Nonetheless, I never expect to receive negative feedback from reference actually listed on applications. Who would list the name of someone who hated them or their work? That's where the skill of performing reference checks come in; getting to the truth, whether it's good or bad. I've had applicants tell me that trying to get a job at our company is like trying to get a job at the CIA and frankly, that's the way it should be if you're gambling the success of your company (and your livelihood) on the people you hire… which is everyone; from warehouse worker to CFO.

Two applicants/reference checks stick out in my mind: something didn't ring true so I dug and dug and dug. It turns out that one applicant had a criminal history of abusing women and the second had a nasty habit of exposing himself to girls, which they both finally confirmed. Digging into their references and beyond paid off for us. The laws of HR are changing and I always remind the references and previous employers that if they don't tell me about something violent or criminal, that they can be held liable for negligence via omission if we hire the person and they become a repeat offender.

In regards to (social) networking, I love it! Get out there and network because as an employer I make certain to check all of the social networking sites and if you think that information is private, then you're using the wrong search tools. I love interviewing someone who tells me they have no problem with early AM shifts and then find out they usually spend their nights clubbing and they've made a comment on their Facebook page which shows how they hate, hate, HATE to get up before 9AM.

Keep up the great work Penelope, I have to say that 99.9% of your blogs are laser-pointer perfect.

would love everyone's thoughts on this practice.

i'm with nadia–"lame" is an apt word, and more widely used to describe injured dogs. using it in this context doesn't diminish anyone.

when i leave a company, as in a layoff, i ask my boss or someone else for a WRITTEN reference. Since I'm a writer and they usually are not, i've been asked more than once to write my own reference and they they happily sign it! So of course i give myself a glowing review.

The advantages here are that you get a detailed account of your performance while it's still fresh in their minds, not 6 months later when you finally get an interview.

I also hand in copies of my written references at any job interview I get. This is only a positive, plus it could possibly be considered sufficient instead of necessitating a phone call.

I have a friend in real estate who reported ethics violations at his company. While he says he's protected from retaliation, I pointed out that he has no idea what his boss and coworkers will say come reference time (the whole office was investigated). I think he shouldn't use them at all no matter how suspicious it looks, but he pointed out he didn't exactly want to be known as a whistleblower. So what options does he have other than client references?