Stack Your References

By Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter

I began working as a recruiter in 1972 and did it for what seemed like 100 years. In the course of doing that, I checked many references.

I have never heard a former employer say, “Jeff, you would be doing a disservice to your client if you refer this person.”

or

“Jeff, tell your client to run, not walk, to the next candidate. This one is a human waste.”

No, everyone says nice polite things about their former colleague or subordinate. Once in a while, an employer will say, “Sorry, our firm has a policy against ourcareer development | Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter giving references for all former employees.”

I’ll test that by trying to reference check someone else and invariably it is a company-wide prohibition.

So why do companies check references?

They are hoping for the one occasion where it is not a company-wide ban and they find the needle in a haystack who either gives them the name of someone who will say awful things about them (very unlikely to occur) or they find the one company that where someone whispers to them not to hire someone.

Since most people in management learn that if they do this, they open their company to lawsuits and themselves to dismissal that isn’t likely to happen either.

This opens up an opportunity to you as a job hunter to coach your former employer or colleague into saying certain things about you. Reminding them of stories where you went “above and beyond” your colleagues, where you won the contract or saved the firm money.

But remember, employers are trying to find out something wrong so surprising them with valuable and detailed information about how fabulous you are.

Don’t miss the opportunity.

After all, it will help you distinguish yourself from your competitors (remember, references are often used to narrow the field) and can afford you an opportunity to gain a negotiating edge during salary discussions.

What will employers ask about?

Accumulating References

Confirming what your job responsibilities were

Outstanding strengths

Developmental needs

Ability to work under pressure

How well you work with management, colleagues, subordinates, people whose services your work affects

Self-motivation

Work ethic

Written communications capabilities

Personality

Reliability and Flexibility

Whether they might want to re-hire you

So stack your references with people who will take to some coaching from you about what to say.

Ⓒ The Big Game Hunter, Inc., Asheville, NC 2012, 2015, 2022

ABOUT JEFF ALTMAN, THE BIG GAME HUNTER

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter
Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter is a coach who worked as a recruiter for what seems like one hundred years. He is hired to provide No BS Career Advice globally. That can involve job search, hiring staff, management, leadership, career transition and advice about resolving workplace issues. Schedule a discovery call at my website, www.TheBigGameHunter.us

He is the host of “No BS Job Search Advice Radio,” the #1 podcast in iTunes for job search with over 2500 episodes.

I do a livestream on LinkedIn, and YouTube (on the JobSearchTV.com account) Tuesdays and Fridays at 1 PM Eastern. You can send your questions about job search, hiring better, management, leadership or to get advice about a workplace issue to me via messaging on LinkedIn or in chat during the approximately 30-minute show.

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