Even with years of management experience in manufacturing operations, logistics and industrial engineering, Andrew Avgousti wasn’t sure how easy it would be to jump from the automotive industry – where he had worked since 1990, right out of university – to something different.
But he had a powerful lever in his job-hunting tool kit: a select group of former bosses, peers and colleagues willing to vouch for his work performance and personal character.
“I was applying for a job in an industry where nobody knew me,” said Mr. Avgousti, who started a new job four months ago as a manufacturing support director with Mold-Masters Ltd., a company in Georgetown, Ont., that makes equipment used in plastic-injection moulds.
“My education and experience got my foot in the door, but I think my references really helped push me through, resulting in a job offer that I accepted.”
He isn't the only job hunter whose fortunes have hinged on the word of professional colleagues. A survey this year by Toronto staffing company OfficeTeam found that hiring managers took one in four job candidates out of the running after speaking with their business references.
Reference checks are part of standard hiring practices in most companies, according to the Society for Human Resource Management, a global association that represents more than 250,000 HR professionals in more than 140 countries.
In fact, 75 per cent of HR professionals who responded to a survey conducted last year by the society said they did background reference checks on every job candidate.
And 55 per cent said reference checks were necessary to “reduce legal liability for negligent hiring,” while 35 per cent said they wanted to make sure applicants were being truthful about their education, skills and positions with previous employers.
“Checking references is an essential component of the hiring process,” said Antoinette Blunt, chair of the board of the Human Resources Professional Association, which represents HR professionals in Ontario. “It’s one of the best ways to confirm what you may already know about the applicant, in terms of how well they’ll fit in with your company and what their future potential is.”
Sometimes, it’s what isn't said during a reference check that can be most revealing, added Ms. Blunt, who is also president of Ironside Consulting Services Inc. in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont..
“When there’s hesitation, or when the person won’t elaborate on their response to a particular question, then these may be clues about certain aspects of the applicant’s performance or character that you’ll want to investigate further,” she said.
Given the importance of references, job seekers need to make sure they’re putting prospective employers in touch with the right set of professional colleagues, said Alan Kearns, who provides career coaching and leadership services through his Toronto-based company, CareerJoy.
Ideally, a list of professional references should include managers, clients and peers. “If I were a hiring manager I would want to talk to people you’ve worked for and worked with for at least two years,” he said. “And your list should include a mix of people at various levels, because if you're only giving out peer references then I would wonder, ‘Why is that?’ ”
While most people tend to exclude current bosses from their list of references, some are open about their job search and have no problem asking their employer to put in a good word for them, Mr. Kearns added.
So-called “360-degree” reference checks have become common, especially when hiring for management positions, said Court Wiekenkamp, a Toronto-based account executive with Lannick Recruitment.
To do a 360-degree check, employers need to talk to people who have supervised, worked with and reported to the job seeker. “This is a good approach because you're looking for different perspectives, but at the same time you're also looking for consistent traits,” Mr. Wiekenkamp said.
Nor should every reference be a work colleague.
