Putting references in resumes - don't bother

I recently recommended in a newsletter that you not include a list of references on your resume. Several readers have asked for clarification; some agreed with my opinion, others didn't.

Part of my reasoning for making this statement is that I am skeptical of most of the information obtained from references provided by the candidate. Here are some more of my thoughts:

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* It would be foolish for a candidate to provide the name of someone that wouldn't give them a good reference. It is almost as foolish for hiring officials or recruiters to dutifully call all the listed people knowing that they have in fact been forewarned as to what to say. To base a hiring decision on that information really is folly.

* Calling the human resources department to verify dates of employment is OK, but that is all you can expect from them.

* Verifying degrees is important. Sadly, a lot of B.S. degrees really are "BS."

* The best kind of reference information is obtained by doing your homework to independently identify and talk to the candidates' co-workers, users, managers, etc. A top performer leaves a clear trail. A poor performer does, too. It is more difficult to get this kind of information but it is so much more helpful.

* If you want to discuss specific technical and performance issues, make a list of questions ahead of time. Go through the entire list of questions with each person you talk to. If you detect or suspect areas that need additional attention, modify your approach to highlight those areas in subsequent conversations.

Some high-level recruiters simply refuse to call a list of candidate-supplied references; if they do, they won't send a summary of their findings to the client. One very successful recruiter candidly asks, "Why should I take the time to write the candidates' public relations brochures?"

To repeat my original comment on including lists of references - don't bother.

Tom Whitley and the staff of Management Recruiters of Kannapolis, specialize in recruiting information systems, telecommunications, and networking professionals at both the technical and managerial levels. If you are interested in discussing career opportunities, if you need assistance with your recruiting efforts, or if you have comments about the Career Advisor contact Tom at tomwhitley@ctc.net.

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