Pre-employment Screening
Don't Leave Your References to Chance!

Pre-employment screening, if handled correctly, can tell a prospective employer all they need to know about your on the job performance.

If you're looking for a new opportunity, you'll need to provide some strong references to your prospective employer. Too often, this list is pulled together without much thought. We'll show you how to build a strong list of references - and how to get your references prepared for a reference call. As with interviewing, taking a reference is more of an art than a science. We'll explore the legal ins and outs of the process, and arm you with questions to ask to get a true read on a candidate's sales ability.

Developing Your Reference List

You should be prepared to provide the following references:

• 2 direct managers - people who you reported into; preferably current and previous
• 2 peers
• 2 direct reports, if you are pursuing a sales management opportunity
• 2 customer references

These references should all be reasonably current. We understand that you might not include your most recent boss if you're currently employed. But, if you can't provide any recent references, this is a strong indication that you have some current performance issues or personality conflicts that you don't want to reveal. You'll have to work hard to change this perception!

If you are currently in transition, your two most recent direct managers should be on your list. If they're not, you'll again be raising a question around your performance.

The following information should be provided for each reference:

• Full name of the referee
• The referee's job title when you worked together
• Reporting relationship between you and the referee
• How long you worked with this referee
• Specific skill areas the referee will be able to address
• Referee's current information: job title, current employer, current contact information

For contact information, supply the following:

• Day time phone number
• Email
• Mailing address

The purpose of providing this information is to allow the organization checking your references to tailor their questions to fit the relationship as well as to put the information they receive into context.

As we've mentioned elsewhere on top-sales-jobs.com, your reference list should be separate from your resume. Make sure that you have a separate page that you can hand over upon request. Click on this link for a sample Reference List from top-sales-jobs.com.

Preparing Your References

You should ask the individuals you plan to include on your reference list if they are willing to speak to prospective employers on your behalf. You might want to share your resume with your references to refresh their memory about your experience; you might also remind them of key skills that you want communicated to people who inquire about your background.

If you're actively interviewing, you can ask prospective employers and/or recruiters to hold off on checking your references until there is serious interest in your background. You don't want your references bombarded with phone calls to the point that they ask to be removed from your list.

My practice is to check one or two references between the first and second round interview - but hold off on completing all the references until we're getting close to an offer.

Reference Problems

I usually ask candidates if I will be surprised by anything I hear when I check references. In other words...is there anything that I should know before I make that first phone call?

It's generally a good idea to be honest and direct about personality conflicts. Chances are, the person checking your references will find out about problems like this from others in the organization. It's best to let them know hear about this issue from you. You'll have an opportunity to tell your side of the story.

You'll also raise an eyebrow or two if you quote your company's HR policy that says no one is permitted to provide a reference. If you've got a good track record, this policy should not be an issue.

For Employers Checking a Reference...

In most cases, your job application will provide the appropriate disclaimer language to allow you to check a candidate's references. In addition to verifying the facts, for example, dates of employment and eligibility for rehire, a reference check should give you some insight into the candidate's strengths and relative weaknesses.

Top-sales-jobs.com has a list of questions you can ask a referee. Our Reference Questions will give you several options for getting to the true story on a candidate's performance.

Here are some quick tips on what to ask or to listen for:

• Hesitation. Does the referee take a little too much time on what should be a relatively easy question? Don't be afraid to probe if you think there's something the referee isn't talking about. Tell them that you detect some hesitation. Reinforce that we all have strengths and weaknesses - and in fact, when you check a reference that's too glowing, it lacks credibility.
• Ask relative ranking type questions that force the referee to prioritize strengths. For example, "When you think about the components of the sales process, if you had to rank Joe's skills in terms of: opening new relationships; closing business or account management - which is his strongest skill set? Force the choice. Acknowledge that he's undoubtedly great at all of these things, but where does he really shine? This gives you some insight into relative strengths.
• Inconsistencies. You'll be talking to several referees. Are there any gaps or widely differing opinions on the candidate's performance?
• Ask who else you should be talking to. People typically include referees who will speak highly of them. This is no surprise. Find out who else in the organization the candidate worked closely with - or get the name of the boss' boss. You can always go back to the candidate and inquire why someone's name did not make the list.

A note about academic credentials...

Academic credentials need to be verified. It's alarming how many times what appears on a resume is not the whole truth. Verify directly with the academic institution or their agent (e.g National Student Clearing House; DegreeCheck). Do not accept transcripts or a copy of a diploma as proof of graduation. False credentials are readily available today on the internet.

Verify directly with the Registrar's office that a degree was conferred. Completing this part of a reference check BEFORE extending an offer is smart. In fact, checking academic credentials between a first and second round interview makes sense. There's nothing worse than thinking your position is filled only to find out when you're ready to extend an offer that resume fraud has occurred.

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