Optimizing Your Employment References

A number of years ago I wrote a Managing Your Career column about reference checking that was directed to the employer and hiring manager. That piece offered suggestions on maximizing the process: how to really dig around anddiscover as much as you can about your prospective new employee.

At the time, I wanted to follow up with a second column geared to the audience of those who are considering a job change, with the emphasis slanted in their direction. In other words, I think it’s possible for your columnist to also help the other side – the candidate pool – optimize their prospects.

I would never suggest anything unethical. I always counsel for openness and honesty, but there are some ways that a person can go through the reference check process with more personal control. How you fare in the competition for that next job will be determined, in part, by what your references say. While that’s something you can’t control directly, it is something you can influence. The best way to increase the odds that the reference-checking process will turn out well for you is to work closely with the people who will be providing those references.

Why Letters of ReferenceAre Not Frequently Used in Industry

Notice that I didn’t say anything about letters of reference. Employers don’t pay much attention to opinions written down on paper. In fact, in the recruiting industry we refer to letters of reference as “L.I.A.R.” letters. The acronym stands for “Letters of Inconspicuously Ambiguous Reference,” and the double meaning is intended. Typically, reference letters are so full of inaccuracies that they are essentially worthless. Many letter writers, when a reference is requested, couch their concerns in overly flowery language so that the meanings become confused. Even the worst employee you’ve ever seen can usually avoid getting negative letters, since letter writers have gotten good at saying nothing.

While reference letters are widely considered useless, verbal references are essential. Whenever we – hiring managers or recruiters – want an honest opinion about a potential employee, we pick up the telephone.

A phone call has two advantages. The first is that it’s interactive; we can ask specific questions, follow up, and dig out the specific answers we’re interested in. The second advantage is that people can speak more freely on the telephone because there is no paper trail.

The Company’s Goals and ExpectationsFor a Reference Check

I’ve done six or seven reference calls this week. Some weeks I make a dozen or more. I know what I’m looking for and yet it is sometimes difficult to dig it out. Often, the referee goes on and on about the candidate’s positive qualities. Unless it includes a red flag, that’s not very useful. Context is critical in a reference check. Employers want to know about strengths and weaknesses that will impact the employee in a specific job.

That’s why I’m always surprised that most candidates will pass along a name for us to contact, but that person hasn’t had a full debrief from the candidate on what the job is all about. In my mind, this is critical. You need to ensure your references know exactly what job you have interviewed for and many of the issues there (more below).

An employer has to tick off four items in the reference check call. It is possible to prepare a referee for the first two, Strengths and Weaknesses. I’ll make some suggestions about how to do that.

-Strengths: In a good reference check call, the caller will describe the position and the work that goes on in that environment. It’s important for your reference to listen so that she or he can provide specific, relevant judgments and examples from past experience.

Tell that contact what you think your strengths are inthe context of the specific position. If you have a sense for what the caller is likely to be asking about, pass that information along to the prospective referee. Remind him orher about experiences you’ve had where those qualities were on display.

-Weaknesses: In many reference calls, the reference is unprepared to speak about weaknesses, and that’s an opportunity for you to do some coaching. We all have weaknesses; the hope is that your reference will provide examples of the less-damaging sort, because “Joe doesn’t have much of a work ethic” will not help you land the job.

Suggest weaknesses to your reference that the employer already knows about. These could be job-related; they do not always have to be personal weaknesses. For example, if it’s a cell-culture process development position and you’ve only worked with yeast, the lack of CHO cell work is a weakness.

But its also one that you’ve already gotten past with the employer if you are at the reference stage. That’s why it’s a legitimate weakness for your referee to point to while not really damaging your prospects. Besides, he or she can quickly add that you’re fast at learning new technologies!

-Work and Interpersonal Style: Few employees work completely alone; even the loneliest scientist on an Antarctic ice shelf deals with other scientists, if only by satellite phone. That’s why employers always ask about work style and interpersonal style. They need to know how you direct your energies at work, how you get things done, how effectively you interact with people who have different working styles. In most companies, the ability to work well within a team is one of the most stringent requirements. So you’ll need to provide some examples to your references of those times you’ve really pulled out all the stops for your colleagues.

-Red Flags: In many reference calls, the interviewer already knows – or thinks she knows – what a candidate is good at and can make an educated guess about his weaknesses. It’s called confirmation bias; we expect to hear what we already think we know.

But we don’t stop there. The real goal of a reference call is to uncover something that no one suspected. It’s easy to learn something unexpected and good, but what we’re really keeping an ear open for are those unexpected negatives, or “red flags.”

My feeling is that it’s best to defuse red flags by talking about them in the interview, when it’s on your terms and you can control the spin. Do you have a poor relationship with your current boss?Best to make sure they know it in advance, and tell them about what you’ve learned from the experience. It’s far better to have some control over this red flag than to allow it to be sprung upon the reference checker like a skeleton out of a closet.

References Can Easily Spin Out of Control

Even though the names you’ve given to an employer are people who will put you in the best possible light, they will all be asked, “Who else do you think I should talk with?” because hiring managers often go far beyond the names you’ve provided.That can add an element of uncertainty and make the process harder to control. It makes it more likely that something damaging will arise out of the reference-checking process. But there are things you can do to minimize this risk, to keep those “red flags” from waving. In short, you can prepare your references with a few names of others they can suggest.

When prepping your contacts for the reference call, offer them a few names of other people who are likely to express positive opinions of your competence, character, and work ethic. You’ll be making their lives easier while reducing the odds that the process will turn against you.

Reference calls add an element of uncertainty to the job-seeking process, but by working behind the scenes, you can improve the odds that things will turn out in your favor.

David G. Jensen is Managing Director of Kincannon & Reed Executive Search (www.krsearch.com), a leading retained search firm in the biosciences. You can reach Dave at (928) 274-2266 or via djensen@krsearch.net.