Pre-Employment Referencing Tutorial

References

References are certainly the sum and substances surrounding the good and bad of one’s career. But what exactly is a reference and how do you start obtaining one?

Like babies, references come in various sizes , shapes, colors and forms. They can be from business associates, peers, superiors and even friends. The source of the reference should be key to the effective evaluation, because obviously a reference from a friend will not carry the same weight as one would from a superior.

The (sad) fact is that relatively few hiring authorities know how to reference properly. Too often they hear what they want to hear!

You see, the most important element in the hiring process is to decide whether a candidate can and will perform the job. More than any other factor, an objective and thorough investigation of the candidate’s past , will be the most accurate indicator of future performance. Study after study conducted by behavioral experts support the belief that past behavior is the primary key to evaluation of future performance. As the costs in the hiring process skyrocket out of control, the need to question the traditional methods of checking backgrounds and references becomes increasingly important to the ultimate success of the professional manager today.

Cause Of Failure

In reality, the are too many instances where the hiring authority has failed either to establish effective referencing procedures or has allowed the control of existing procedures to be diluted and, therefore, rendered ineffective.

The the four most common mistakes perpetuated by hiring authorities are:

Delegation

Quite often a well-written resume, followed up by an impressive "interviewing performance," will convince the interviewer that the need to reference the candidate is simply a matter of form; obtaining confirmation of the most easily checkable facts. This perception automatically creates a situation in which the hiring authority makes the task of being able to perform a virtual impossibility. Furthermore, if the need to reference in depth is seen to be unnecessary, the act of delegating responsibility without concomitant authority will almost always be construed in a similar manner.

Consider our electronics manufacturer pastiche on DELEGATION.

Relegation

Now if you think our friend, Mr. Brown dropped the ball in delegation, take heart, because at least he tried (or thought he tried!) to complete the process. By relegating the task, it is possible to lose the ball entirely!

I am sure the reader is aware that many executive appointments need to be filled yesterday. Sudden unplanned departures, new contracts requiring new or additional skills….and so on, often puts pressure on the hiring authority to fill the job.

Our RELEGATION pastiche tells the story and experience of a rapidly expanding manufacturer.

Obfuscation

Obfuscation is not a disease - at least not in the medical sense - although it does appear to have endemic roots insofar as corporate recruitment is concerned, particularly where referencing procedures are involved. The cause is rooted in the barren ground known as disorganization - not having a plan - and nurtured by a large dose of ambivalence. For unless the referencing authority is totally au fait with the real job specification needs, and also understands the skills and capabilities needed for effective job performance, he will not be able to ask or comprehend the right questions or answers.

The United Animal pastiche on OBFUSCATION tells a humorous tale of what obfuscation really is.

Reverse Obfuscation

It is important to note that obfuscation is the one major two-way referencing problem. The untrained hiring authority is in double jeopardy when obtaining references from former employees or associates, if those people also suffer from the same malady.

Consider our invention of Mozart’s reference, contrived in 1832.

This is our version of: REVERSE OBFUSCATION


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