Want to know what your former employers would say about you behind your back? Well, then have I got a website for you (though, by the time I'm finished, you might run the other way).
Recently, I stumbled across, www.badreferences.com, the website for DRC, a company who will phone up your former employers to see what kind of recommendation they'd give you.
So as not to be detected, DRC contracts out several other agencies with different names. These "agencies" then do the dirty work, posing as prospective employers.
They then pass on their findings to DRC, who in turn prepares a detailed report of what each person has said about you.
Naturally, they don't do this out of the kindness of their hearts.
In fact, the fee is actually quite steep: according to their website, the standard price to have your job reference checked out is $87.95. If you want three of your references checked, you'd have to fork over $263.85. Ouch!
I can't imagine anyone paying that kind of money, but the website appears to be fairly popular, having been mentioned on PBS and in The Wall Street Journal.
Wouldn't it be a whole lot more honest -- not to mention cost-efficient -- to just uphold a solid work ethic in every job you do. That way, you won't have to worry about whether you'll get a bad review or not.
