Why Job Reference Requests Are Becoming Increasingly Awkward
Introduction:
– The increasing trend of job reference requests from distant work contacts.
– The uncomfortable position it puts the request receiver in.
The Changing Dynamics of Job Reference Requests:
– The impact of platforms like LinkedIn on job reference requests.
– The ease of reaching out to distant connections for job references.
– The shift from relying on trusted relationships to seeking references from strangers.
The Dilemma Faced by Request Receivers:
– Unpleasant experiences with former colleagues clouding the decision to provide a reference.
– Balancing the desire to help with the knowledge of the candidate’s shortcomings.
– Choosing between offering verbal advice or providing a formal written reference.
The Role of Job References in Hiring:
– The power of a well-crafted job reference in influencing an employer’s perception.
– The difference between an enthusiastic endorsement and a cautionary reference.
– The challenge of deciphering the true qualities of a candidate from a reference.
The Unreliability of Job References:
– The prevalence of negativity in reference checks conducted by companies.
– The tendency for references to be overly positive due to self-selection by applicants.
– The potential for organizations to provide biased references for favored candidates.
The Importance of Reference Checks:
– Companies resorting to corporate intelligence firms to verify references.
– The cost of making a bad hire and the need for thorough reference checks.
– The limitations faced by companies without resources to hire outside researchers.
The Continued Relevance of Job References:
– Despite their imperfections, job references remain a crucial part of the hiring process.
– The importance of seeking references from known and trusted sources.
– The need for balance between caution and advocacy in job reference letters.
Expanding Perspectives on Job Reference Requests: [Additional Piece]
The Impact of the Gig Economy:
– How the gig economy has transformed the job market and reference requests.
– The rise of freelancers and short-term contract workers seeking references from various employers.
– The challenges faced by employers in providing accurate references for gig economy workers.
Navigating Cultural Differences in Reference Requests:
– The cultural variations in how reference requests are perceived and handled.
– The challenges faced by individuals coming from different cultural backgrounds seeking references.
– Strategies for bridging the cultural gap and managing expectations in reference requests.
The Role of Technology in Reference Checking:
– The emergence of automated reference checking tools.
– How AI and machine learning are being used to analyze references for objective insights.
– The potential benefits and drawbacks of relying on technology for reference checks.
Case Studies and Examples:
– Real-life stories of reference requests gone wrong.
– Examples of well-crafted reference letters that highlight different qualities.
– The impact of references on decision-making in hiring processes.
Conclusion:
– The evolving dynamics of job reference requests and their impact on the hiring process.
– The need for careful consideration when providing or requesting references.
– The importance of striking a balance between caution and advocacy in reference letters.
Summary:
In today’s job market, job reference requests from distant work contacts have become increasingly common. Platforms like LinkedIn have made it easier for individuals to reach out to connections who may work at companies they are interested in joining. This trend has shifted the reliance on references from trusted relationships to seeking references from strangers.
For those receiving these requests, it can be a dilemma. Past experiences and knowledge of the candidate’s shortcomings can make it difficult to provide a reference. Some individuals choose to offer verbal advice and avoid providing a formal written reference. Others may craft a reference that subtly suggests caution to the potential employer.
Job references have a long history of being unreliable. Reference checking services often reveal some level of negativity, while applicants tend to select individuals who will provide positive references. There is a belief that glowing references can be written for favored candidates. As a result, companies often rely on corporate intelligence firms to verify references.
Despite their imperfections, job references remain an important aspect of the hiring process. They provide employers with insights into a candidate’s potential fit for a role. It is crucial, however, to seek references from known and trusted sources.
Expanding on the topic, the gig economy has added another layer of complexity to job references. Freelancers and short-term contract workers often seek references from multiple employers, posing challenges for employers providing accurate references. Additionally, cultural differences can impact how reference requests are perceived and handled. Bridging this gap requires understanding and managing expectations.
Technology has also entered the realm of reference checking, with automated tools and AI-powered analysis. While these advancements offer objective insights, there are potential drawbacks to relying solely on technology for reference checks.
