I'm the top candidate for the job -- so how many more references do they need?

Q: I'm working through a headhunter on a position, and I'm the top candidate so far. He spoke to references from my last two employers, and all the references came back good. Now the headhunter wants the name of a supervisor I worked for over seven years ago. I don't know if I can track him down. Why aren't all these references adequate?

I've got the feeling the company has unusual hiring practices and is not very trusting. I don't know what they're searching for or what they think they will find. This tells me the company might be difficult to work for. Any advice?

NICK'S REPLY: Don't read too much into this request for older references. If anything, companies err by not checking enough references. Some don't bother to check at all. Sometimes employers learn to check references thoroughly only after they get burned. That may be what happened to this one. Help them any way you can in tracking down your old boss, but don't give them an attitude. The headhunter is doing his job, and the company is trying to ensure it's got a good candidate.

Think of it this way. If the company checks all references this carefully and you go to work there, odds are good you'll wind up working only with great people who have also been thoroughly checked out. It's a tough job market, and some people are claiming skills and credentials they don't really have. So don't let the thoroughness of the reference check bother you. If they can't locate your old boss, at least you cooperated. The rest is up to them.

There is one thing you should be aware of. Some headhunters harvest potential candidates for other search assignments through the reference check process. In itself, this isn't a problem as long as the headhunter handles it diplomatically. If he confuses the reference check with his recruiting efforts, however, he could be doing you and his client a disservice. Politely tell the headhunter that you do not want your references to be recruited during the reference check.

THE HEADHUNTER TIP:

Give away job candidates.

I usually advise job hunters in this space. This one is for hiring managers. The job market is a shambles. This makes personal contacts all the more valuable. So make more now if you want to get more later.

If you see a great resume, call the candidate even if he's not right for your company. Interview him briefly. Make a judgment. Offer to refer him to a manager you know at another company. Or suggest other job options. Offer to be a mentor. Point the guy toward another opportunity. Life is uncertain, but having lots of friends makes it better.

This is subversive, because you're not acting in the immediate interest of your company. So what? You're contributing to the world by feeding another career. And it's good for your own future. Give away job candidates. The more you give, the more you'll get.

Copyright 2009. Distributed by Universal Press Syndicate

Nick Corcodilos is author of "Ask The Headhunter: Reinventing the Interview to Win the Job" and the host of www.asktheheadhunter.com. He can be reached by e-mail at seattle@asktheheadhunter.com or at North Bridge Group, P.O. Box 600, Lebanon, NJ 08833. Sorry, no personal replies.