Recently, two of my clients successfully emerged as the leading candidates for the positions they were seeking. The process to get there was long and grueling, and both felt like a football team that had gone the length of the field: I It was now 1st and goal – close to a touchdown, but no points on the board as of yet.

At Kelleher Associates, we stress the critical importance of strong references, especially in today’s tough economy and extremely competitive search process. We encourage our clients to line-up people for whom they have worked, those who have worked for them, peers and colleagues, customers/clients, vendors and even professional service providers such as consultants, lawyers, and accountants. In most cases clients will need 6-8 references, but for very senior clients, having 10-15 references is not uncommon these days.

Here are a few tips for selecting the strongest references in the job search process:

Tip #1

• All references should be strong client advocates, meaning that they are highly articulate, quick on their feet (i.e.,able to be spontaneous and address surprising or unusual questions) and willing to take direction.
• Willingness to take direction means that a reference is receptive to a client spending the needed prep time explaining the basis for his/her strong interest in the job, why he/she is a genuine fit for the job, background prior to the reference check stage, what key questions have been asked of the candidate thus far, what questions are likely to be asked of the references and would make for a persuasive, responsive answer.

Tip #2

• At Kelleher Associates, we encourage our clients to ask their references for a debriefing after a reference check is made. This is especially helpful in assessing what the hiring company is interested in, as well as in evaluating the effectiveness of the reference who may or may not have delivered as promised.
• If their references haven’t delivered, we advise our clients to change them the next time around if they haven’t already secured or accepted the current opportunity. We also stress to clients the importance of sincerely thanking their references, especially if they are asked to speak on behalf of them more than once.

Tip #3

• It’s a good idea for candidates to put together a detailed spreadsheet when transmitting references to a recruiting firm or hiring manager.

The reference spreadsheet typically lists the name of the reference, the company for whom they work, their title, their contact information, what their relationship to the client was when they worked together (and what the client’s title was at the time), as well as a section for client comments to provide additional perspective or insight for the reference checker. While it may seem that we are compulsive about selecting and managing references, experience has taught us that when clients are so close to garnering an offer i.e., exceptionally close to the “goal line” – they cannot afford to let up their determination. The strategic selection of references and strong attention to detail -- before, during, and after the reference check process -- is essential to success.