Case studies and examples can shed light on the impact of references on the hiring process. Real stories of reference requests gone wrong and well-crafted reference letters that highlight different qualities provide practical insights.
In conclusion, job reference requests from distant work contacts have become more common, driven by platforms like LinkedIn. The dilemma faced by request receivers is balancing the desire to help with knowledge of the candidate’s shortcomings. Despite their unreliability, job references remain important. Navigating the gig economy, cultural differences, and technological advancements are additional considerations when dealing with reference requests.
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It usually starts with an email.
“Hello” could start off brightly, even if it’s coming from someone in your distant work past who was, at best, as far back as you can remember, not exceptional.
All this time later, someone is looking for help getting a new job. A reference or an endorsement, from you.
Welcome to one of the most tense moments in modern work life: a request to refer someone you never qualified for.
I like to think that there was a time when a measure of decorum prevented such uncomfortable demands. But if there ever was, it’s over, judging by the painful conversations I’ve recently had with prospective referees.
“It’s a moral dilemma,” said one executive who had been repeatedly attacked by former colleagues he remembered for all the wrong reasons. Lazy. Untrustworthy. Common. Unpleasantly demanding. The thought of helping to force any of them on an unfortunate new employer was daunting. At the same time, he hated being rude.
In the end he did exactly what no doubt many have done in his place. He offered some friendly verbal advice and then quietly walked away before a request for a formal written job reference materialized.
The point is that he, like me, couldn’t imagine being brazen enough to make such a request to a distant work contact. As he put it, “I have a list of people I’ve had trusted relationships with for a long time and I just wouldn’t look beyond that for references.”
It’s not like your applicants are recent graduates who lacked the time to develop that list. Some were even more experienced than him.
So what is going on? LinkedIn may not be helping. I’m told that it’s become more common for people to search for “connections” made on the platform, no matter how far away they are in real life, who are now working somewhere they’d like to join.
If that’s the case, it’s in line with a broader trend of reaching out to complete strangers on Twitter because you share a fascination with, say, 19th century bond prices or ferrets.
Of course, there’s another way to deal with a problematic job reference request: cunning. Anyone who has ever written or read a job reference knows that there is a big difference between one that enthusiastically explains why a candidate would be perfect for a job and one that secretly urges extreme caution.
A letter highlighting a candidate’s “tenacity,” “diligence,” “obsessive punctuality,” and the ability to “take directions well” can excite a boss looking for a worthwhile robotics job. You are unlikely to impress an employer looking for a charming, creative innovator with strong leadership qualities.
This underscores a more serious problem with job references. They have a long and unhappy history of being unreliable.
A minor industry specializes in helping job seekers make sure they don’t get unfairly talked down to by their former boss. A US company that offers reference checking services claims that 57 percent of all checks they run reveal “some level of negativity.”
But some academic research suggests that the references actually tend to be overly positive. This is mainly because applicants choose who writes them. Also, writers fear lawsuits or at least a nasty showdown if they write an accurate but hurtful letter.
Relatively little research has been done on baseline controls, but A study from the 1980s shows that referrals made to job seekers who were entitled to see them were more positive than those that were supposed to be confidential. It’s also widely believed, though rarely proven, that unusually glowing references can be written for the workers an organization is desperate to get their picture of.
For all these reasons, companies that can afford it pay considerable sums to corporate intelligence firms to see if a candidate lives up to any reference or recommendation to them.
This makes sense for very senior positions that pay very high salaries. By some estimates, it can cost up to 200 percent of a top executive’s salary to replace them.
Most companies do not have the resources to hire outside researchers. Many perform their own checks. Some make informal consultations. But ultimately, for all its imperfections, referrals aren’t going away any time soon.
So it’s worth remembering that, oddly enough, it’s always worth asking someone you know and trust to do the referral.
https://www.ft.com/content/b4e67c1c-a137-482e-a2a3-351ba406e4fd
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