Job References Interview Preparation Guide

The job seeker may answer yes or no, but they should be aware that the interviewer will be paying close attention to the answer and evaluating body language.

If this has occurred a positive answer should be planned and practiced. Employers will probe deeper when searching for a very convincing answer.

Applicant should have positive, confident answers and show no hesitation.

The standard questions a hiring manager will ask are ones related to your employment. The employer will want to verify that you did indeed work with this reference, the dates of your employment and the reference's relationship to you. Employers also want to know why you left. It is very important that their story matches that of the candidate. If the candidate says it was a mutual parting but the reference says they were let go or laid off, there will be a problem. The candidate should always be truthful when asked why they left, as the potential employer will check out their story.

The things employers are asking:
☛ Employment verification.
☛ Workplace performance.

After a hiring manager asks the basic questions, she might dig a little deeper into your work performance. Common performance-related questions will cover strengths, areas for improvement, ability to work in a team and biggest accomplishments.

Sure, a reference's answers hold a lot of weight but who the reference is can be just as telling to a hiring manager. If the only references you can provide are your mom, your sister and your best friend, it might raise a red flag with the potential employer.
Most employers would prefer that a job seeker choose a former manager or supervisor as a reference. This is because managers are usually able to deliver a relatively unbiased opinion and are much less likely to be swayed into giving a positive referral if one isn't truly deserved. A manager is also a good pick for a reference because a positive referral from him will hold more weight than one from a co-worker who is similarly ranked. Job seekers should also select references who worked with them for at least a year, have a good understanding of their abilities and can attest to their positive attributes.

Your best bet is to match your references to the job for which you are applying. Ideally, there are a number of people who have seen your work. They may be former managers, peers and even colleagues outside the organization. Typically, three references are enough. You should type out their names, companies, titles and phone numbers on a piece of stationary, which also has your name on it (in case the references are separated from your file). Character references such as neighbors, serve little purpose and are less desirable than former employers.

Most employers will want to speak with your former employer. Here are some ways to do some damage control: Call your former employer's human resources department and ask them if they will work with you on drafting a statement that they will use when providing a reference on you.
Another approach is to provide references from other places you have worked. However, they will still probably attempt to contact your last employer. If they do, you run the risk of looking worse if you have not mentioned what happened. In fact, I know of a situation where a job offer was taken back because the new employer found out the person was fired but had not mentioned it.

Responding to a reference check request can be tricky. Fear of reprisal and lawsuits keep many employers from responding at all. These recommendations will help you respond reasonably to reference checking requests while protecting the legitimate interests of your company and your current employees.
Many companies request that managers send written reference requests to human resources. If the manager's reference is positive, however, you can agree to have the manager provide a verbal reference directly to an employer.