Reference Checks Remove One in Five Job Candidates From Consideration
June 24, 2010 
21 Comments
A strong resume and interview may place job seekers in the running for a position, but a new survey from OfficeTeam finds the results of a reference check can be the real deal maker — or breaker. Managers interviewed said they remove more than one in five (21 percent) candidates from consideration after speaking to their professional contacts. When it comes to what hiring managers are looking for when speaking to references, more than a third (36 percent) said they are most interested in getting input on an applicant’s past job duties and experience. Learning about the individual’s strengths and weaknesses came in second, with 31 percent of the response.
The survey was developed by OfficeTeam, a leading staffing service specializing in the placement of highly skilled administrative professionals. It was conducted by an independent research firm and is based on telephone interviews with more than 1,000 senior managers at companies with 20 or more employees.
Managers were asked, “Approximately what percentage of job candidates do you remove from consideration for a position with your company after checking their references?” The average response was 21 percent.
Managers also were asked, “When speaking to an applicant’s job references, what is the most important information you hope to receive?” Their responses:
- Description of past job duties and experience 36%
- A view into the applicant’s strengths and weaknesses 31%
- Confirmation of job title and dates of employment 11%
- Description of workplace accomplishments 8%
- A sense of the applicant’s preferred work culture 7%
- Other/don’t know 7%
“When hiring managers narrow the field to a few potential candidates, the reference check often becomes the deciding factor,” said OfficeTeam executive director Robert Hosking. “To distinguish themselves from the competition, job seekers should assemble a solid list of contacts who can persuasively communicate their qualifications and professional attributes.”
OfficeTeam offers five tips for creating a reference list that works in your favor:
- Choose wisely. Select individuals who can discuss your abilities and experience that directly relate to the position, not just those with the most impressive job titles. Offer a mix of contacts who can address different aspects of your background; for example, a former peer may be able to describe your interpersonal skills, while a past direct report can talk about your management style.
- Check in beforehand. Always call potential references first to gain their permission and evaluate their eagerness to serve as a contact. Be sure to give all references a copy of your resume, the job description and the name of the person who will likely call.
- Be prepared. Provide clear contact information for your references, including their names, titles, daytime phone numbers and e-mail addresses. Also, offer a brief explanation of the nature of your relationship with each individual. Consider supplying more references than are requested, so you won’t miss out on the job offer if the hiring manager can’t get in touch with one of your contacts.
- Think outside the box. To learn more about potential hires, it’s not uncommon for employers to seek out additional contacts, either online or through their own networks, who can serve as a reference. Since you never know who a hiring manager might reach out to, you should not only remain on good terms with your past supervisors and colleagues, if possible, but also be selective about who’s in your online network on sites such as LinkedIn.
- Give thanks. Express your gratitude to those who agree to serve as references, even if they aren’t contacted by employers. Keep them updated on your job search progress and offer to return the favor by providing a recommendation should they need one.
Source: OfficeTeam
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Some good advice on the use of references and don’t burn your bridges.
With the current market being flooded with jobseekers,companies are implementing stricter criteria for selection. This article gave some great tips for creating a reference list.
This was really quite helpful. Knowing that with the current job market still at a slight standstill, it nice to have some pointers on how to better fill out an application or job resume.
it provide me nice advice on the proper usage of the references and with the current market being overflowed with those companies implementing strict criteria for recruiting.
I guess this could fall under the “Never burn a bridge” catagory.
Make sure you know the people on your reference list are going to give you a good reference. If I had a dollar for every time I’ve called to check someone’s references and the individual gave a less than raving reference I could retire very wealthy indeed! Great blog btw!
I entirely agree that a blog. With the current market being flooded with job seekers,companies are implementing stricter criteria for selection. This article gave some great tips for creating a reference list.
Being a slacker at any job no matter how insignificant it seems, can have detrimental effects on future employment opportunities. This is a great article that I will be sure to share with my high school students!
Nice site, blog and content. I bookmarked and subscribed to your rss feed. Are you going to be offering any online seminars or webinars in the near future? If so, keep me in mind and let me know when you have them scheduled.
Nice tips! Definitely something to think about when deciding who to use as references!
Thanks for sharing the reference list tips. Valuable information for any job seeker.
Great tips ! The blog and website are really coming along nicely. I can’t wait to see what else you have planned for the website.
great tips for creating a reference list. Thank you.
Good information. Choosing your references is important. Obviously personal friends are not what employers are looking for.
Hey this is great!!! Im sending this on to a few people!!!
jimmy
This article along with a previous post on this blog seems to confirm that what was once considered a minor component of your resume, references have increased in importance. Similar to a study that revealed peer review exceeds the cost of an item in terms of relevance, technology has made it much easier for research.
It seems like a great point being made for the continued need to integrate background screening into the early stages of the hiring process.
Employers do not forget and are usually brutally honest when giving references. Therefore, treat every job like the rest of your career depends on it. You don’t have to like every job that you have; but you do have to give it your all. Attitude is everything. And as as our dear friend, Bud, wrote, “Don’t burn your bridges.”
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All excellent tips. Thanks for the list.