Do Recruiters Really Call References?

When a recruiter asks for your references, do they really call them or is it just a formality?

Well, it depends on a lot of factors. Some recruiters only ask for references once an interview is completed, and an offer is made.

Other recruiters never ask for references. And then there are recruiters that will ask for your references but never actually call them.

However, the fact is that for most positions that you’re going to speak to a recruiter about will require references. Now, those references might not ever be called or contacted, but a good recruiter will require them.

Even if you don’t use a recruiter and instead work directly with a company that is hiring people through a job posting site like Indeed or Craigslist, you’ll still need to have references.

Why Do Recruiters Ask for References?

Recruiters ask for references for a number of reasons. First off, recruiters want to make sure that you are not lying on your resume.

It might seem strange, but many people completely fabricate their entire work experience as well as their college education.

Many companies use official employment verifications to prove that someone actually worked where they said they worked.

This sort of employment verification is most commonly done on people who work in a non-professional role. For example, individuals who work in hospitals are always checked by credentialing departments.

Nurses, Techs, and even hospital administrative staff must go through an extensive background check which includes employment verification.

In addition to employment verification, many recruiters also request references. You need references to get a job in most instances.

The reason that recruiters ask for references and don’t  just rely on employment verification is that companies are often hesitant to provide any details about a persons performance. The HR departments of companies are not allowed to comment on the performance of a particular person. There have been countless lawsuits about companies commenting about a former employee.

For this reason, recruiters often request that people have a professional reference. They will take this contact information and hand it over to the credentialing department and have them call the references to determine the caliber and quality of work.

Do Recruiters Call or Email References?

Recruiters can either call or email your references. It depends on the recruiter and it also depends on the availability of the reference.

Sometimes references are not available to speak on the phone. In the case where a reference is not available to speak on the phone then it’s common for a recruiter to email over a reference request.

The benefit to use email when requesting a reference is that it’s much easier to handle. It’s often a time consuming task for references to sit down for a phone call. It’s much easier for them to simply answer a series of emailed questions or simply send over a letter of reference.

Most recruiters, though, don’t call references for professional seeking work. The only time that this will happen is if you’ve gone on a interview and are progressing to a second round interview.

However, most of the time recruiters will only ask for references to see if you can actually provide them.

They won’t end up calling those references for quite some time.

It is a good idea to make sure the recrutier understands your concerns. You don’t want a recrutier to call your boss and tell your employer that you’re looking for a new job–even accidently.

Would A Recruiter Call Your References Before an Interview?

They might, but they should let you know beforehand. In fact a recruiter should always let you know before they reach out to someone you have listed as a reference. It’s not a good etiquette for a recruiter to call your references before they let you know.

There are a few reasons why recruiters should not call your references before they let you know:

• -You might need to warn your references to expect a call
• -You might not want people to know you are interviewing
• -You might want your references only called if there is a serious offer in place.

• -You don’t want a recrutier to call your boss

Any or all of these might be valid reasons to not have a recruiter call your references. Some people are hesitant about having their references called over and over again. It can create annoyance in the person, and that is not what you want when you are having someone give you a reference.

So, while not all recruiters will call your reference before an interview, some might, so it’s a good idea to talk to them beforehand and make sure that they don’t. And if they insist on doing so, then you can be prepared to either: give your references a heads up or else politely tell the recruiter not to call your references and hold off until after the interview.

Do All Jobs Require References?

No, not all jobs require references. However, most jobs do ask for references.

It’s not simply a question of the field that you work in, or the level of role.

Jobs in the manual labor field or blue collar work such as porters, construction workers, nurses, and medical staff all have to provide references. Nurses in particular have to come prepared with references as part of their onboarding credentialing process.

Executives who are interviewing for major roles will also have to go through reference checks. Firms that are hiring executives for six figure salaries and want them to handle complex roles will need to have some assurance that these people are capable of this work.

A resume is simply not trustworthy to convey this information.

People who are applying for middle level roles and administrative roles also have to often go through reference checks. This is because these roles don’t often involve extensive work or complicated actions, but they do require a reliable person.

And this is where a reference check is important. Most people who are in the workforce are not strong workers. The hiring manger will likely have interviewed dozens of people who don’t show up for work or who have references that never answer their phone.

The idea surrounding references is that a potential employeer will be able to vet someone and decide if they are who they present themselves to be.

What If You Don’t Have References?

Many people are afraid that they don’t have references to give a recruiter. Don’t be. For the most part you will be able to get a reference.

Some people are nervous about how to ask for a reference, while other people can’t think of anyone that they would want to ask.

It can make someone nervous. However, the truth is that it’s common to ask people for a reference.

This is one of the reasons that you should never burn bridges at work. You want to be able to ask people for a reference in the future.

What you should always do is keep the contact info for people you have worked with. It’s best to have their personal email or phone numbers, but in the event that you don’t have their personal email or phone number, you can always list their business contact info.

In a worst case scenario, you can always use a friend or family member to vouch as a reference. However, you’ll want to make sure that the relationship is kept separate. Recruiters do not want to use friends or family members are references, they want to use professional references not personal references.

This approach does not work in high level executive roles. You can’t use friends who pretend to have worked with you, it will be too easily found out.  For executive level roles, you will need to have real references who can vouch for your experience and skill set.