Why Candidates Should Expand And Prep Their References

As headhunters scramble to match candidates with their shapeshifting
clients, process and painstaking due diligence rule the day. To some
candidates such rigor may feel intrusive or simply unnecessary. It
shouldn't. In fact, rigor should be embraced and used to all
candidates advantage. Consider the use of references as an
illustration.Last week I interviewed a senior executive for a specific
role. The candidate presented an intriguing combination of
capabilities, accomplishments, values, motivation and style that
appeared well aligned to my client. But there were a few cautionary
flags. The candidate brushed over several questions and was vague on
the circumstances around his departure from two organizations. Though
my concerns may well have proven to be minor, they needed to be
explored and clarified. Thus, on completing the interview I indicated
that it would be helpful if I could speak to several of the
candidate's references around these specific time periods before
putting him forward to my client.It is important to point out that
this candidate was unemployed and as such asking for such references
posed no risks of 'outing' his candidacy to his employer. However, the
following day, the candidate sent me an email indicating that he was
wary of 'over-using' his references as they were busy, important
people. He suggested that I instead set up an interview with my client
and if that meeting went well references would be made available.I do
not blame the candidate for guarding his references from what he may
have viewed as a premature intrusion by an intermediary. However,
candidates must understand that I am paid to guard my clients'
precious time by properly vetting the candidates presented to them. I
am not paid to put the onus on my clients to dive into those murky or
unexplained candidate waters. I thus need assurances that there is a
basis for a good match and no nasty surprises lurking below the
surface. An interview alone usually cannot provide such comfort.I did
not move this candidate forward to my client and an awkward situation
ensued. And while I will accept blame for handling the situation less
than optimally, the candidate in question could have avoided the
situation altogether by simply maintaining several sets of references
that could be deployed according to the situation at hand. Some of
those references may be able to speak only to specific periods of the
individual's career while others will have insights cutting across the
individual's career. Certain references may be best able to speak to
'what' the person has accomplished while others may be more adept at
describing 'how' these were accomplished. This last point is important
as a great many references lack the communications skills or insights
to offer more than surface observations about the person with whom
they are supposedly familiar. They cannot speak to personality,
behavioral style, values or motivation that helps in understanding the
likelihood of fit with other organizations. This may be due to a lack
of verbal ability, language, forethought or preparation. Whatever the
reason, this is why so many references often need to be contacted
before a reasonably comprehensive picture emerges on a given
individual.Candidates can also help their cause by counseling their
references in advance that uttering 'he's a good guy' is hardly the
stuff of a great reference. They can advise their references to be
prepared for questions about the candidate's soft skills, approach to
work, values and personality. This will require that the references
spend some time reflecting in advance on their answers. Shrewd
candidates can also ask those looking for references about the nature
of information to be probed so that the most appropriate references
can be directed their way. The response to that question provides a
clue to the candidate as to where the potential employer's or
headhunter's concerns may lie. Finally, it is altogether reasonable
that a few 'special' references be reserved or guarded for those
occasions deemed most important by the candidate.Maintaining a wide
selection of references should not be restricted to the unemployed.
Even candidates who are employed and yet open to other opportunities
need to keep references in their pockets that can validate certain
information and shed light on them without fear of their current jobs
being jeopardized.Good headhunters are more than gatekeepers to be
tolerated, played, circumvented or ignored. We are counsel to our
clients and manage a complex process for which the only acceptable
outcome is a good decision by both clients and candidates. The only
way this can be done is through careful due diligence including
multiple data points on multiple fronts. We need to work together with
the various stakeholders to make that happen.