As a recruiter, reference checks should be a daily part of our recruitment lives. They are an essential multi-purpose activity with numerous potential payoffs.



I look at it as 2 calls in 1.

What You Have to Gain

From one call, you might generate a new client, a new candidate, a new job listing, a lead, market intel – the list goes on! Not to mention, it’s part of your job and you might discover interesting information that could help your candidate’s new employer effectively manage their new employee.

Recruiters are always looking for efficiency in their day, so it always surprises me just how many recruiters avoid, outsource, or simply don’t check references at all.

They’re Not a Waste of Time

Over the years, I’ve heard it repeated time and time again – reference checks are a waste of time. Afterall, why would someone give a referee who will say something bad about them? Naturally, you don’t call a referee expecting to get bad feedback, but it does happen – and surprisingly often.

Moreover, you might find out that they didn’t report directly to the referee, time frames were different, or a multitude of inconsistencies which may require further probing and investigation.

What You Have to Lose

There have been numerous famous cases of work history or reference fraud too. Think Myer and Parramatta City Council. These cases are embarrassing for the recruiter and their client. And what are the chances that your client will work with you again if you’ve failed to check references, resulting in their company’s public humiliation?

A friend of mine, and million-dollar-plus billing executive recruiter, says that reference checking is his number one marketing tool, generating hundreds of thousands of dollars a year as a direct result of his reference checking.

Other than the fact that it’s the right thing to do and save you some huge embarrassment down the track, it could also lead to your next big client.

So, what are you waiting for – go do those reference checks!