How To Answer: 'May We Contact This Employer?'

“May we contact this employer?"

It’s a common question that you’ll often encounter when you’re filling out a job application, but it can also give you pause. What if you’d really prefer that the company not contact that employer? What if you have legitimate concerns about letting a current employer know that you’re applying for a new job – or have some other valid reason to refuse that request? Can you say "no" without hurting your chances of landing a new position?

In this post, we will explore that question in greater detail and examine some of the most common and legitimate reasons for not wanting a company to contact your previous or current employer. We’ll also consider how your answer might impact your chances of landing a new job, offer some tips to help you navigate this sometimes-tricky question, and provide some sample answers that you can use to help you shape your own response.

Why do employers ask, “May we contact this employer?”

There are some very good reasons why prospective employers may ask to contact an employer you’ve listed in your application or resume. It’s important to understand these reasons so that you’re not too surprised by their request. Below are some of the most common explanations why any hiring manager might ask for your permission to speak to those employers.

Background checks

If the employer conducts any sort of background check, they may simply be asking for your permission to verify the work history details in your resume. They’ll want to make sure that you worked for each company that you listed in your application and check that your employment dates are accurate. Some also want to know why you left those positions, how much you were being paid by the employer, and other relevant details, but many prior employers may be reluctant to share that information so a background check is often called for.

Character references

Sometimes, a prospective employer wants to contact your employment references to seek out more information about your character and work habits. These days, however, many employers are unwilling to provide those kinds of details, due to concerns about potential legal issues. As a result, prospective employers are often only able to verify employment dates, job titles, and similar details without explicit permission from you.

Are there good reasons for saying no?

Not surprisingly, there may be times when you just don’t want a prospective employer to contact one or more companies that you’ve worked for in the past. The good news is that there are some valid reasons that justify saying “No” when an employer asks, “May we contact this employer?” For example:

If they want to contact your current employer. Many employees don’t want their current boss to know that they’re looking for a new job. In many instances, their current employment could be in jeopardy if their employer discovers that they intend to leave.
If the old company has gone out of business. Obviously, it would be extremely difficult – if not impossible – for a prospective employer to contact anyone from your old company if it no longer exists.
When your former supervisor is deceased. Employers may also struggle to get in touch with the right person if your former boss at the company has passed away. Still, the prospective employer can probably verify your employment details by contacting the company, so this excuse is unlikely to succeed if the company still exists.
If your old employer has a policy against providing references. While uncommon, there are some companies that do not provide any sort of references. If you know that a previous employer had that type of policy, you may want to note that fact in your application.

Can saying “No” harm your chances of landing a job?

Of course, the most important question to ask yourself is whether your “No” answer to the question, “May we contact this employer?” might disqualify you from consideration during the hiring process.

The short answer is that it likely will harm your candidacy.

To understand why, you only need to put yourself into the prospective employer’s shoes for a few moments. If a job candidate told you that you couldn’t speak to their former employer, wouldn’t you be a little suspicious about their desire for secrecy?

Obviously, employers are going to understand why you don’t want them to contact a current employer. But when it comes to prior employment, that’s an entirely different story. Formal background checks, informal resume verification, and other information-gathering processes are just part of the hiring process for many companies. If you refuse to provide them with permission to conduct those standard checks, their most likely response will be to just move on to the next candidate.

Therefore, it is always wise to answer “Yes” when employers ask, “May we contact this employer?” unless they’re asking to get in touch with your current boss. Naturally, that might be an uncomfortable experience for you if you left a previous job on poor terms, but there are ways that you can explain those types of situations. If you simply say “No” to a request to speak with that employer, you may never get the chance to offer your side of the story.

You should also remember that answering “No” won’t guarantee that your current employer won’t be contacted. It’s always possible someone at the new company knows someone at the current company, or that the person making calls for references won’t notice your answer. It’s uncommon, but it can happen. That’s one of the unfortunate risks that comes from searching for a new job while you’re still employed.

Tips to help you manage this question

Keep in mind that saying “Yes” to the request to contact your employers doesn’t mean that you must simply stand by and hope for the best from these contacts. The fact is that there are some things you can do to make sure a prospective employer gets the right impression about your previous employment. To help you shape that message, we’ve compiled some tips you can use to navigate any potentially problematic contacts.

Find out what your prior employer’s reference policies say

One thing that you can do to gain more control over the situation is to contact your previous employer to find out how their employment verification processes work. Ask them what type of information they will provide to any prospective employer, and which areas of discussion they consider off-limits. Once you understand what these past employers might say, you can more effectively answer any potential questions about your time at the company.

Keep in mind, also, that it’s just good practice to contact any references before you offer their names to prospective employers. This includes any former employers. While you’re not required to notify them, there are good reasons to do so anyway. For example, if you had a rocky relationship with a former supervisor, you may be able to discover if that person is still working for the company. Even if you had a great relationship with that supervisor, it can still be helpful to let them know that a new employer may be contacting them.

Direct the prospective employer to human resources

If your previous employer has a human resources department or officer, provide that contact number on your application instead of the supervisor’s number. This tactic can be particularly effective in cases where you’re worried that your former boss may not provide satisfactory feedback about your time with the company. For example, if you had personal issues with your supervisor, you’re more likely to avoid negative feedback if your prospective employer is directed to a more neutral party.

