Managers, senior managers executives and directors are often called on to provide references. There are often conflicting pieces of advice about employers’ references – should we or shouldn’t we? Must we or can we opt out? The official position in the UK is “An employer doesn’t usually have to give a work reference – but if they do, it must be fair and accurate. Workers may be able to challenge a reference they think is unfair or misleading. Employers must give a reference if: there was a written agreement to do so; they’re in a regulated industry, like financial services. If they give a reference it: must be fair and accurate – and can include details about workers’ performance and if they were sacked”. (https://www.gov.uk/work-reference).

The problem, I think, for employees is that, no matter how good they “know” they have been, they have no idea of the detail of the reference. For example, their last few years’ appraisals may have been great but they now have a new manager who doesn’t like them. This won’t invalidate the appraisals – the manager will need to stand by them. But he or she could nuance their response to suggest or imply (sic) “this employee needs to be monitored” or something similar.

The UK government would again appear to come to the rescue: “Once the worker starts with a new employer they can ask to see a copy of a reference. They have no right to ask their previous employer”. But when we’ve just joined a company and want to impress, are we likely to ask for the copy? The law, whilst well meaning, differs I think from the reality.

This is backed up by a 2014 piece by Sophie Roberts of the CIPD (UK’s Chartered Institute for Personnel Development) – “A reference request lands on your desk asking for the following information. Why did Jim leave your employment? How many days of sickness absence did he have in the last 12 months? Was he subject to any disciplinary proceedings during his employment? As you reach for your pen to wreak your revenge (‘Jim was the subject of a four-month disciplinary investigation, had an ongoing grievance……’) good sense prevails: you put down your pen, breathe and start filling out the company’s factual reference template in accordance with company policy. However, a recent case is a reminder that, in the real world, things don’t always go this smoothly……………….” (http://www2.cipd.co.uk/pm/peoplemanagement/b/weblog/archive/2014/07/08/what-not-to-do-when-providing-references.aspx).

The split between real life and the law. Perhaps not always but the pitfalls are there.
A colleague says to you that they are being interviewed for a new job. They ask you to be their reference. Should you say yes? And if you do, what can you say to a potential new employer to best convey the applicant’s skills and expertise – and in that regard bear in mind that what you say on paper may be misinterpreted and come across differently than if it is verbal. You’ll need to decide whether you want to do it. Ultimately there may be factors to take into consideration. For example, the first that occurred to me was: if I gave someone a bad reference and, no matter how honest it is, the person who requested it doesn’t like it, are they going to try to damage me via LinkedIn – they could legitimately, even if wholly inappropriately, “InMail” my connections and tell them I was awful.

So, on all fronts, if you feel happy to write the reference, prepare. It may be that you worked with the person a long time ago, in which case you might want their updated CV which contains their achievements – ideally from when you worked together. This time difference isn’t as odd as you might perhaps think. It is normal for me to send LinkedIn recommendation requests after finishing a job. Some of these I receive very quickly, some 6 months later after a “sorry I forgot” (yes I may have sent a reminder!).

Use specific examples. The interview your colleague has had might be remote or in person but either way, the interviewer will have 2 primary interests which the reference ideally needs to cover: the candidate’s behaviour – attitude, approach, team-membership, compatibility – and the skills and expertise that relate to the job they have applied for. I’m always amazed by the clients I have who apply for things they are neither suited to nor qualified for. I must explain that the CV is not the recruitment process, only a small / introductory part of it: “I know I can do the job” “Yes but they insist on a PRINCE2 qualification and you don’t have it”. If your colleague has applied for a job in which they have no experience, it can be difficult to come up with appropriate anecdotes – indeed it could be false if you over-embellish. So perhaps describe the time when they were given new responsibilities and what they achieved in that context. Your reference wants ideally to sell their competence and competencies without bloating or falsely inflating them.

Be positive. Convey your opinion of the applicant’s abilities, though again don’t go overboard. Upsell is great, effusive and gushing is absolutely not. When putting the reference together, the one driver I would suggest – or at least the primary one – is the question: would I hire this person if they applied to me? The point to note here is: if you wouldn’t, why are you writing the reference? Essentially, you’re falsely selling the person to their prospective new employer. If you would hire them, is the reference language too much or have you remained – correctly – restrained. Bottom line here I think, yes upsell them but rein in the emotion.

Many applicants are only vaguely aware of when and if their references are being checked and so it’s almost certainly beneficial to them to let them know you’ve spoken to the recruiter. The candidate will wish as much information as they can get about their fate in the selection process and the very fact that you have had a chat with the recruiter keeps them abreast of what’s going on and lets them know they’re in with a very good chance. It is not necessary to go into every detail of the conversation – indeed you may wish not to in case sensitive areas were covered, areas which the recruiter specifically asked about which contained a nuanced negative – but their being made aware of the apparent proactivity will boost them.

So, be honest about what you are and are not willing to say to the recruiter; have the candidate remind you about their accomplishments and contributions, especially if you haven’t worked together for some time; and be enthusiastic with the recruiter about your colleague and their ability to do the job well.

And to cap it all, if you don’t want to be crucified on social media or ignored at the water cooler, either don’t agree to provide a reference for someone you don’t believe in or agree but be totally honest in advance about your reservations. Combined, they are both “open” but also hopefully prevent any bad blood which may later come about.

The reputation of you as the writer – and them in their new job if they get it based on false information – are both on the line. Don’t dent either. And just remember, if the candidate becomes your boss in later life or you apply to the company they’ve just left under a cloud, you might wish you’d thought through and managed the “reference do I or don’t I” process a bit better.