Useful info from job references? [Ask Annie]

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Can you get useful information from job references? July 5, 2012. 2:03 PM ET Most companies' policies discourage references from revealing anything but job titles and dates of employment. Here's how to learn more. FORTUNE -- Dear Annie: I'm in my first job as a manager and have never hired anyone before, so I hope this isn't a dumb question. How can I get references to tell me more than the corporate equivalent of name, rank, and serial number? I'm looking at three candidates whose credentials and experience are all equally impressive, so I was hoping that references would serve as a tie-breaker. But everyone I've called so far has been very correct and conscientious about observing their companies' policies against commenting on anything useful -- such as, for example, what the candidate is like to work with on a daily basis. Our HR department is no help (I suspect because our company has the same kind of no-comment policy), and hiring a professional reference-checking service isn't in the budget. Any suggestions about how to deal with this? — Hitting a Brick Wall Dear HBW: It's not a dumb question at all. "The biggest mistake most hiring managers make is asking a candidate for three references, and then calling those three people and having totally meaningless conversations," says Greg Moran. A former recruiter who "got very frustrated trying to check references," he says, Moran is now president and CEO of Chequed.com, a company based in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., that markets software aimed at making the process more efficient for big clients like Disney (DIS). MORE: Women and success: Where's the honesty? "Reference checking is often a missed opportunity, which is too bad," he adds, "because all the research shows that peer reviews -- which is what references are, when they're handled right -- are the single best predictor of how a candidate will perform in a new job." Getting the most out of checking them "requires you to become a bit of an investigator, but it is worth the effort." Where do you start? First, instead of asking for the usual three references, ask for five (more in a minute about why). At the same time, request that all five be former or current peers, bosses, or subordinates, not human resources staffers. "You want to speak with people who worked with this person on a day-to-day basis," Moran says. Then, let the candidate know that he or she is going to be in charge of the checking process. "If you want real information, the candidate has to get involved," says Moran. "It creates a whole different dynamic. Instead of your calling someone you don't know out of the blue, ask the candidate to call each reference, talk a little about the job she's trying to get, and set up an appointment for you to call." Doesn't this give the candidate a chance to coach references about what to tell you? "Any smart candidate is going to do that anyway," Moran notes. "But having the candidate pave the way, by essentially asking for a favor, increases the odds that the person you're calling will make an exception to the no-comment policy." MORE: 4 questions for the master of competition Next, before each appointment, take a few minutes to prepare. "Phone conversations can get very unfocused and meandering. So, to save time and stay on track, analyze exactly what traits and skills will lead to success in this job," Moran advises. "Write a short list of specific questions that pinpoint those things." You may still run into some managers who balk at revealing more than titles and dates. "That's why you ask for five instead of three," Moran explains. On average, he has found, two out of five references are policy sticklers -- "so even if two won't make an exception and answer your questions, you'll still have three who do." Two other suggestions you might find helpful: "Bear in mind that you aren't necessarily limited to the references a candidate gives you," Moran points out. "If you know people on LinkedIn or elsewhere who also know this person, you can certainly ask them about him or her. Also, when you do reach former colleagues and bosses, ask them, 'Is there anyone else you'd recommend I speak with?' Taking a little extra time to dig around a bit can give you a really well-rounded picture." Another way around the standard pro forma reference check is to ask the candidate in an interview what he thinks former bosses would say about him. "Go through the person's resume and, for each position, ask, 'Whom did you report to at XYZ Corp.? What is he or she likely to tell me about you if I ask?'" says Moran. "You might also ask, 'Out of all these people you reported to, who would give you the least enthusiastic review? What about the most enthusiastic? Why?'" MORE: Build a real retirement strategy Most people have a pretty clear idea of how they were, or are, regarded -- and the possibility that you will call a former boss for a reality check may well prompt an honest self-appraisal, Moran says: "Even if you never actually call anybody, you'll learn a lot." Talkback: When asked for a reference, do you usually give only titles and dates, or are you willing to say more? If you're a hiring manager, have you found it hard to get useful information from references? Leave a comment below. Filed under: Ask Annie See more Ask Annie

Will a lack of references cost you a job offer? courtesy of Ask Annie

Will a lack of references cost you a job offer?

