Calling All References

We recently worked with a candidate who moved rapidly through the initial selection process into the final round of interviewees. As the candidate passed the phone interview with flying colors, we confirmed with him that we would now be conducting a reference check and contacting the people he had provided for us during our firms' initial interview process. Yes, he understood. In fact, he was elated, eager to move to the final interview.

We had a list of five references, and in less than an hours time, had discovered that three of the five were no longer at the phone numbers provided or businesses listed. Since our candidate was currently employed, we discreetly left a message on his cell and explained details in an email. He responded via email that he would look into it.

We had three business days to complete the reference check prior to his face to face interview session. We left messages with the other two viable references and hoped for much better success the next day.

Well into day two, our candidate communicates that he cannot track down the other three references - facilities have closed, moved overseas, etc. He's working to get another reference. We inform our candidate that we have not heard back from the other two people - could he please contact them to "light a fire" and get them to respond quickly?

I won't bore you with all the details of the next frantic hours, but the highlights include finally making contact with one reference's spouse, only to find out that the indvidual is now deceased, reaching another wrong number and having a very angry homeowner on the other end of the line complaining that we've been leaving an excessive amount of voice messages, and a receptionist transferring me to every person in the firm she could think of to help me (it wasn't helpful, it was irritating - which was, undoutedly what she thought I was!).

I've had a reference or two now and then that haven't returned my call, but never anything quite like this! The ending to this story is that the candidate is not in that new job opportunity and we won't be representing that candidate in the future.

The moral of the story is obvious. Keep in touch with your professional references and keep them up to date. Get permission to provide at least two means of communication for each of your references (work number, home number, work or personal email address, etc.) and contact your references as a courtesy to them as soon as you become aware that they may be contacted.

Going one step further, select your references with great care. I've had an experience where a candidate was given a verbal offer the very day her references were called - and she hadn't interviewed in-person yet! Her references were carefully chosen professionals who were all dependent on her abilities and performance to succeed in their work at one point or another. They gave clear, bottom line focused references spoken with genuine emotion.

Make keeping in contact with your references and your network a core part of your job search. And remember that your references may just win or lose you your next job.