How Can I Handle Negative Feedback from a Previous Employer Affecting My Job Prospects?

Hi all,

I bring to your attention my situation in the professional realm, seeking your valuable guidance.

With 18 years of experience in the software industry, I unfortunately faced a layoff from my job in July 2023. Subsequently, I joined AAA Technologies in August 2023 but found the work unsatisfactory, prompting me to leave within one month. Although I officially resigned, they were unwilling to release me, even though I had not been assigned any work. My departure from AAA Technologies was not on good terms as they insisted on a two-month notice period or payment for the same, terms with which I did not agree, anticipating that I would not showcase this experience.

Following this, I joined BBB Company on 11th September 2023. Although the position and package were less than my previous job, the positive company culture and other factors made it a good fit. In October 2023, I received an excellent offer from CCC (Big 4 auditing company), with an attractive position and package. Consequently, I left BBB as well. However, during the background verification process before joining CCC, it was discovered that negative comments from AAA Technologies led to the failure of the verification. Unfortunately, this resulted in the loss of the CCC opportunity, leaving me currently without a job.

In September 2023, AAA Technologies sent me a legal notice demanding payment for a two-month notice period, along with lawyer's charges. While my lawyer replied promptly within the stipulated time frame, there has been no further legal correspondence. On 10th November 2023, AAA Technologies credited the remaining 5 days' salary to my account.

I seek your opinion on how to navigate the situation with AAA Technologies, especially concerning potential negative feedback affecting my future job prospects. Financially, I am unable to settle the two-month salary demand. I would greatly appreciate your guidance on how to approach the HR/BU head at AAA Technologies to ensure they refrain from providing negative comments for my future job offers.

Thank you for your time and assistance.

Best regards,

Background Verification and Its Implications

You cannot prohibit others from making negative comments about you. At the same time, if you are employable, your current organization will just discard all the reports and negative comments about you. Whether to appoint a background verification agency and whether to accept the reports of that agency will depend on the employer who has given you employment. If your position is crucial and your skills are required in a company, they will simply ignore the feedback from your previous company, AAA, based on the deposition that you left AAA because you did not like the work culture there. This may give the impression that you might also leave the current company if the culture here is unfavorable. Employers are aware of this, yet they opt for background verification for reasons unknown to them.

An employee who has cleared the background verification with a clean record can become a burden for you. In such a scenario, you can be fired. This implies that background verification is merely a process done to ensure there are some grounds on which an employee can be terminated within a period, say six months, during which a report from the background verification agency will be received. Apart from that, there is no use for such a report. It acts as a sword of Damocles for an employee. However, nothing will happen if your skills are crucial in the current organization but may backfire if you are not contributing or found to be redundant soon after being hired.

The Importance of Transparency

I believe that transparency regarding your past employment is crucial. You should disclose everything about the AAA company and the reason why you left BBB in such a short period. A good HR professional will likely view this transparency as positive and disregard any reports from the background verification agency.

How about omitting that company from your resume? You worked only for a month there, so how will it affect your resume?

Also, you may consider informing the future organization in advance about receiving a negative review from this particular company as shared by Madhu.

Thank you, Madhu T K and Learningnovo, for your suggestions. I am sensing that AAA Company has flagged my profile in the NASSCOM database, which might create issues for me in securing a job. I have emailed the company's HR but have not received a response. What options do I have to address this situation? Please suggest.

Thanks