New report examines the realities of professional references, as nearly 1 in 3 workers say they’ve struggled to find enough when applying for a job.

GUAYNABO, Puerto Rico, Nov. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — A job reference may seem like a straightforward endorsement, but what happens behind the scenes can be more complicated.

New research from Zety®, a leading resume builder, shows some references are recommending people despite their own reservations (40%), some candidates are coaching or even faking references (19%), and employers aren’t always sticking to the names they’re given (37%).

Surveying over 1,000 U.S. workers, the Professional References Report found that 42% believe references should have little to no influence on an employer’s final hiring decision, with the results raising broader questions about the role references play in hiring.

Key Findings

Rise of ‘backdoor’ references: 37% say a potential employer reached out to a former manager or coworker who was not listed as a reference.Candidates struggle to meet reference requirements: Nearly one-third have had difficulty finding enough professional references when applying for a job.Some job seekers turn to fake references: 1 in 10 have asked a friend or family member to pose as a former coworker or manager.References can come with reservations: More than half (52%) have been asked to recommend someone they weren’t comfortable endorsing, yet 22% gave a positive reference anyway.

How Far Job Seekers Go to Manage References

Rather than leaving references to chance, many candidates take steps to steer the process in their favor.

Workers report using several tactics:

39% chose people they know will speak positively about them.11% asked their references ahead of time what they plan to say about them.11% avoided listing a former manager because they expected a negative reference.10% asked a friend or family member to pose as a former coworker or manager.9% coached their reference on what to say.7% intentionally provided outdated contact information.

High Risk for ‘Backdoor’ References

Candidates may carefully curate their references, but 37% of workers say a potential employer reached out to a former manager or coworker they never listed.

Meanwhile, the references they do provide aren’t necessarily contacted: just 15% say their references were contacted every time they were hired, while 47% say sometimes and 38% say rarely or never.

Opinions are divided on whether employers should go beyond the reference list:

48% say it’s acceptable, but only with the candidate’s permission.25% say it’s acceptable even without the candidate’s permission.27% say it’s unacceptable to contact people who were not provided as references.

Not Every Reference Is an Endorsement

Being selected as a reference does not necessarily mean someone is comfortable recommending the candidate. More than half of workers (52%) have been asked to provide a reference for someone they had reservations about, including:

22% who gave a positive reference anyway.18% who gave an honest but mixed or negative reference.12% who declined.

Questioning the True Value of References

Despite their longstanding role in hiring, professional references do not carry the same value for every worker. Some question their accuracy and influence, while others struggle to meet reference requirements in the first place:

22% feel that professional references do not accurately reflect a candidate’s work performance.Nearly 1 in 3 (31%) have struggled to find enough professional references when applying for a job.42% believe references should have little to no influence on an employer’s final hiring decision.

“Rogue reference checks introduce a wild card into the hiring process because candidates have no control over who is contacted or what version of their work history that person may share,” said Dr. Jasmine Escalera, career expert at Zety. “Someone outside a candidate’s reference list may have an incomplete view of their performance or a perspective colored by office politics, past conflicts, or personal history. Even more concerning, the candidate may never know the conversation took place, much less have an opportunity to provide context.”

For detailed insights on the Professional References Report, access the full study at https://zety.com/blog/professional-references-report or contact Skyler Acevedo, at skyler.acevedo@bold.com.

Methodology

The findings presented are based on a nationally representative survey conducted by Zety using Pollfish on August 24, 2026. The survey collected responses from 1,007 U.S. employees and examined their experiences, perceptions, and attitudes regarding professional references, including how references are selected, provided, and contacted, as well as their perceived accuracy and influence on hiring decisions.

Respondents answered different types of questions, including yes/no; scale-based questions, where they indicated their level of agreement with statements; and multiple-choice questions, where they could select from a list of provided options.

The sample consisted of 56% female, 43% male, and 1% nonbinary respondents, with 21% Gen Z, 27% millennials, 26% Gen X, and 26% baby boomers.

About Zety

Zety’s Resume Builder is a premier platform that leverages advanced AI tools to help job seekers stand out and land interviews effortlessly. Offering step-by-step guidance, curated content suggestions, and 100s of professional, ATS-friendly resume templates, it allows users to feel confident crafting tailored applications. Millions of professionals rely on Zety’s interactive suite—which also features an easy-to-use Cover Letter Generator—to produce high-quality documents that are free to create and ready to download. Since 2016, Zety’s career blog has provided free data-driven insights from career experts and Certified Professional Resume Writers aimed at empowering professionals at every stage of their journey. The Zety Workforce Hub presents current trends and hiring patterns, with the best career advice and evidence-based findings featured in outlets like Business Insider, CNBC, and Forbes, among others. Select Zety as a preferred source on Google to receive more workforce trends, career insights, and labor market research in your personalized search experience.  

