You know…I go back and forth with this one.  Although I have often thought that the process of calling a list of references provided by the candidate could prove to be a waste of time, I do think they have some benefit.  It makes the employer at least feel better about the decision they just made to hire an individual.

First, let me just say that this is different than calling your previous employer to ask similar questions about your work performance.  In this instance, information both good and not so good could be revealed, depending on what type of experience you had there.  This information could be beneficial in making a hiring decision.  Now, if I receive a request from a recruiter to provide a list of my professional references to call then hmmm…who would I include on that list?  Well, I’m certainly not going to include anyone that might say anything off the wall or crazy that could even be perceived as negative.

Each reference will of course answer the questions honestly because this is the list of individuals that will always discuss your strengths and play down any weaknesses.  So with this being the case…how valuable is this information?  Is it worth the time it takes to make these calls?  Should you take to heart the word of someone that you’ve never met and don’t know anything about?  For that matter, how do I even know I’m calling the person whose name I’ve been given.  It could be a stand-in.  Maybe the employer should check the references of the reference first.