Seeking support: If your reference is less than complimentary, you won’t get that job

Q.You are in the running for a job and have been asked to supply references. How can you ensure that your references help your chances of getting the job instead of hurting them?

A.These days, employers are calling more references and questioning them more thoroughly than ever before, said Mark Oldman, founder of Vault.com, an online source of career information. Employers make those calls to ensure that applicants are not misrepresenting themselves and because they realise that “a bad hire can cost them more than waiting for the right candidate to come along”, he said.

That is why it is so important to choose references carefully. Contact them in advance, and make sure that they are prepared to speak favourably and in detail about your performance.

If you don’t lay that groundwork, you may be surprised at what your references are saying about you — if you ever find out. The sad fact is that you may never know that the reason you didn’t get a job is that a reference was less than complimentary or, even worse, downright critical.

Q.When asking someone to be a reference, what should you say?

A.Have a phone conversation instead of using e-mail, Oldman said. If the person’s tone is flat, clipped and uninterested, it may be better to find another reference. It can be deadly to a candidate’s chances to receive “a verbal B-minus” from a reference, Oldman said.

Understand that the reference is doing you a favour, said Dave Opton, chief executive and founder of ExecuNet, a job service for executives and recruiters. “Make it as easy for them as you can,” he said.

Prepare a list to remind the reference what you did in your former job and the projects you worked on, said Opton.

This is especially important if you have not worked with the reference for several years, as he or she may not remember specifics.

You can also provide a description of the job you are seeking, he said, so the reference can bring up the most relevant work experience.

Q.Should you tap only people who were your managers as references?

A.Not necessarily. Twenty years ago, it was more common to list only supervisors. Now it is more acceptable to list former co-workers and subordinates, along with vendors and business associates, career experts say. (It’s still not a good idea to list your mother, though.)

Some people rely too heavily on the prestige factor, Oldman said. It looks impressive to list a heavy hitter at a company, but if he or she is not very familiar with your work, or too busy to talk — or doesn’t even remember you — it could hurt you in the long run.

Q.Will some employers refuse to give references, even if you were a good employee, because of fears of lawsuits?

A.Legal experts warn of the dangers of giving references, both bad and good. A bad reference can draw the ire of a candidate who isn’t hired, and a good one can anger an employer who later regrets hiring someone. That is why some companies make it a policy to provide only the most basic information, no matter how stellar the employee was.

Nevertheless, in the real world, more people appear to be agreeing to give references, Oldman said, as they recognise their importance to both the employer and the employee.

But there is always the possibility that a reference will insist on limiting comments to name, rank and time worked — one reason it is so important to check with people in advance. If necessary, you can arrange to sign a form saying that you will not take any legal action based on what a reference says about you.

Co-workers who have moved to a different company are particularly valuable as references because they may no longer be bound by the former employer’s policy, according to TheLadders.com, a website for high-salary job seekers.

Q.What if you suspect that your references are saying bad things about you?

A.Some people are so perplexed over their inability to get a job that they hire firms that promise to find out what their references are saying about them. And some references are saying some very negative things, said Heidi M. Allison, managing director of one such firm, Allison & Taylor, which also checks references for companies. She also said that “it’s a bad reference if they won’t call you back”.

On the other hand, some weary job candidates are heartened to find that they receive glowing reports, Allison said.

Q.What if you and your previous boss did not part amicably?

A. The best time to prepare for this is on the day you leave your job. See if you can agree with your boss to prepare an “exit statement” that will describe your departure in terms that are acceptable to both of you, Opton said.

If you know that a former boss may say something critical, and it is necessary to use that person as a reference, then “you have to come up with an answer that you’re comfortable giving” to explain the situation, Opton said. Hire a coach or enlist a friend to practise providing that answer with confidence, he advised.

Q.How important are references to the person doing the hiring?

A.“It can be the critical deciding factor among similarly impressive candidates,” Oldman said. All the more reason to put effort into choosing them, and in preparing them for a call that might just help decide your future.