Beat Medical Blog

Blowing the whistle on referees

Posted by Beat Medical

It is inevitable that you're going to be asked to provide details of referees for any locum position, training program, hospital or GP job.

The most common questions we are asked about referees are:

-who can be my referee?
-how recent do they have to be?
-what can I do if I get a bad reference?

Reference checks are used by employers and recruiters for a few different reasons. It ranges from the need to verify certain skills and experience, assess fit and personality, to simply 'checking out' what you have said in your application. In many cases, reference checks are used to differentiate between a number of similar candidates.

When providing a potential employer with referee details, consider the following:

1. Have they worked with you in the recent past?

A referee from twenty years ago is far less likely to provide meaningful, supportive information for your application. Try to stick with someone you have worked with in the past few months, up to twelve months ago at the maximum.

2. Were they your supervisor or peer?

Depending on your seniority, and the position, it is important to clarify for your potential employer who this person is in relation to you. In some cases, a reference from peer may not cut it. However, if you are applying for a very senior position and have not been actively supervised in many years, it may be your only option.

3. Does your referee relate to the position you are applying for?

Although your McDonald's shift supervisor from your high school job may be very positive about your performance, it may not be so relevant for that employer looking for a GP locum. Make sure your referee is suitable for the role you are applying for. We suggest even customising your referees to the position to make sure they can offer maximum value to your application.

4. Have you asked your referee to help?

Many of the referees we speak to every day have not been asked to be a referee. Not only is this uncomfortable for the referee, it makes life hard for the person taking the reference check. Do you think a surprised referee is going to give a positive, neutral, or negative reference? If you are going to be a locum, they may be contacted many times - make sure you let them know that, and the nature of the jobs you are applying for.

5. Afraid of a negative reference?

It's okay to ask your potential referees whether they will provide a positive reference about you. You might be surprised by the answer!

If you suspect that a referee has provided a negative reference, in most cases you can request a copy of the reference check from the potential employer. Under the Privacy Act, they may be required to provide a copy.

You should always have at least five potential referees up your sleeve. Not having one available may mean the difference between getting the job - and not.