As we’ve spoken about in the past, the reference check process tends to be an area that many job searchers don’t consider that much or take seriously for some reason.
The truth is that you can lose jobs due to poor references or because the company thinking about hiring you has difficulty getting your reference checks completed.
With many people, they take the time to apply for jobs, interview, go back for more interviews, get the job offer and then leave it up to fate to get their references completed. I’ve seen may people who basically hand me their list of references and then cross their fingers and hope they turn out well.
One of the biggest mistakes people make with references is that they don’t keep in touch with them. They know who they’re going to use as references but they go months and in some cases years without even speaking with them.
Then when they need to get references done, they run around trying to locate these people because they can’t find them.
Another mistake is not realizing that in many cases, hiring someone is time sensitive and if your references are on holiday or otherwise unavailable, the company may not wait around to complete your references and go to another candidate if they need to get this person hired quickly.
Other than what we already spoke about in an earlier post on reference check mistakes that people often make, another big mistake that people make is not considering who they should use as references and which people should only be used when absolutely necessary.
Specifically, I’m referring to people who simply aren’t great on the phone or not very talkative. Since the reference check process is typically handled over the phone you really want someone who is good on the phone. Someone who can speak comfortably and honestly of course, but someone who can talk.
Typically, here is how the reference check process is done when you work with a recruiter. This is how it has worked at all the recruitment companies I’ve worked for:
1. I receive a list of references from the job searcher and I get agreement from them that I can call them.
2. I contact 3 references including at least one manager unless the hiring company has asked for something different.
3. While I’m speaking with the reference on the phone and asking them a series of pre-determined questions, I type their answers as they give them to me. I have already told the reference ahead of time that I’ll be typing their answers so they are aware.
4. Once the references are done and I’ve read them over to ensure there are no typos or errors, the references get emailed in Word format to the hiring manager.
Typically, references get done when a company lets the recruiter know that they’d like to hire you (ie. a job offer is forthcoming) but some recruitment companies might want to do one or more references up front before they even help you with your search. I’ve worked for companies that like to do that, too. I also know of clients who ask that when your resume is submitted to them, it comes with one reference complete, too.
If a hiring company chooses to do their references themselves as some do, they may or may not document the references in writing but recruiters tend to do it so that they can then forward then to the hiring manager to keep on file.
The worst references I’ve done are ones with people who just aren’t good on the phone, don’t have much time to spend, or really don’t seem to care.
Some people just don’t talk much or are not very convincing. When possible, you don’t want to use such people as references. Their lack of communication skills might be misinterpreted by the person doing the reference as meaning that your reference is not that keen on you when in fact this might not be the case.
If you’re using a recruiter and you have one or more references who aren’t great on the phone or are difficult to get hold of on the phone, there is something you can try that I’ve used with success.
In these cases, you might want to ask your recruiter to try emailing a series of questions to your reference if they’re open to completing the questions in written form rather than over the phone.
I’ve done this with some good success.
In these instances, the people filled out the form with (most times) a lot of detail and gave really good answers, perhaps better and more thoughtful ones than they would have given me over the phone.
This can be good in cases where the reference travels a lot, lives overseas in a different timezone on the other side of the world, or if phone contact is difficult.
Plus, unlike a phone reference where I basically have to quickly type their answers while listening to them and try not to miss anything important, they typed the answers out for me in their own words.
Your recruiter might be open to this and in some cases when you have a reference who might be better suited to completing a series of questions in written rather than verbal form, it just might make sense.
NOTE: I’m not referring to getting a reference letter and giving it to a company. Reference letters are fairly useless and aren’t used anymore to any degree. I’m simply referring to having a reference complete the questions in written form rather than over the phone.
