How Often Are References Called?
Having your references checked means you are at the final stages of the interview process and you are just inches away from landing that job. You have a edge since you know CareerExcuse will call you the moment any inquiries are made into your references. So you wait..wait…and wait.
We have been asked many times “anyone call about my references”? Since CareerExcuse only notifies you if somebody contacts us in regards to your references, sometimes you may wonder why nobody is calling to inquire about your references? Keep in mind, many employers will not check your references until they have most likely already decided to hire you.
A CareerExcuse client informed me how he easily sent out over 100 resumes, done two interviews a week for a month. One interview went so well, he received a phone call the next day to ask a few more questions and was told they were going to check on a few references. So when a couple days went by, he called CareerExcuse wondering why nobody is calling. Of course we had no answer except as soon as someone does call, we will contact you.
The next day, our CareerExcuse client notified us how he just got hired by the same company who said they were checking his references! He asked if they ever called to verify the his references. The answer is no. But, since we answer any inquires up to a year, we got you covered if they ever do call to check!
The point is.. You can go through a entire job interview process, get hired, and never have your references checked. I read on LinkedIN where one manager said when he checks references, he only calls the phone number to see if the reference is real.
Here is what to expect. If you just finished a great interview, and feel you have a great opportunity in landing that job, there is also ten other people who left their interview feeling the same way. It boils down to a one out of ten chance they will call to inquirer about your references. That doesn’t mean your not getting the job as they could hire you the next day. But when they do call inquiring about your references, the job is basically already yours.
At careerExcuse.com, when we notify our clients that a inquiry was made into their references, almost 9 out of 10 reply back by the next day they were offered the job.
GOOD LUCK IN LANDING THAT JOB!
Most employers will only verify information for fear of being sued. Even asking if you would rehire is open to interpretation – perhaps we eliminated that department and I have nothing else for you – so no I wouldn’t rehire. Perhaps I thought you were an ass and didn’t like working with you – regardless of if you were brilliant or not – no I wouldn’t rehire – but you didn’t ask me why I wouldn’t so you as perspective employer will take that no answer and infer negativity.
What will really sink you is an employer googling you or finding you on other social networking sites that would lead to your current employer, etc – and if you’re making up an employer – you may have to do some tap dancing around that one.
Everyone wants a comprehensive background check -but they all play the same game – we only verify yes / no on dates, sometimes title, sometimes salary.