Please help - MBB background check

Question

Hi all, recently I got an offer from one of the MBB firms in Asia, and the background check company asked me to provide them the supervisor's contact information. While I left in good terms with this supervisor ( partner level), I was counceled out due to "performance issue". Could you please help me with these questions:

1) Should I be worried that there might be a chance that the offer gets rescinded due to "unsatisfactory reference check"?

2) When notifying my supervisor, how do I communicate with him regarding this reference check call? Could I say something like, please do not talk about my performance issues?

Thank you!

Answer 1

Hey!

First of all, congratulations on securing an offer with one of the MBB firms! Moving on to your questions:

Should you be worried about the offer being rescinded? While there’s always a slight risk, if you left on good terms and can explain your past performance issues as a learning experience, the chances of the offer being rescinded are low. Just be prepared to address it if it comes up.
How to communicate with your supervisor? Approach the conversation positively. You can say:
“I’ve grown a lot since my time at [company]. I’d appreciate it if you could highlight some of my strengths, like [specific achievements], during the reference check.”
This shows accountability without asking them to omit anything directly.

Hope this helps :)
Alessa

Answer 2

Hi there,

Congrats! 😊

Should I be worried that there might be a chance that the offer gets rescinded due to "unsatisfactory reference check"?

Usually, these background checks are more about the accuracy of your entries on the resume rather than your performance. You should be fine as you have passed the selection process with the other firm.

When notifying my supervisor, how do I communicate with him regarding this reference check call? Could I say something like, please do not talk about my performance issues?

I would potentially communicate this indirectly as in: “Thanks for doing this, appreciate your effort, I kindly ask that you focus on my strengths and contributions, etc.”

All the best!

Florian