What to Do When Your Reference Doesn’t Answer
You might ask someone in your field to be a professional reference when you apply for a job. When a potential employer asks for a reference, it can be important for that person to respond quickly. In this article, we talk about what a reference is, what to do if they don’t answer a hiring manager’s questions, and how to get a reference to answer.
What is a citation?
A reference is a professional who talks to a potential employer about your skills and experience. You can use a former boss or coworker as a reference because they know how you did as an employee from personal experience. During the hiring process, a company may ask to talk to at least one reference. References who can talk about your good qualities can affect whether or not you get the job.
How to handle a reference that doesn’t answer
When a hiring manager tries to get in touch with your reference, it’s important that they respond quickly. But if your reference doesn’t respond, you can do some of the following:
Check your contact details.
You may not hear back from your reference because you have the wrong contact information. Before you send another message, make sure you have the most up-to-date email address and phone number. Keep in mind that your reference’s contact information may have changed since the last time you spoke to them.
For example, an employee may use a company email address that may stop working if they switch jobs, so make sure they’re still using that address. If you find that your contact information is out of date, you can ask other professionals in your network how to get in touch with your reference.
Find more sources.
If your first reference hasn’t answered your questions yet, you might want to choose someone else to speak on your behalf. The company that is hiring you may have a deadline for giving your references’ contact information, so finding a new one can help you use your time more effectively. Find a professional in your network with whom you can easily get in touch and who knows how you do at work. Make sure your new reference knows when they can expect to hear from the employer so they can be ready to talk about your qualifications.
Here are some tips to help your reference get ready.
Here are some tips to help your references be ready to talk to potential employers:
1. Be sure they know how hard you work.
The best reference is someone who has worked with you in the past and seen how hard you work. If they don’t know much about their qualifications, they might put off answering questions from the hiring manager. The more your reference knows about your work history, the more confidently they may be able to talk about your skills.
2. Make sure you have their OK.
Make sure you get permission from a possible reference before putting them on your resume. If they don’t know why your potential employee is calling or emailing, they might not pick up the phone or answer the email. If they say yes, let them know what’s going on with your career so they can think about what to tell the employer.
3. Provide details about your job search
If you tell a reference about the job you want, they may feel more comfortable answering questions and be more likely to do so. They can use the information to make their answers fit the job you want. For example, you started working for your reference as a low-level worker, but now you want to become a manager. When your references talk to the hiring manager, they can talk about times when you were a leader and made good decisions, which shows that you are a good fit for the job.
4. Check that your contact information is right.
Check with your reference to make sure you have their contact information right. For example, you might have their home email address or personal cell phone number instead of their work information. Think about your relationship with them to figure out what they might tell the employer about you. It is important to pick references who can say good things about you.
5. Thank them for sending you to them
Make sure your reference knows how grateful you are for their help. You might want to say “thank you” to them ahead of time for taking the time to talk to the employer on your behalf. This might make them realise how important their part is in the hiring process and encourage them to respond quickly.
