Worried About a Closed Previous Employer? Should I Mention It Before My Interview?

Hi,

I am working at a CMM Level 5 Software Company in Chennai and am planning to transition to a new company. The company where I previously worked before my current position is no longer operational and has closed down. I am concerned if this situation may pose an issue when I move to a larger company. Should I disclose this information to them before the interview? I am a bit anxious about how they conduct their verifications.

I am unsure if they will consider all my previous employers for verification or just my most recent one. Will this potentially cause problems for me upon joining a big company? Should I proceed with joining and address any concerns later, or should I inform them prior to the interview?

I would appreciate your guidance on this matter.

Thank you,
Praveen

Hi,

From my point of view, you should have to disclose this thing to the company before you start working there, at the time of the interview, or if you have any mediator like any consultant or so, you have to convey this thing by them to that company. This will show your honesty, which creates your good first impression because as everybody knows, "first impression is the last impression." Otherwise, it may happen that they'll recruit you as their employee, and if they find any news regarding from the market, then it will create a very bad impression of yours in the company and the market too.

I believe that we should always make our weakness our strength! It's not compulsory for every company to check a candidate's references, but yes, they believe this activity is very helpful. If your company will check your references into your previous company and they get this news... then? It says that "to hide one lie, a man will become a liar!"

All the best!

Cheers,
Priyanka Vinda

Yes, you have to disclose the status of your previous employer so that there may be no bad impression on you after selection.

Regards,
Sivadasan

Dear Pravin,

I feel that you don't need to update the new company regarding the closure of your last job. Since the current company from which you are shifting does not have any issues. However, they will be checking your current company details, your current CTC, and your current market and software knowledge.

Thanks.

I believe that you should let them know about your previous company, which has shut down. In fact, you should have communicated this during the interview itself. I suggest not hiding any facts from your new employer. Big organizations generally take into consideration the previous 3 employees when they conduct a background verification. This may not be true for all organizations, but it is for most.

Regards,
Nikita

Dear Praveen,

It is generally good to disclose this fact during interviews (if required). It may, though, not essentially mandate you to disclose this on your own compulsively if you have missed doing so. Take it cool if you have not done so in the past. Not disclosing this fact does not necessarily alter your chances of selection and may not be essentially construed as non-disclosure of facts.

Antecedent verification/checks may be from your previous employers or references given by you. For an employer who has shut business, your boss's reference may be good enough. The more senior you are in the hierarchy, the more in-depth the verification process since lots are at stake for the Company and you.

For middle (Manager)/junior (Executive) positions, antecedent checks may not be such a tedious affair. Remember to disclose the closure of your previous employer's business, especially if the prospective employer does not take references from you.

Your future employers may seek references from you, more often your immediate superiors/bosses/HODs under whom you had performed. This is to broadly check your level of competence, integrity, diligence, attitude, professional knowledge, and overall performance.

Assess the situation/circumstances and then act. After all, it must not be derived that you are pulling a fast one (i.e., the employer did not exist or you never worked there). If so, disclose this fact most discerningly, not apologetically since it should not weaken your candidature.

Don't worry too much on this front. Trends have changed. Employees change jobs more frequently compared to yesteryears. Similarly, businesses also close down over the years more frequently now due to changing economic conditions/business focus/strategic realignment. Future employers understand this stark reality.

Rahul

Hi Praveen,

Almost all companies require past employment history of the new hires. Therefore, one should be very truthful in giving this information. It does not matter if a company with which one worked in the past is closed now. The fact of closure will not impact you in any manner.

Best of luck, Jai.