Executive Search
References, done properly
How to run the last stage of a search so it changes what you know.
By the time references are taken, the decision has usually been made, and the process becomes a search for confirmation. Run that way, it confirms.
Done properly, referencing is the only stage of a search where you hear about a candidate from people who watched them work for years rather than for hours.
Ask about the conditions, not the person
"Where did they struggle?" invites a polite answer. "What kind of environment brings out their worst?" invites a useful one — and it is a question a referee can answer generously without disloyalty.
Go one step beyond the list
The nominated referees are chosen for a reason. A single conversation with someone who reported to the candidate, arranged with their knowledge and consent, is often worth the rest of the exercise combined.
References should be capable of changing the decision. If they cannot, they are a formality, not a stage.