Managing Your References!

During a typical job search, referencing is one the terminal states of the process. In almost all cases I find my clients calling me with urgency to round up the right references so that they can conclude the anxious process and land an offer. This blog is about how to manage this process well so that your job offer is not delayed—or even compromised—by this important step.

The purpose of a reference check during a job search is to allow the employer to probe deeper in areas where they may have lingering concerns. During a typical interview process the candidate unwittingly exposes their weaknesses, no matter how hard they try to conceal them. Once the hiring team gets a whiff of those areas they have the right to probe further to either validate their concerns or to dismiss them by talking to people who have seen your work in an everyday environment. There is no substitute for such observations.

When asked for references it is generally a good idea to provide six references that complement each other. A 360-degree reference pool is generally a good mix. This means that you provide your prospect employer with references that include your bosses, subordinates, colleagues, customers, and suppliers. Employers typically understand that your current boss and those with whom you work may be out of bounds during the reference check, but do not assume that. Make it clear that anyone from your current employer must not be contacted, and if they did then your job may be compromised.

In the recent case of a client the reference check was outsourced and, despite her express request, they contacted her current employer for a reference anyway. When her boss found out, he summarily terminated her. This posed her further problems as her visa class immediately put her out of status, which meant that she was facing deportation. Luckily, the new employer realized their mistake and quickly processed her Labor Certificate to keep her employable and asked her to join them without losing her immigration status. But, not all employers are this responsible and this considerate!

So, here is a list of tips for managing your references during your job search:

1. Always be on the lookout for getting good Recommendations on your LinkedIn Profile. Get at least six good and strong Recommendations that will serve you during the early stages of your job search without compromising your discreet job search. Once again, try covering a 360-degree field with these Recommendations.
2. If asked for references too early in the process, stave off giving names by pointing out to your LinkedIn Recommendations and by giving just the titles and affiliations of your references. Clarify by stating that once the process reaches its advanced stage you’d be glad to give the actual names and contact information to complete their referencing.
3. Have a vetted list of at least 12 solid references handy, so that you can choose the right six that suit a particular job category. Also, if you have a major campaign for your search you do not want to turn off your references by too many people calling them in a short time window.
4. Wherever possible request your references to get back to you once they are contacted for reference. Although with senior references this may not be appropriate, have at least one junior person in your reference mix, who would not mind calling you once the check in done. This way you know if the cycle is at least underway. Also, try to find out what was the focus of their conversation with your reference. This will tell you the areas that concern your employer.
5. Try to contain your reference list to easily accessible people in local geographies. International references can delay the process and cause language, timing, and logistical problems.
6. Sometimes your references can hijack your opportunity away from you, so be careful in choosing such references. In the case of a very senior client, who was in her final stages of selection as an SVP at a major company, one of her references—an ex colleague—inserted himself as an interested candidate for that same position for which my client was being referenced. This delayed the whole process and caused much angst to my client. Luckily she prevailed and got the job she wanted.
7. Brief each of your references for the job that you are after and pinpoint the areas where you may have some vulnerability. Remind your references about your work in the areas, where they may not be familiar and ask them to reference you properly. Make sure that they are confortable representing you in that light without assuming it.
8. Once you have the job offer make sure that you send thank-you notes to each of your references and acknowledge their help in your job search. Tell them that you would be happy to reciprocate this in any way that works for them.
9. Loop back with the hiring manager to check and see what they heard during the referencing process. You may learn something about yourself that may surprise you in a good way.
10. Employers are not looking for outliers in how a candidate is referenced; they are looking for patterns. So, if someone disparages your behind your back, the referencing employer will take that into account as an outlier and move on. This is why you need to have a reasonably large sample size as your reference (4-6 references).

Good luck!