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SOURCE Zety

Longstanding partnership helps premium coffee brand scale fulfillment operations and prepare for increased holiday demand

FONTANA, Calif., Nov. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Kase, a national third-party logistics (3PL) provider, is celebrating a major milestone for customer Terra Kaffe, whose Demi espresso machine has been selected for Oprah‘s Favorite Things 2026. As Oprah says on oprahdaily.com, “I added this to my kitchen—mine’s the Dune color. It grinds whole beans to make an Americano, drip coffee, and more, so everyone in the house gets what they like best.”

The selection marks a significant achievement for Terra Kaffe and reflects the brand’s growth in the home espresso market. “We knew we needed to partner with an organization that valued customer experience as much as we do. We’ve absolutely found that in the Kase team,” said Cate Marques, Chief Experience Officer at Terra Kaffe. “Kase has helped our organization grow in a way that’s truly scalable, which has been essential as our customer base has grown exponentially over the years.”

Today, Kase supports Terra Kaffe’s omnichannel fulfillment operations from its Sunnyvale, Texas facility, handling deluxe coffee equipment, accessories, and retail orders. The partnership also includes specialized services such as protective return packaging.

“For Terra Kaffe, ensuring we can trust our warehouse partner is paramount, as our customers are trusting us to deliver their high-value orders efficiently and safely,” said Marques. “We know the Kase team has it covered on the fulfillment and shipping side, and cares just as much about our customers getting an unparalleled experience as we do.”

From January through September 2026, Kase exceeded target service-level agreements (SLAs) for order accuracy and damage-free shipments for Terra Kaffe. “We’re thrilled that even icons like Oprah are recognizing Terra Kaffe’s quality and craftsmanship,” said Peter Davis, President of Kase. “We’re proud to play a role in delivering the experience their customers expect.”

As Terra Kaffe enters the holiday shopping season, its fulfillment partnership with Kase will continue to support the brand. “We’re ready for this milestone, and all it entails, thanks in no small part to having the Kase team in our corner, ready to support us through this massive growth moment,” said Marques.

About Terra Kaffe

Terra Kaffe is a premium coffee equipment brand dedicated to bringing the café experience home. Through thoughtfully designed espresso machines and innovative coffee technology, Terra Kaffe makes it easier for consumers to enjoy high-quality, personalized coffee at home. Learn more at https://www.terrakaffe.com/.

About Kase

Kase is a national 3PL with over 60 years of logistics experience and a combined supply chain network spanning more than 14 million square feet. The company provides direct-to-consumer, retail, and omnichannel fulfillment, supported by proprietary technology for real-time order tracking, routing, inventory control, and parcel rate selection. Kase goes Beyond Fulfillment to help brands deliver on their promises. Learn more at https://kase.com/.

Media Contact
Mary Berko
Marketing Director
Kase
berkma@wsinc.com

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SOURCE Kase

VANCOUVER, BC, Nov. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Stock Preachers News Commentary – Wall Street closed out a volatile week with every major index still higher versus last Friday, even after a broad Friday retreat. The Nasdaq Composite led decliners with a 1.24% drop on the session, while the S&P 500 fell 0.75% and the Dow slipped 0.14%. For the week, the S&P 500 gained 2.15%, the Nasdaq rose 1.92% and the Dow added 1.83%, as chip-driven strength carried the market even as Friday gave back some ground heading into the weekend. Active Companies from around the markets with current developments this week include: Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY), vVardis (NYSE: VVVV), NVIDIA Corporation (Nasdaq: NVDA), Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT), and Bank of America Corporation (NYSE: BAC).

The S&P 500 closed at 7535.72, down 56.68 points on the day but up 158.86 points, or 2.15%, from last Friday’s 7376.86 close. The index touched a week high of 7652.76 and a week low of 7422.24, and sits up 10.08% year to date. Its RSI14 reading of 45.6 points to a market that cooled off from overbought conditions during the week.