April 12, 2012. 11:22 AM ET

Employers do check references, so declining to provide any is not really an option. Here's how to manage this essential element of a job hunt.

FORTUNE -- Dear Annie: Why do so many companies request personal references on job applications (especially online) even before setting up an interview? They usually ask for contact information for teachers, relatives, and acquaintances, as well as bosses and coworkers, both current and former.

I'm really not comfortable with this, for several reasons. First, I'm in my mid-40s and have been out of college a long time, so giving professors as references isn't practical. Second, I don't like to provide information on family and friends because it's too personal. As for work-related references, most of my previous colleagues and supervisors have retired or moved on, and I've lost touch with them. And I don't want anyone at my current company to know I'm job hunting, so they're out too. So my question is, can I just decline to give references? Employers usually don't take the time to check them anyway, do they? — Stumped in San Francisco

Dear Stumped: Well, of course you can decline to give references -- but don't be surprised if that brings any further contact with a prospective employer to a screeching halt. "Companies certainly do check references," says Jeff Shane, executive vice president of reference-checking firm Allison & Taylor. "Especially in this job market, where there are often many qualified candidates competing for each opening, saying 'no' to this request is rolling the dice."

Personal references are relatively unimportant, he adds, since kind words from your friends "generally don't carry much weight anyway. What is critical, however, is strong professional recommendations, particularly from former bosses." Refusing to let hiring managers contact them, Shane says, is "a red flag" -- in large part because it suggests you have something to hide -- and could well cost you the job before you've even been interviewed for it.

MORE: Games: A job recruiter's new best friend?

So what should you do now? First, try to track down at least two or three of the people who were familiar with your work in the past and with whom you've since lost touch. Ideally, these would be people to whom you reported, but erstwhile peers and others (satisfied clients, for example) will do in a pinch. Google them, look them up on LinkedIn, or see if professional associations or mutual acquaintances have any information on how to reach them.

It's nice of you not to want to bother former bosses who have retired, but if you thank them profusely for understanding the importance of your request, you'll probably find your misgivings are misplaced. Managers who have done any hiring at all are well aware of how much references matter, so they're unlikely to resent your asking. If you want to keep your intrusion on their time to a minimum, you can always write your own letter of recommendation and ask them to sign it.

All this detective work and diplomacy is worth the effort, says Shane, because "if an employer is really interested in you and you don't provide references, they may go to Plan B." That's where the hiring manager or a human resources person calls the HR department at a company where you used to work and fishes around for someone who remembers you and who is willing to chat about what your work was like.

The trouble with that, of course, is that the person they stumble across could turn out to be an old nemesis who (even if company policy officially forbids it) will be only too happy to trash you -- and then you'll really wish you had taken the time to locate a few of your fans.

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In this as in so much else, a bit of advance planning can avert a huge hassle later on. "The trick is not to lose touch with potential references in the first place," says Shane.

When you leave a job where you've worked well with your boss, or if a boss who likes your work is moving on, make it a point to hold on to his or her contact information. Then call or email every now and then, just to say hello and stay current with what he or she is up to lately.

"Send a card at the holidays, maybe even meet for coffee once in a while," Shane suggests. "This way, when there is a specific job you want, and you'd like to give this person as a reference, you can coach them a little bit on what you'd like them to say to a prospective employer, because you're not calling out of a clear blue sky."

Keeping in touch is smart for one other reason: Since former bosses often have a way of moving onward and upward to bigger and better things, they sometimes turn out to be future bosses, too.

Talkback: Do you find it difficult to give references when employers ask? Have you ever been unpleasantly surprised by what a reference said about you? Leave a comment below.

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