Preemptively explain any termination

If you were fired, however, even that strategy may not be enough to avoid difficult questions about the termination. Your best bet is to tackle that issue as directly as possible by noting the separation in your resume and addressing the reasons for your firing in a cover letter. Obviously, you don’t want to dwell on the termination any more than you need to, but it can be helpful to offer some brief explanation for your dismissal – and include some language that describes any important lessons that you learned from that experience.

Remember, it is not uncommon for employees to get fired, laid off, or otherwise involuntarily separated from their jobs. As a result, most employers will understand a termination and not hold it against you – if you can show that you’ve learned something valuable from that firing.

Below, we’ve included some examples of how you can explain a termination by demonstrating how you’ve grown because of that experience:

“Unfortunately, the job I was hired for ended up changing in ways that no longer aligned with my skills and values. That led to some irreconcilable differences in perspectives that created tension in the workplace. Since then, I’ve spent a great deal of time working to improve my communication to ensure that I am always on the same page with my employer.”

“My role in that position required me to meet certain sales and account metrics, and I was confident in my ability to use my interpersonal skills to achieve those goals. Unfortunately, it took me longer than I expected to acclimate myself to the competitive environment and the results I needed didn’t come as fast as I thought they would. However, that role and my subsequent sales training taught me a variety of great strategies, so I am grateful for that experience.”

If you were fired, take some time to think about why it happened, and your level of responsibility. You may also want to try to contact that former boss to accept responsibility and perhaps even thank them for providing those lessons. Sometimes, that approach can even help to mend fences and make them more likely to provide a positive reference if they’re contacted.

Omit the employer from your resume

If all else fails, you can also consider leaving a problematic former employer off your resume altogether. Usually, this is only truly effective if you worked for the company many years ago or had the job for a very short period. Just recognize that this will be difficult to do if you were in that position for more than a year, since omitting it from your work history may create an employment gap in your work history. Prospective employers are likely to ask what you were doing during that gap period.

Sample answers to the question, “May we contact this employer?”

When it comes to the job search process, preparation is critical for optimizing your chances of success. The best way to ensure that you have an acceptable answer to the question, “May we contact this employer” is to prepare a response before you even begin your job search. To help you with that process, we’ve compiled a short list of helpful tips you can use to create your own answers. In addition, we’ve provided some sample answers that you can use.

Tips to help you prepare a response

Remember that it is almost always better to say “Yes” to any request to speak to former employers. If there is a good reason to say “No” then take the time to explain those reasons.
Your response needs to be as honest as possible. If, for example, you lie about your reasons for getting fired, there is always the chance that your prospective employer will discover the truth during a background check or even after you’re hired.
Keep in mind that employers typically don’t check your references until after they’ve interviewed you and are actively considering a job offer. That often means that you’ll have an opportunity to explain to a hiring manager what those employers might say – like the fact that you were fired, for example – before they speak to your former boss.
Maybe your boss couldn’t get along with you, but surely you can find someone else at your company who did. Your boss isn't the only reference you can provide on a job application. Just make sure this reference knows that employers may call and ask them questions. Your contact should only have good things to say about you. You should also ensure that this person has a high-level title like a manager or supervisor.

Sample answers you can customize to create your own response

As promised, here are some examples that you can modify to create an answer to the question, “May we contact this employer?”

“That won’t be possible, because the company went out of business in 2021, two years after I left. However, I would encourage you to contact my supervisors at the other companies I listed on my resume. They are all familiar with my work, the skills that I brought to the table, and my effective collaboration with everyone on our team.”

“Yes, but you should know that my supervisor from that period passed away three years ago. I did contact the company to let them know that I provided them as a reference, and they gave me the number of the person you can talk to if you want to give them a call.”

“I would prefer that you not contact my current employer since they’re not aware that I’ve been looking for other career options. You’re more than welcome to get in touch with the other firms on my resume, though. They should be able to provide any information that you need about my qualifications for this position.”

“You can feel free to contact them. Unfortunately, though, they’ve informed me that their current policies prohibit making any references for former employees. I’m not sure if they’re willing to at least verify the employment details I provided in my application, but there’s probably no harm in reaching out to them.”

Final thoughts

As a job seeker, you should always expect prospective employers to ask you whether they can contact your previous bosses. Every new hire they make is a gamble, so they’ll want to do everything they can to mitigate their risks. Hiring new employees is a major investment in time, money, and resources, so the least any company can do is verify each candidate’s resume details – and especially prior employment.

The good news is that there are ways to effectively deal with the question, “May we contact this employer?” By understanding why employers ask this question, knowing what they hope to achieve with their investigation, and taking the time to develop reasonable responses, you can more effectively manage your response to appear as open and transparent as possible. In the end, that’s the best way to ensure that your answer to this question doesn’t derail your job search efforts.

Are you confident that your resume has what it takes to capture the attention of today’s hiring managers? Take a few moments to get your free resume review from our team of experts to give you the job search peace of mind you deserve.