Reference and
Referee Reports.
As part of the recruitment
process the employer will do a reference check to confirm your credentials
and check a range of work related skills to ensure you have not
misrepresented yourself on your resume or at the interview.
They will want to know if you
can do the job and what personal qualities you can bring to the job.
Depending on the job they will also check out;
-
your job title and responsibilities
-
how you performed your tasks
-
your level of commitment to the company
-
any achievements or outcomes you have claimed on your
resume
-
how you work in a team or without supervision
-
your team leadership or management style
-
how you take direction and work with others
-
your strong points as well as any weaknesses
-
your potential to learn new skills
-
your readiness to take on more responsibility and to
perform at a higher level
-
your integrity and character
These are just a few of the
reference check questions they may ask, and it will depend on your role, so as you see you
need to pick your referee carefully. It must be someone who can answer the
above questions It is wise to have two
referees from the one company if you can.
What
is the difference between reference and referee?
There is a lot of
confusion about the terminology a 'work referee' and 'job reference'.
Because 'referees' are generally associated with sport many younger people and
migrants don't understand what they mean in employment terms. Also the
English language can be confusing at times and I don't intend to give a
grammar lecture. It has nothing to do with British verses American English.
In Australia this is what we mean by referee and reference although even
employers get it wrong.
A referee is a person
who has agreed to talk about your work, character and integrity as listed
above. They would ideally be someone who has worked above you such as
supervisor and the person you reported to. You must get permission to use a
person as a referee.
Your referee will give provide
a verbal report (a reference) to a prospective employer (over the
phone).
Many people put their referee's name and contact details on their
resume. This referee has agreed to speak to an employer to give you a
reference. Confused? Well yes. In other words, a referee is a person who
will provide a referee report (a work reference) over the phone.
It is wise to have two referees from the one company if you can get one.
A reference is a written
document verifying
your work history, dates of employment, positions held and how you performed
your job etc. It provides your job history and perhaps personal qualities
you displayed while working. Some people will provide character references
from church leader or someone that knows you.
Some companies have a policy of
not giving work or character references or they may be written by the Human Resource Manager who
will take details from your employment file. Your immediate supervisor may
be asked for input.
References are not as credible
as a referee report. Nevertheless you must try and get a reference before you leave
your employment. Referees move on and you may be left without a reference
report or referee report. Character referee reports are a little more
credible for someone looking for their first job.
You do not put "references"
on your resume. It will always be a "referees".
Should
I put my referees name on my resume?
This is a job
interview tip that is rarely touch on in other literature for preparing for
job interviews.
Due to the changes in the
Privacy Act and the electronic age which means people send their references
to a large number of companies it is my opinion should no longer put
your referees on your resume,
especially if posted on internet
job boards (especially specialised ones or third party sites). Some
jobseekers send their resume to everyone and sundry.
Your resume is confidential and you need to be sure that whoever has your resume is
reputable. Who has access to your resume? Seek and Career One are very
reputable as your resume goes directly to the company that advertises the
job and no third party sees it. Your privacy as well as your referee's
privacy may
be compromised, particularly when you show the referees home and business
addresses. You should just put, "Due to privacy concerns referees
provided on request."
It has been said by some
employment firms that employers view the absence of any referees, even when
you put on your resume "referees provided at the interview or on request," as
a negative. Tough bickies.
You are being ethical by not putting them on. Make sure you remind them it
is a privacy issue by using "due to privacy concerns".
and "upon request of referees, for privacy....". Surely they would
not object to this. Certainly none of my clients have reported that this was
an issue.
If you put your referee's name
on your resume some employers do a reference check before they get the
applicant in for an interview. Even if a jobseeker doesn't give a referee
the employer may still go ahead and ring the company.
Is this ethical? No I
don't think it is. What if you are still working for the company and are
looking to change jobs? Your application letter and your resume should
state that your application is confidential if you are still working for a
company. Don't advertise your availability to just anyone and certainly do
not use LinkedIn. You may want to add to your resume please contact me
if you intend to contact my referees
Many referees do not understand
that their report may lose an employer a job and they need to realise how
important the role is. They may get busy and not provide an adequate referee
report. See a case study in
How to Prevent Your Referees
From Sabotaging Your Job Interviews
By Iris Wood.
Published in Ezine Articles
This following strategy is
better than worrying your referee all the time as some are working on mine
sites on a fly-in-fly-out basis for example, or may move from project to
project. Further they may be out of the office when your prospective
employer rings the company. The exception is government jobs.
Tips on
how to approach and prepare your referees.
-
Ask your
referees for permission to name them as your referee and let them know
what is involved to give them to opportunity to decline.
-
Send
them your resume with a cover letter stating the type of jobs you are
going for (especially if it is a career change). For example, your
referee may not know you have been studying and have a lot more skills
than you used in you last job.
-
Send
them a copy of the advertisement If you get a job interview and let them
know when you are going for the interview, and then let them know the
result.
Government
jobs require answers to a lot of job related questions, including how you
get along with people, and phrased in such a way to find out what sort of
person you are. So ensure the referee understands the government recruitment
process and has a copy of the advertisement, and perhaps your application,
(depends on your relationship with the person) because being a referee is a
lot of work, especially for a government job.
Remember
that some employers, often unfairly, don't consider some reference letters
as being very credible. Also it is common knowledge that many employers,
especially in government will give someone a good referee report in order
to get rid of them. So having a referee is important.
Lastly, Nurture
your referees.
-
If you know they have been contacted, phone them and
let them know the outcome.
-
If you don't get that job you will have to go through
the process again and again so keep them informed.
-
They may be able to give you some feedback on the
questions the employer asks.
-
You will be able to address any concerns at your next
interview.
If you do get a job send them a thank you note and/or a
gift.
Beware of
social media. - How you behave on of social media could affect your career.
I said this when facebook first came out that you must be careful about what
you put on facebook. It is there forever and employers are now
checking social media to find out more about you. They don't need character
reference check these days, they can judge you themselves. Never talk about
your employer or tell people or put yourself out there as looking for work.
Anything you put on facebook or other media will end up biting you! If
you don't believe me, Google your own name.