Survey 21 Percent of Job Seekers Dropped After Reference Checks

On average, 21 percent of job seekers are taken out of consideration by managers after a check of professional references, according to a survey released by OfficeTeam, a division of Robert Half International Inc.

The survey also found that 36 percent of managers, when contacting references, are most interested in a description of past job duties and experience of potential employees. An additional 31 percent seek a view into job seekers’ strengths and weaknesses.

OfficeTeam’s survey included telephone interviews with more than 1,000 senior managers at companies with 20 or more employees.  

Filed by Staffing Industry Analysts, a sister company of Workforce Management. To comment, e-mail editors@workforce.com.

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