisor from previous roles or volunteer activities. If it is an application where they ask "can we contact your current employer", I think it's fine to say no if you're currently employed there, as mentioned in a previous comment. Good luck!

Maryam

110

Senior Engineering Leader

02/10/21 at 12:30AM UTC

There are so many legitimate reasons people don’t use current employers as references. No need to apologize for that or imply there is something to hide. Completely understandable that you would not tell your current employer that you’re seeking something new. There’s also the potential conflict of interest if an employer wants to hang onto someone and not recommend them for something new. You do need to consider others who can vouch for you though. Depending on the situation, these can be educators, supervisors at volunteer organizations, employers from further back in your past or even character references. Good luck.

Jessica Walker

02/10/21 at 5:50AM UTC

This is a very common situation. Just be clear they can't contact your current employer (when sharing references or on the application). If they don't like it or are pushy, you probably don't want to work for them.

Krystin

141

Recruiting Leader & Résumé Writer in Seattle

02/10/21 at 6:19PM UTC

This is very common! You just have to let them know that your job search is confidential and you would prefer they don't contact your current workplace. No reasonable person would take issue with that. Good luck!

YASMINE KHALIL

Client Development Director

02/13/21 at 12:51AM UTC

Agree with others. It's each to understand you'd like to keep your job search confidential. So, no contact with current employer. Instead, offer other references...good ones. :-)

Anonymous

02/15/21 at 2:29PM UTC

Most companies ask if they can contact your current supervisor (yes or no). It's a industry standard as job searches are confidential. I wouldn't hesitate sharing that you would not like them to contact your current employer.