Reference Checks - part 2

This needs repeating so I am going to......



Did you know that reference checks have a predictive accuracy of 13% but are used in 96% of all hiring decisions? To put that into perspective, checking reference can predict performance at about the same rates as astrology and self-assessment.



References, in my experience, tell you the more about what the referee is like. Truly, I usually learn more about the person I am calling than the person I am calling about. Also, they can be full of "I can't recall" and "you should ask someone else" since many people use referees from many years back or referees they have never had a significant relationship with.



Take charge of your references so that they help you get that job!



1. Ensure you keep track of your great relationships. Do you know where your boss in 2005 is today? Try keeping the relationships going after you part ways by sending Christmas cards, email, including them in social media, or buy a few beers every once and a while.



2. Use quality referees only, people that have very good view of all your work behaviours including attendance, project results, teamwork, and interpersonal skills. Often, a referee from another city can not do this...



3. Prepare your referees with the job ad you applied to, the resume you applied with and some of the interview questions your were asked. This can get the referees prepared to match what you did to what the hiring manager needs



4. Go a step higher and give your referees a list of accomplishments while you worked together, complete with what you did, why you did it, who you did it with, and what the results were. These can be great memory recalls for a referee who has many employees, a short memory, or if it has been a few years. If they want to use some of these examples, the answers will be well developed.



5. Don't burn any bridges unless you are a damn good swimmer! Recent bosses will be the best referees so make sure your performance is great & make sure you exit the company gracefully.




Most people leave checking their references to chance. Be different, take control, and reap the rewards.  And hey, you never know - referees could be a great source of jobs opportunities!

Google tips and tricks

Life before google is like life before Star Wars - it just seems not possible.  I google nearly 50 times a day and there seems to be lots of me since Google has over 400 million queries a day.

With 250 billion web-pages (6 years ago in 2006), Google is a great site to find anything including career planning resources, jobs, and resume tips.  Heck, most of this blog is uses Google to reference key pieces of information or to find links to direct you to. 

Most of us use Google the simple way and don't find the good stuff!

Over 10 years ago, when intranet sites were often accessible, I used Google lots to find key talent in organizations.  I would find corporate phone lists, resumes, list of conference attendees, membership list of associations.  Now, those days are gone but the search functionalities remain.  And they can be of great use when trying to find out what kind of salaries are being paid, colelctive agreements, competencies are used at major employers, annual reports of government departments or examples of great cover letters.

Check out these pages in Google for searching tips and tricks

Google options (click here)
Most of us use Search on the Google homepage.  Some of us use Google Maps, some of us Google Images or YouTube.  But this is what you get when you click More at the end of the Google menu.

Google Search Features (click here)
5 Everyday Essential Searches
6 Reference Tools
3 Choosing Keyword Searches
2 Local Searches
5 Health Searches
4 Trip Planners
2 Query Refinements
2 Search by Numbers

Basic Search Help (click here)
includes basic tips for better searches

Advanced Search Features (click here)
how to use operators like Phrase search (""), Search within a specific website (site:)
try this one ~job interview.  The ~will look for synonyms of the word job.
or try this one skill -saw.  The - will look for skill but never with the word saw.

Search results options and tools (click here)
includes tips on filtering results by type of content

Google Tips and Tricks (click here)
lots of fun features

Google Tip of the day (click here)
Sign up to receive a tip of the day

These are all great tools to make your searching more powerful and to find what you want, when you want it.  If in doubt, just google it!

Preparing your references

One often under-developed part of getting a new job by a job seeker is references.  Typically, a job seeker gets all the contact information of someone who will say nice things about them.  They may even go so far as asking permission from the references to us their name.

Again, the Government of Canada has a great (free) resource http://www.psc-cfp.gc.ca/plcy-pltq/guides/checking-verification/app-ann-3-eng.htm.  Here are the recommendations made that are suitable for any job seeker:

1.  Your references should have had an adequate opportunity to observe you in job-relevant situations. Therefore, the referee should have an in-depth and direct knowledge of your work and be able to answer specific questions pertaining to your achievements and strengths.  Too often, job seekers use references that have superficial knowledge of their work behaviours.  Focus on people that you deal with on a day-to-day basis.  Also, a good practice is to "refresh" your references memory about what great things you accomplished. If someone asks me to be their reference, I ask them to email 10 things they are proud of doing while working with me/for me (I can choose whether I agree or not but at least it gives me a starting point).

2.  Your references should have worked with you recently and generally for at least six months within the last five years.  Trust me, many references can't remember what you did last week, forget about 7 years ago.

3.  Your references should be open and candid in communicating relevant information about your work performance. If a reference is going to be brief and not provide details, they will not give the hiring manager the information they are looking for. 

4.  You references should be available.  I know this is obvious, but in my experience, some references are impossible to track down and some never return phone calls.  If possible, use a reference's mobile contact information so they can be reached away from their desk or home.

5.  Consider providing your referees with a copy of your résumé that you submitted, a copy of the job advertisement and any other relevant information.  This can give them the context of the job and they might give examples that "fit" with the job requirements.


Spend as much time managing your references as you do rewriting your resume.  Your resume gets you the interview; your references likely will get you the job offer