For many organisations taking personal references is a key stage of the recruitment process. In addition to personal reference checks organisations are also requesting background checks before offering candidates a position.
A background check can confirm that the details on a candidate’s resume around Qualifications and Employment dates are correct, where as a personal character reference normally asks for the opinion of someone who has normally worked with or managed the candidate.
Unlike a background check this is totally reliant on an individual’s personal perspective and therefore I believe lends itself to be seriously unreliable. Personal perception/prejudice about someone may result in references not reflecting the true performance of a candidate in a particular role.
We have all heard stories of someone getting a friend or family member to pose as an employer to conduct a reference, a previous manager taking it badly that a top performer is leaving the business or someone providing a great reference in the hope that a low performer leaves the business.
Organisations often conduct references at the end of the recruitment process, once they have already decided a person is right for the role and the business. With this in mind should we then change our perception of a candidates suitability based on the outcome of a reference?
Can we really rely on a good or bad reference to make good hiring decisions?
I read an interesting article last week about the case of a lady called Debrahlee Lorenzana, a banker, who was fired from her job with Citibank in Manhattan. Debrahlee has sued the bank claiming she was fired for being too attractive, not due to work performance which was the reason given by Citibank for her dismissal.
Debrahlee claims she was ordered to stop wearing turtlenecks, pencil skirts, three-inch heels, or fitted business suits, because her bosses told her they could not concentrate on their work! This is a fairly extreme case and is still in progress but it certainly raises the question of ‘can what we wear really affect how we get ahead in the workplace?
I am big believer in the ‘first impressions count’ and have read a number of articles recently about the message your clothing choices convey to others. I think this is particularly relevant in the workplace. As many companies become more casual it seems one can often be confused about what to wear and more importantly – what not to wear!! Read more…
Call me old fashioned but where have the days gone when we talked on the phone for hours and caught up with friends….Whilst social media is great at connecting everyone it has also replaced the personal contact element.
The same convenience of technology which allows us to share photos, chat with friends and arrange our social life may also be making us lazy and fundamentally less social!
The launch of new gadgets such as the smartphone and i-pad have made it easier to get by without meaningful social interaction.
Recent articles have suggested we are increasingly becoming disconnected from family, friends, colleagues and neighbours. Robert Putnam, author of Bowling Alone and the results of over 500,000 interviews suggest we belong to fewer organizations that meet face to face, know our neighbours less, meet with friends less frequently and even socialize with our families less often.
Witnessing this trend myself at Manly Wharf Bar on Sunday, I noticed a couple sitting next two us on their i-pads. Two hours had passed and not a word had been spoken besides the order of drinks. My friends and I thought this was weird and later had a debate about ‘when does social media cross the line’.
Have you become somewhat anti social? Do you spend more time chatting on-line than in person?
For many organisations taking personal references is a key stage of the recruitment process. In addition to personal reference checks organisations are also requesting background checks before offering candidates a position.
Loading ...
