Interviews · 5 min read
Choosing and briefing your references
Reference checks happen late, usually after the employer has decided they want you. They are rarely the thing that wins you a job and they can occasionally be the thing that loses one, generally through carelessness rather than anything anyone said.
The two things worth doing are choosing well and briefing properly. Both take about twenty minutes and most candidates do neither.
Who to ask
A direct former manager, first choice. Employers want the person who supervised your work. A peer or a friendly colleague produces a pleasant conversation with very little in it, and experienced recruiters notice when someone cannot produce a manager.
Someone recent and relevant. A manager from a role similar to the one you are applying for carries more weight than someone senior from ten years ago.
Someone who will actually respond. An excellent referee who does not answer their phone for three weeks holds up your offer. Check they are available and willing before you give their details.
Two is usually enough if they are the right two. Five character references do not substitute for one former manager.
If your last manager is not an option
Common and manageable.
If you are still employed and have not told anyone, that is understood. Say so, offer someone from a previous role, and offer your current manager conditionally once an offer is agreed. Employers deal with this constantly.
If the relationship was difficult, choose someone else who can speak to the work: a manager from earlier in the same organisation, a senior colleague you worked with closely, a client or a project lead. Be straightforward if asked rather than constructing an elaborate reason.
If the company no longer exists, or the manager has left, offer whoever else can speak to that period and say what happened.
Nobody needs a full explanation. What looks bad is evasiveness, not the absence of one particular person.
Brief them properly
This is the part almost nobody does, and it makes the largest difference.
Ask first, properly. Never give someone's details without asking. It is discourteous and it produces a referee who is caught unprepared.
Tell them what the role is. Send the job advert. A referee who knows what you are being assessed for will emphasise the relevant things instead of describing you generically.
Remind them of specifics. People forget. "You might mention the supplier consolidation project, since this role involves vendor management." That is not putting words in their mouth, it is jogging a memory about work you actually did together.
Tell them when to expect contact, and from whom.
Say thank you afterwards, and tell them how it went. You will want to ask them again.
What employers can ask
Generally: your dates of employment, job title, duties, performance, attendance where relevant to the role, reasons for leaving, and whether they would re-employ you.
Generally not: health or disability, age, family or caring arrangements, pregnancy, religion, or anything else they could not lawfully ask you directly.
Many large employers now have a policy of confirming dates and title only, for legal reasons. This is not a reflection on you and employers know it. If you know a former employer works that way, mention it in advance so it is not read as anything.
The things that cause problems
Giving details without asking. Produces an unprepared referee and occasionally an annoyed one.
Giving a personal friend with no working relationship. Transparent, and it wastes one of your two.
Details that do not check out. If your resume says you were a manager and your referee describes a different scope, that discrepancy is a serious problem at a late stage. Make sure your referee would describe your role the way you have.
Contacting a current employer without permission. Employers should not do this, and you should confirm explicitly that they will not until an offer is agreed. If a prospective employer is casual about this, say so clearly, because it can genuinely cost you your current job.
At the offer stage
References are usually requested alongside or just after an offer, which is normal and a good sign.
Two practical points. Offers are frequently conditional on satisfactory references, so do not resign until any conditions are cleared. And if the process is stalling on a referee who is not responding, tell the employer and offer an alternative rather than letting silence look like a problem.
Common questions
How many references do I need?
Two is usually enough, ideally direct former managers from relevant roles. Quality matters much more than quantity.
Can I use a colleague instead of a manager?
If a manager is genuinely not available, yes, but employers want someone who supervised your work. A colleague is a fallback rather than a first choice.
Can an employer contact my current boss without permission?
They should not, and you should confirm explicitly that they will not until an offer is agreed and you have given permission.
What can a former employer say about me?
Generally dates, title, duties, performance, attendance where relevant, reason for leaving and re-employment eligibility. Not health, age, family circumstances or other protected information.
What if my former employer only confirms dates?
This is a common corporate policy for legal reasons, employers are used to it, and it is not read as a signal about you. Mention it in advance so it is not a surprise.
The short version
Choose direct former managers who will actually answer, always ask before giving details, send them the job advert and remind them of specific work, and confirm that nobody contacts your current employer before an offer is agreed.