Rejection and referees
Mark Heaney
An offer on the table doesn't mean your new job is in the bag. A reference check could still result in rejection, as the startling results from a UK survey on reference checks reveals
No one checks references, right?
Wrong. Reference-checking is one of the most widely practised recruitment methods. It is:
Used by just under three-quarters of employers (73%)
Especially widespread in the public sector - almost nine in 10 public sector bodies (87.2%) use it compared with only seven in 10 private sector firms (68.6%)
Often the last hurdle a candidate must jump. Seven in 10 employers (70.3%) wait until they have made a decision on a candidate before checking references and offering the job "subject to satisfactory references"
Employers don't withdraw job offers because of a reference, right?
Wrong. In the past year:
59% of employers rejected at least one candidate due to poor references
25% of employers rejected at least three candidates due to poor references
nearly 10% of employers rejected five or more candidates due to poor references
Employers only check attendance, right?
Wrong. The table below shows the eight issues that most employers check with references. Paying special attention to these could lower your chances of rejection.
 |
| Area checked | % of employers |
|
| Absence record | 89.3% |
| Opinion of candidate's performance | 83.9% |
| Opinion of candidate's suitability for vacancy | 69.6% |
| Work history | 65.2% |
| Punctuality | 63.4% |
| Disciplinary record | 61.6% |
| Responsibilities of current job | 54.5% |
| Motivation/commitment | 50.9% |
Source: 'References - The check's in the post', taken from issue 752, June 2002 of the IRS Employment Review
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