Choosing and Preparing Your References.
Here are some questions hiring managers can be expected to ask your references. Before you give a reference's name to Synergistech — or to your prospective client or employer — be sure you can answer yes to these first three questions:
- Does my reference know me well and will he or she be comfortable speaking about my contribution?
- Does my reference know enough about what I did to be able to speak knowledgeably and in detail about my role and the value I added?
- Do I have this person's up-to-date contact information, and have I advised him or her that I plan to give it to prospective employers/clients?
Once you have made your choices, here are the kinds of questions a hiring manager might ask your references.
- When did the candidate work for you, for how long, and what was their job title?
- What were the candidate's functional responsibilities? How effectively did the candidate carry out those responsibilities?
- What are the candidate's strengths? Can you give examples of how these strengths were demonstrated?
- How was the candidate viewed by his or her peers, supervisors, and/or subordinates?
- How would you rank the candidate's writing skills against equally experienced peers?
- How much editing does the candidate's writing need?
- In what area(s) might the candidate need to develop? Can you give an example of this?
- How good is the candidate at organizing documentation and directing its development?
- How much supervision did the candidate require?
- How would you rate the candidate's technical aptitude and ability to communicate complex concepts clearly and accurately? Please give an example.
- How good is the candidate at organizing and tracking details?
- What is the pace like at your company?
- Give an example of when the candidate asked you for some information. How well did he or she pinpoint what was needed? How accurately did he or she communicate the information you supplied?
- How resourceful is the candidate? Did he or she rely on you (or the subject matter expert in question) to find out about everything they needed to know, or did he or she demonstrate some initiative in finding relevant information independently?
- Why did this person's employment with your company end?
- Would you hire this candidate again if you had the chance?
Don't share your references with recruiters you don't know.
Unscrupulous recruiters often ask candidates for their references even before they've matched them with a given job. Don't fall for this trap! Regardless of what they tell you, recruiters will treat your references as sales leads and try to steal your spokespeople from their current companies or, just as treacherous, persuade them to retain that recruiting firm's services. The last thing on their minds is to check up on your performance or validate your track record; they're playing a numbers game, and the number of contacts they make is their sole concern. Sharing your references with such unethical, conscience-free recruiters is a sure way to alienate those you've worked hard to impress. Instead of trying to guess whether a recruiter you don't know is dealing fairly, Synergistech advises you to assume the worst.
Given the prevalence of such sleaze, Synergistech welcomes, and expects, candidates' skepticism.
