Four Things You Should Know about References

I field many questions about professional references, and there is an abundance of both misunderstanding and erroneous information out there. I want to dispel the many myths that there are, so here are the top four things you should know about references.

• They can say anything:  Many people tell me that their former employer will only verify dates of employment and previous titles. That may very well be the employer’s formal policy, but that policy is often ignored by individual managers. Your reference may say anything about you, as long as it is true. She can’t say that you stole from petty cash if you didn’t, but if she found you to be generally unpleasant to work with, she can say that.
• The prospective employer does not need your permission to contact your references: Most employers are reasonable, and will not contact your current employer until such time that an offer has been made. But the reality is that an employer does not need your permission to contact anyone and to inquire about you. As long as they are not asking for any proprietary information, or information covered by privacy laws, it’s all fair game.
• Much of the reference-checking goes on behind the scenes: You hand over a list of references to a potential employer, and that’s who they will contact, right? Not necessarily. A savvy hiring manager will ask around, work her network and her LinkedIn connections to find people who are not on your list. Many times, she may have a mutual connection to someone you’ve worked with, and will reach out to that person and ask their opinion of you.
• Potential employers really want to talk with former managers: Peers and co-workers can create a picture of what it is like to work with you, but your previous managers’ opinions carry more weight. A former manager has worked with you in setting goals and expectations and has evaluated you on such. A former manager has worked with you in setting goals and expectations and has evaluated you on such. It will be a big red flag if you only give co-workers as references. In that case, you can be pretty much assured that there will be ample behind-the-scenes checking going on.