Dear Cindy – Do People Call References?

When you've provided written references, do people also call these references?

Sincerely,

Refs in Hand

Not everyone calls the writer of a reference. However, when I worked in recruitment, we had enough fake references coming across our desks to indicate that people should always call any reference they're using. (By "using," I mean that some applicants would hand in 10 written references covering the last couple of decades, but we only used about three of the most recent ones.)

Some employers make it a policy that every reference must be called, but when there's no such policy, especially if there are time constraints, recruiters use their own judgement and may not call. For example, if a reference for someone who has worked at a place for several years is extremely brief, then red flags go up. But a reference that is excessively effusive could also be a bad signal. Nonetheless, the reality is that judgement can be faulty, and some of the fake references we received not only seemed fine, but were from people who seemed totally legit.

In general, in healthcare, where the implications of negligent hiring are much more serious than, say, in hiring a clerk for a store, it's always best for recruiters to call.