Are References on the Way Out?

Professional references are intended to help employers verify what interview candidates tell them and, in theory, getting a second (or even third) opinion on a person you are about to bring into your organization seems like a no-brainer. But as a recruiter, I am very rarely asked to provide a reference on behalf of candidates anymore.

This is most likely explained by the fact that hiring managers simply haven’t found reference checks to be very useful, and instead believe that the efficacy of references as a tool to provide an objective evaluation on a candidate is marginal at best. Sometimes it may even be detrimental.

Part of the problem lies in the fact that the list of references is frequently handpicked by the candidates themselves. We often hear jokes about someone’s best friend claiming to have been their boss, and while this may be an exaggeration, nobody in their right mind would offer up a reference from anyone who wouldn’t be sure to give them a glowing review.

Personally, I would still never hire someone without doing a reference check on them, but it is understandable why companies have lost faith in this method.

Perhaps a better way to sound out a candidate is to do slightly more confidential or “backdoor” reference checks, casually asking those who have worked with the person for an honest opinion—but this isn’t exactly honest, especially if that person wasn’t even aware that the individual was looking. The procurement community feels awfully small sometimes and you don’t want word getting back to your current company. Instead, the hiring manager might just have to make the most of whoever has been hand-picked to speak with them.

So, is it time we altered the questions we ask instead. “Does this person perform well?” lends itself to a simple yes or no answer their roommate or sibling could give.

You need to peel back the onion. People rarely ask tough questions, and it’s definitely more tricky with legal issues around giving a bad reference. People tend to avoid being in this position if they can. But asking the right questions could still help you figure out how the candidate will perform in the role you’re hiring for, and whether the impression they’ve left you with in the interview is an accurate one. Here are some examples:

How did they handle work-related stress? Work-related stress is inevitable. How a person handles it sets the good apart from the great. This is a crucial soft skill for senior level positions, and one you will want to make sure your candidate has mastered.

How did they lead subordinates? There are different styles of leadership, mentoring, and coaching, and some are more effective than others. Making sure your candidate knows the value and differences between abdication, delegation, and empowerment (from someone else’s perspective) will be valuable.

Were you part of __? What were some of the hurdles of that project from your perspective? Getting different perspective on a situation the candidate has spoken to you about will speak volumes. It will show whether or not their takeaway of a situation is calibrated to a peer’s, and could also give you insights on how they handled things.

Is there anyone else I should speak to? With the candidate’s permission, it’s vital to get an idea of how they interacted with people at various levels. Is there a colleague or perhaps even a client you could talk to?

It’s important to keep the questions open to give the person a chance to state their own opinion—not just say “yes” or “no” when they feel it is appropriate. If they are too vague, then you may not be speaking to the right person, but if they are specific and enthusiastic, you should be able to trust them.

At the end of the day, not many people will put their reputation on the line for a candidate who doesn’t deserve it. Referencing is a good exercise and can help you build up a more objective picture of the candidate you’re putting forward—it’s not a perfect method, but it would be ridiculous not to try.