About This Issue

It’s all about who you know, isn’t it?  Or about who the other person knows.  That’s certainly the case when it comes to compiling references and conducting reference checks.  Despite the importance of references and the large role they play in the hiring process, they’re often overlooked or downright neglected.  However, in this issue of The Animal Science Monitor, we’ve taken the time to shed a little light and attention on a subject that needs more of both.  Because although it’s all about who you know, what you know is still rather important, as well.  We hope that you enjoy this issue, and we thank you for being a loyal reader of The ASM.

—Dan and Don

Tips for the Boss

There’s no doubt that conducting reference checks is an important part of the interviewing and hiring process.  But they’re also time-consuming.  So when should you do them?  How should you do them?  And perhaps most importantly, how much should they weigh in the final decision?

First and foremost, make it standard procedure for candidates to sign a form authorizing you to check their employment history and references.  (If they refuse, chances are good that they’re not a viable candidate in the first place.)  Following the interview, if you believe the person is a viable candidate, start that person’s reference work, even if other candidates have yet to be considered.

Time-saving techniques

Let start with when you should do reference checks. This depends upon how many people you’re interviewing for the position. If you’re only interviewing one candidate, conduct the reference checks within 48 hours of the face-to-face interview.  If you’re considering more than one person, you should be conducting checks while the interview process is taking place. This approach is recommended in the interest of saving time.

Of course, you can’t control when people are available to answer the telephone.  If you get a voice mail recording when inquiring about a candidate, leave a message explaining why you’re calling and then say, “If you would recommend this person, please get back to me within 48 hours.  If I don’t hear from you, I’ll assume I should pursue other candidates.” 

This kind of voice message serves two purposes: 1. If the candidate is a good one, the reference will feel a sense of urgency and call you back in a timely manner, and 2. If the candidate is not a good one, you’ve given the reference an escape door.

Professional vs. personal

There are, of course, two types of references—professional and personal. They differ in their approach, the questions you ask, and the information you mine from them.

For a professional reference, call the person’s previous supervisor and discuss the responsibilities and challenges that the candidate will face if they’re hired.  Ask the supervisor to provide examples of similar work that the candidate has completed, and also verify the accomplishments that the candidate mentioned during the interview.  (It’s best to find out if they’re dishonest right now.)  If you can, also inquire about the following:

• Dates of employment, title, and compensation
• Reason for leaving
• Eligibility for re-hire (“Would you hire this person again?”)
• Work ethic
• Interpersonal skills
• Time management skills
• Integrity
• Other strengths/weaknesses

Conclude the reference check with this vague and open-ended question: “Is there anything else that I should know about ‘X’ while I consider them for this position?”  As they answer, don’t interrupt them; simply write down everything they say. Close the conversation by thanking them for their time and offering to send your business card for future reference.  (This type of networking might prove useful down the road.)

You can conduct the second and third professional reference checks in the same fashion.  However, keep in mind that those checks also serve as a way in which to confirm the information you gained during the first one.  In addition, if you find out about a weakness or something else that concerns you during the initial reference check, ask about it during subsequent calls.  These calls don’t have to be carbon copies of the first.  In fact, I suggest that your initial call be to a peer or a much previous supervisor and the later calls be to people who were direct supervisors in the recent past.  Make the calls a learning experience about the person.  Play detective; dig a little deeper with each call and utilize recent knowledge to formulate better and more focused questions for later calls.  It does little good to have three people give you the exact same answers to the same questions.

The second type of reference is the personal reference.  Through these checks, you can learn more about the person’s integrity, motivation, and ability to balance work and life.

When you talk to the reference, explain the job, its responsibilities, and the company’s culture, and then ask if this person believes that “X” will be successful in the role and why.  In addition, ask why “X” might be making a career move at this time and if the reference feels that it’s a good time for the change.  Then ask if the prospective hire tends to follow up on things that they promise to do.  You may learn a great deal about this person and their current career—and life—situation, information that will be integral to the decision-making process.

Final thoughts

There are some other aspects of reference checks to keep in mind, as well.  Unless you have specific permission from the potential candidate, never call their current supervisor or anyone else at their current employer.  This could put a candidate’s employment at risk.  Make an offer contingent upon an acceptable reference from their current supervisor, and then contact this individual after the offer has been accepted.

And just how much should a person’s references ultimately weigh in your final decision?  Look at it this way: a candidate who interviews with average success and has exceptional references may be a much better hire than one who interviews exceptionally well and has average references.  Remember, you’re hiring the person to be successful in the role, not to be a great interviewer.

If you have any questions about this topic, feel free to contact me at dan@consearch.com.

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Managing Your Career

Of all the steps involved in the job search process, people perhaps overlook references the most. Unfortunately, many job seekers are under the misguided notion that references don’t matter as much as previous accomplishments or a stellar interview.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Reference checks serve as an integral part of any company’s hiring and interviewing process and should not be regarded lightly.

In today’s job market, it’s common practice to list “references available upon request” on your resume.  However, you need to make certain that you have a solid list because you will be asked to provide it.  It’s a good idea to initially make the list as large as you can, and then select the top three references for use during a job search.  (You’ll also be prepared if a prospective employer asks for more than three.)

Always wait until you’re asked for your list of references before presenting it.  In addition to names and titles, this list should also include phone numbers (a work number and a cell phone number, if possible) and email addresses.  Keep in mind that you don’t need to provide references from your current employer.  Companies are sensitive to the complications that can arise from listing those, so you won’t be expected to provide them.

Invest your time wisely

Yes, compiling a list of sparkling references during your job search can be a time-consuming task if you don’t know how to approach it.  You also don’t want to spend a lot of time and effort gathering your references and then somehow have them blow up in your face.  After all, they’re supposed to help you, not hurt you.  With that in mind, here’s a list of additional tips regarding references.

• What’s a “home run” reference?  One that the prospective employer already knows.  While that’s a tall order to fill, you can use some deductive reasoning to ascertain which people most likely fit that description.

• Use references in your area of specialty, starting with your previous supervisor.  The key is to list people to whom you’ve reported, either directly or indirectly.  If you’re a recent college graduate, your references should include professors in your academic major, administrators, and extracurricular advisors.

• Only use references who are willing or able to take the time to help you.  Listing somebody who can’t be reached or who doesn’t return phone calls doesn’t bode well for you.

• Make sure that your references are people with whom you’ve stayed in touch.  Not only do you want to be remembered—the first step toward a positive reference—but you also want to give the prospective employer the proper contact information.

• Take the above point a step further.  Call each and every one of the people on your final reference list before you hand over that list.  Tell the people who will be contacting them, as well as the position for which you’re applying.  You don’t want them to be caught off-guard.

• Do not provide a list of personal references unless the prospective employer specifically asks for them.