Alert referees before attending interviews

By Maore ithula

After getting short listed for an interview, failure to alert referees in time can cost you an opportunity of a lifetime.

Human resources experts recommend candidates should alert referees before going for interviews.

Mr Moses Ondieri, a human resource officer at the Care International, says it is not only courteous, but prepares the referee to put in a good word.

In some cases, people attach names of friends, godfathers and in extreme cases, relatives, as referees. But Ondieri concedes that information gathered from these so-called referees is not always objective.

To overcome this hurdle, he says, some employers conduct parallel interviews with former employer(s) to confirm that whatever information provided in a CV and during the interview is not exaggerated.

"Some employers might contact your employer and people you have not listed as your referees, this is not ethical if they (employers) do not inform you about this eventuality," says Ondieri.

When does a potential employer contact referees?

Ondieri says this happens only after you have passed an interview.

At this level, he says, employers want to find out whether, whatever information a candidate has told them during the interview is true.

He says candidates must contact and brief their referees in time so that they (referees) do not sound surprised, vague or irritated when a potential employer calls them asking questions.