A Guide to Employment Reference Checks

Reference checks are a common part of the hiring process, and serve two main purposes: verifying your previous employment and quantifying your work performance. Considering 6% of job seekers in a recent SimplyHired.com poll ‘fessed up to lying on a resume and another 10% answered that little fibs are okay, employers want to make sure they’re making fully educated decisions about whether a candidate is right for the job before they offer them a position.

Some employers may be willing to discuss your job performance, job responsibilities, attitude, and attendance among other criteria, though many employers won’t give out more than a verification of your dates of employment and salary information, depending on company policy. Because of this, prospective employers rely greatly on personal references that you provide to get a sense of your work.

Choosing your references
While personal friends will have great things to say about you, employers are interested in talking to people you have worked with to some degree. These could be previous and current managers and colleagues, professors, advisors or coaches.

Ask permission
Before you list a person as a reference, get their permission in advance. While asking for permission, verify that you have their correct contact information, including the correct spelling of their name, title or relation, phone numbers, addresses and email addresses.

Brief your references
Give each reference a copy of your resume, explaining your full background and giving insight into the kind of work you want to find. It’s also helpful to give your references a sense of the kinds of questions they may be asked, such as your work ethic, if you got along with coworkers, how well you work under pressure or stress, your work performance, etc.

Keep up the communication
During your job search, keep your references updated on your progress. Tell them which people and companies you have given their name to, and if possible, the job descriptions for positions to which you are applying. This will help them be prepared in the event that they are contacted.

Show your appreciation
Remember to thank your references for their support throughout your search. They are providing you with a great service because they care about your career. So show how much you appreciate it, whether it’s through an email or a nice meal

Following these guidelines will help you and your references know what to expect when a prospective employer performs a reference check. You will receive a much more impressive stamp of approval from your references.

Article courtesy of Simply Hired