Referral, check: Don’t be blasé about references on your resume
Once you began the hunt for a new job, you updated your resume, took your suit to the cleaners, practiced your handshake and interviewed yourself in the mirror until your answers came out just right. You’re prepared for everything. Except a reference check. Some tips: Employers do make the call: Many applicants are under the impression that employers no longer ask for references or that they never actually call them. Not so, say hiring experts. Reference checking remains a critical factor in hiring.
A reference check can reveal information — like lacking a college degree — that candidates omit or even lie about during interviews.
A conversation with a reference can also shed light on an applicant’s personality in a way that a resume cannot. An interviewer can be charmed by an applicant, only to find out a Jekyll-and-Hyde personality was a problem at a previous job.
An unfavorable reference check can even cost candidates a job that they thought was a guarantee. Staffing pros have seen employers extend an offer letter that can be revoked if a reference check is not favorable.
Who makes a good reference? Depending on your line of work, a reference can be someone who was your supervisor, co-worker, client or customer. But picking the right ones can be tricky if you don’t know what to look for. One of the biggest mistakes hiring managers encounter is a reference who can only provide the applicant’s dates of employment and job title, and nothing else.
You don’t want to leave the hiring manager feeling as though you’re wasting her time by providing useless references who don’t know much about you. Pick references who will distinguish you from the other candidates interviewing for the position.
Before you turn add a list of references, call them to ask if they are willing to be a reference and to make sure you’re both on the same page about your work history and even your personal relationship. Maybe you thought your last boss found your sense of humor hilarious, but really she thought you didn’t take your job seriously.
References should be prepared to answer a variety of questions about you. A good hiring manager asks questions that will solicit both the strengths and weaknesses.
Reference-checkers want to know about the relationship with the applicant, if there were any problems that interfered with his or her performance, how the applicant handles difficult situations, and if there is room for improvement.
Being sneaky doesn’t work: Sometimes a hiring manager doesn’t have to pick up the phone to see warning signs of a bad applicant. For instance, if a candidate has no supervisors as references from any positions, it’s a big red flag. These candidates could be hiding a history of unfavorable departures or just a bad work ethic.
Reference checks benefit you, too: The thing to remember is that hiring managers are not out to get you; they want to learn more about you. Their goal is to hire the best candidate for the job, and that means somebody they want to work with every day. Good references can not only help you get the job but also a boss and co-workers that you like.