News & Views: Getting to Know You in the Digital Age

Before the expansion of the internet, when you embarked on a job search or were interviewing for a new post, you would give potential employers a letter of recommendation and a list of references.  In most cases, these letters and references presented your employment history in the best possible light — like a carefully staged display window at a high-end department store.  You chose former managers and colleagues deliberately, only listing those people who would rave about your skills and successes.  Hiring managers valued these references as an important source of information about your work experience because they had no other resources to tap.

The proliferation of technology has made it possible for prospective employers to gain a less biased perspective of a person’s history and character.  Hiring managers can plug your name into a search engine and delve into your past, both professional and personal.  Almost any information posted on the internet can be accessed by an employer.  In fact, websites like YouTube and MySpace have ruined many prospective careers because employers have seen provocative photos or unflattering information about an applicant. 

What can you do to make sure that information about you on the internet is accurate?  How can you manage the flow of information about you to prospective employees?  Before you begin your job search, it makes sense to be proactive:  Google yourself.  You may already know there are no incriminating photos of your school days, but what else is there?  Is there evidence of an affiliation with a political party or controversial charity?  Did you write about a touchy subject matter in your college thesis or post comments on a public forum?  Have you been interviewed for an article or written a white paper on a divisive subject?

Know what is out there so you can develop a plan to tackle it.  Photos may be easily removed, but be prepared to address with your prospective employer any other information. 

Technology has made it easier for hiring managers to dig into your past, but it has also affected the relevance of letters of recommendation.  So much up-to-the-minute information is readily available that these letters become dated almost as soon as they are written.  In some cases, they can even devalue your worth if they are vague, impersonal and insipid.

Since letters are a tired trend, you want to be more thorough with your list of references.  Despite the abundance of information that is available online, references are still a powerful tool that provide insight about your work ethic and history.  The following are tips for getting the most out of your references:

Make sure the list is strong.  Just because a person was your supervisor doesn’t mean he or she will be a good reference.  Include names of people who can speak clearly and in-depth about your abilities.

Seek permission.  Checking with colleagues or bosses before including them on your list is a common courtesy and lets them know that they may be expecting a call about you. 

Prep them.  If you believe a hiring manager or recruiter may contact a reference, call (not email) your references to prepare them about what to expect.  If they are armed with adequate information about the job, the organization and what skills you feel they should highlight, they will be better equipped to give a valuable reference.

Some hiring managers will ask to speak to additional references at the organization.  Discuss this possibility with your contacts.  They can either decline to give names, or you can mutually develop a list of people at your former job whom you would feel comfortable listing. 

Protect them.  If you are doing several rounds of interviews at many different organizations, you want to be careful not to over-use your references.  You should consider asking several people to serve as references and rotate the list.  You can also explain to hiring managers that you are happy to provide references, but that you only want them to be contacted if you have progressed to an offer stage. 

Some organizations prohibit their employees from providing references due to the increasing amount of litigation.  However, there are still creative ways to develop a useful pool of references.  Think of transferable skills from your personal life that might apply to your career.  For example, if you are applying for a leadership position and were a Boy Scout leader, give a reference from the troop.  You may also want to consider clients or vendors with whom you’ve had close working relationships.  It is also possible to get a reference from someone at your former employer if you ask them to speak “off the record” after office hours on their personal time. 

Technology has caused the job search process to evolve.  Hiring managers don’t need your references, or permission, to find out about your personal and professional lives.  Be savvy about what information is available in cyberspace—and control the process as much as you can.  Of course, references are still a valuable tool for you and your future employer and should be treated with courtesy and respect.