With the emergence of LinkedIn recommendations and endorsements, it’s easy to think you don’t need to bother with referees and references, or even a traditional resume for that matter.
But while recommendations and endorsements add plenty of value, references are still a critical part of an employer’s selection process. Recruiters say it’s still necessary to have at least two referees on call when you’re applying for a new role.
Hays regional director Jane McNeill says employers still want to speak to someone who the potential employee has reported to.
“We usually recommend that you have two referees. Most employers want to speak to a minimum of two,” she says.
Career coach and brand consultant Gillian Kelly says LinkedIn is useful because it facilitates reaching out and maintaining relationships with referees.
“LinkedIn is a fantastic tool, not necessarily for the testimonials, but for actually retaining contact with past employers. You can actually find those people and get back in contact with them. Over LinkedIn InMail, you can re-establish contact and reestablish the relationship no matter where they go,” she says.
When choosing who should be your referee, Kelly emphasises the importance of choosing someone who’s had the opportunity to see your contributions in a role relevant to the one you’re applying for, but also someone that you trust completely.
“Make sure that you really do trust anybody that you put on your referees list,” she says. “Make sure you trust them 100%.”
While references are still an integral part of the job search process, Kelly says LinkedIn recommendations and endorsements have their place, as long as you manage them effectively.
“Endorsements don’t have as much value as the recommendations section. The recommendations section definitely brings value in terms of establishing your credibility, but it’s about managing them,” she says.
“You need to manage those recommendations and order them so that people can see the most relevant ones … They’re all external testaments to your capability, so they’re definitely beneficial.”
Similarly, McNeill says the value of recommendations depends on how many you have.
“It’s about quality rather than quantity. I’ve often had people endorse me on LinkedIn who I’ve never met in my life. If people see literally hundreds of recommendations or endorsements, they lose their value to some extent,” she says.