Also, the ultimate worse case scenario is finally getting a hold of a reference and having it result in negative things being said about the job seeker. While this rarely happens, it does occur and can be a quick means to cutting all chances of you landing your dream job...regardless of whether the recruiter or employer is checking your references. Although recruiters work on your behalf, they also work on the behalf of and for the companies they recruit for and ethically they should divulge the good, the bad and even the ugly to the employers they are partnered with. After all, every candidate they present to their clients is a direct extension of their reputation.
Tips to ensure that you are providing and also getting stellar references:
WHEN PROVIDING REFERENCES:
Keep them current! Make sure you stay in touch with these people frequently, that their contact information is correct and up to date so they are easily reachable and accessible.
Call your references each time you hand them out! A quick phone call to give your reference a heads up that they may be receiving a call will serve you well! This lets them know to expect the call, that is important they return the call and also an idea of what position you are applying for so they can put some thought into comments they want to provide on your behalf.
Have backups! It is always best to provide 3-5 professional references to provide to the prospective employer or the recruiter you are working with. On the off chance that these references cannot be reached or found when reference checking is conducted, protect yourself with having a few backups to provide as additional security that your job offer will not get held up by references that are not reachable or are taking too long to call back.
HOW TO GET BETTER REFERENCES
Interview your references! To ensure you are providing references that will provide an honest and clear picture of your skill set and other questions they may be asked, ask them questions about yourself and your performance in a prior job. This will enable you to know how they will respond when answering those same questions to the recruiter or company that calls them to ask about you. Better to be safe than sorry! And while I don't recommend ever hiding anything as honesty is always best, should you hear anything negative from your references, this will give you a chance to learn, improve and also tackle resolving potential areas of issue that could potentially arise in a reference check.
Get it in writing! When you leave an employer, get as many letters of recommendations as you can. This will serve you well in many scenarios down the road...such as, in the event your reference changes jobs, moves or is unreachable, and also in the event whoever is checking your references cannot get a hold of one of your references. Often a letter of recommendation will suffice and be a possible substitute if this is the case. As a final note, if you are working with a recruiter who conducted your reference checks, ask them for a copy when they have completed it. Not a bad idea to have this in your files and also to be able to see first hand what and how your references responded about you.
