Reference Checks: the "How", "What" and "Why" You Should Be Aware Of

I was posed a question earlier today by a job seeker regarding reference checks. Specifically, he wanted to know how often do prospective employers call to check references, and what specifically do they ask. It is an inquiry that comes up quite often, and one that is worth addressing for the benefit of others, particularly in knowing how the right references can benefit you. Conversely, bad references can be damaging, so be aware of some of the aspects prior to them being checked.

So how often DO potential employers check references? In my experience not as often as they should (which I believe should be 100% of the time), but enough to be concerned if you are not prepared. When you are asked to provide references, be absolutely certain that your references are aware that their names have been provided. There is nothing worse for a candidate than calling up one of his/her references, and hearing “who?” from the person on the other end of the line. I have had this happen a few times, but one time that stands out in my mind was a reference I was provided by a certain candidate. The credentials of the candidate were definitely impressive – he was the CEO of a well-known company in the area. The only problem was, he couldn’t for the life of him think of who it was I was asking him to provide a reference for. It turned out that this young man’s father was an “acquaintance” of this CEO, but in reality knew neither him nor his father well enough to vouch for either. It was embarrassing for him, and was a contributing factor in costing him the job.

Don’t rely solely on references you have provided being the only ones checked. I know people in HR departments at companies who have no qualms with calming any and all former managers, colleagues or personnel from the applicant company’s former HR department they can find. The reason of course is that most of the time a more candid picture will be painted by those who can serve as references but are not directly provided by the candidate. I have used this method to discover big discrepancies in the length of work service stated (by as much as 18 months), and in one case found out the candidate had never worked for a listed company at all! After one interview with a prospective candidate, there were enough red flags raised in the responses given that I was highly suspicious. That skepticism was confirmed when I contacted the Ivy League school the individual had supposedly graduated from and it was confirmed no one with that name had graduated, let alone attended school there.

Don’t be completely scared by this though, because as I mentioned previously, there are still a good share of companies and employers I come in contact with or work with directly that do not take time to check a single reference. I don’t agree with it or advocate it, but it happens. In a couple of my previous jobs before being a recruiter, I worked for organizations that didn’t call any of my references. In at least one position I remember my references not being called until several weeks after I had started, and even then I think they only called one, maybe two. I am of the opinion that this is a risky practice, but it does still happen.

So what specifically do prospective employers ask when they call? Well there are companies that out of fear of being sued have taken a stance on only confirming dates of employment, salary, and that the individual actually worked there. The trick I have found if I want more information is to try and contact someone a little further down the totem pole. They seem to be a little more open, and even eager in some cases, to share information someone at the top normally would not. Just be aware that it could go either way depending on who is called, and how willing he or she is to provide answers. Be prepared.

Then there is the concern of references that aren’t so much in your favor. Some in fact are downright bad. If you are worried about receiving a bad reference, how do you deal with it so that your chances for securing employment are not completely ruined? First, if you gather from the interviewer or hiring manager that reaching out to all references rather than just those you provide is the preferred method you may want to consider warning the potential employer that you may have someone (or more) who may not give you a completely sparkling reference. Tackling the issue head on and explaining your side of an issue is far better than letting them hear the other side with no frame of context first. Again, it is advantageous that those who can positively vouch for your work be solicited, and if you can encourage the prospective employer to also contact these colleagues, it certainly will help you. The other common option is to ask the bad reference if he/she would be willing to discuss the matter, and come to an agreement of some sort so as to not inhibit your ability to secure future employment. It could be that you left on bad terms and simply need to clear the air, or it could be much worse, where you believe the person is purposely or spitefully spreading untruths that paint you in a bad light. If this is the case, consider going directly to HR. The legal implications are enough to usually put a stop to it, bringing us back full circle on why so many employers have taken a position of only confirming or verifying information.

Above all, be aware of the types of references checks that can arise, and be prepared to use them to your advantage or negate the undesirable consequences.