The Nasdaq Composite fell 315.80 points, or 1.24%, on Friday to 25050.29, trimming its weekly gain to 1.92% from the November 6 close of 24579.43. The index ranged between 24762.57 and 25649.85 during the week and carries an RSI14 of 41.6, the weakest among major indices. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 75.29 points to 52221.80, still up 1.83% on the week and 8.65% year to date, while the Russell 2000 eased 17.98 points to 2781.08, up 0.98% for the week.

The VIX rose 1.14 points to 19.84 on Friday, essentially flat on the week, while the VXN volatility gauge climbed 1.33 points to 29.88 but ended the week down 4.14 points. The 10-year Treasury yield rose 3 basis points on the day and 27 basis points on the week to 5.13%. Gold fell 5.56% for the week to $3,885.70 an ounce, silver dropped 6.66% to $49.06, and WTI crude added 1.92% to $88.52 a barrel.

The full report includes the complete levels ladder for each index, sector and company movers, and a look ahead to next week’s market drivers.

CONTINUED… Read this and more news for Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY), vVardis (NYSE: VVVV), NVIDIA Corporation (Nasdaq: NVDA), Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT), and Bank of America Corporation (NYSE: BAC) at: https://stockpreachers.com/articles/a-choppy-week-closes-out-with-the-gains-still-standing/

In other industry developments and happenings in the market this week include:

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) Eli Lilly broke ground on a $3.5 billion manufacturing facility in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley, part of its $50 billion push to expand U.S. medicine production. The site will manufacture injectable obesity medicines, including the investigational triple hormone receptor agonist retatrutide, and is expected to be operational by 2031.

The facility is projected to create 850 high-wage jobs and about 2,000 construction jobs, and is one of 10 new U.S. manufacturing sites Lilly has announced since 2020. David A. Ricks, Lilly Chair and CEO, said, “This $3.5 billion investment means we’ll be able to make these medicines in Pennsylvania for people here at home and around the world.”

Lilly said the site will use machine learning, AI and digital automation and is targeting LEED Gold certification. Edgardo Hernandez, Executive Vice President and President of Lilly Manufacturing Operations, said each production run goes through “more than 5,000 documented steps” with units inspected more than 70 times for defects. Read the release.

vVardis (NYSE: VVVV) vVardis priced 9.72 million shares at $18 apiece ahead of its listing on the NYSE under the ticker VVVV, part of the exchange’s daily pre-market update. The dental health firm says it provides the first commercially available peptide-containing formulation to treat early cavities without drilling.

Co-founders, Co-Chairs and Co-CEOs Dr. Haley Abivardi and Dr. Goly Abivardi were set to join NYSE Live to discuss the company’s decision to go public. The listing was featured alongside the NYSE’s opening bell coverage of the IPO. Read the release.

NVIDIA Corporation (Nasdaq: NVDA) Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman announced a securities class action against NVIDIA covering investors who purchased shares between October 9, 2025 and November 8, 2026. The lead plaintiff deadline is January 8, 2027.

The complaint alleges Nvidia made false or misleading statements related to its relationship with Megaspeed, a company suspected of helping China evade export controls, and that these circumstances raised national security concerns with potential reputational and business risk.

Peretz Bronstein, Founding Partner of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC, said, “Our practice centers on restoring investor capital and ensuring corporate accountability, which serves to uphold the essential integrity of the marketplace.” Read the release.

Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) Pomerantz LLP announced an investigation into Caterpillar following its October 29, 2026 third-quarter results, which disclosed inventories of $22.2 billion, a 22% year-over-year increase, and $460 million in added manufacturing costs from freight, materials and tariffs.

The firm noted that operating profits included $128 million of tariff recoveries, which it said may not be sustained going forward. On the news, Caterpillar shares fell $65.99, or 9.25%, to close at $647.39 on October 29, 2026. Read the release.

Bank of America Corporation (NYSE: BAC) Rosen Law Firm reminded purchasers of Bank of America common stock between August 1, 2025 and October 13, 2026 of the December 15, 2026 lead plaintiff deadline in a securities fraud class action.

The lawsuit alleges systemic weaknesses in subsidiary Bank of America, N.A.’s BSA/AML program caused it to fail to properly monitor trillions of dollars in transactions and to miss or file inaccurate suspicious activity reports, and that deficiencies persisted after a 2024 Consent Order.

The complaint further claims BANA had deficiencies in its sanctions compliance program and processed transactions later identified as apparent violations of multiple sanctions programs, exposing the company to compliance costs and penalties. Read the release.

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SOURCE Stock Preachers