Study: 1/3 of applicants removed after reference checks

In a new survey from global staffing firm Accountemps, senior managers reported they remove approximately one in three candidates (34 percent) from consideration for a position with their company after checking their references.

“Reference checks carry as much weight as any other point in the hiring process, and a misstep here can put you back at square one,” Michael Steinitz, executive director of Accountemps, said.

“Too often, this step is an afterthought, but candidates need to treat it with care and practice proper etiquette. If a reference is caught off guard by a hiring manager’s call, it could impact the conversation or, worse, halt your candidacy altogether.”

See more survey data here.

We run a lot of reference checks for our clients, and we speak to many, many more organizations that have run their own reference checks in the past.

The most concerning thing we see? The lack of care and attention most organizations give to these checks.

They’re a critical part of the of the screening process, but are too often ignore. Here are our tips on the right way to reference check — and why it’s important.