Job References DO Count - Never Burn a Bridge!

A few weeks ago, I had several requests for reference of work scary in a few days. Three of the four had an unhappy ending. If the task references really make a difference? In my opinion, they are essential for the hiring process. Hiring has its own risks, primarily driven by HR approaches. The largest two errors? ((one) do not reference orb) select the individual bad for employment.Which of these is more controllable? References, of course. They provide an independent, verified notice of the candidate. Then, what happens when you as a Manager are asked to provide a reference?For a good candidate, references are easy. For a poor candidate, a moral dilemma often arises. I made a resolution to myself for many years that I would not lie or "fudge" a reference for anyone I would not myself re-employment. My reputation and integrity relies on my honesty.This resolution was made because more than once, I made a bad lease based on the reference of a colleague. In these cases, I am sure the colleague was just "helping" a candidate without the direct knowledge of individual capabilities. However, poor results as it did not increase my respect for the colleague or I appreciate being blocked with a difficult or unable to employee.In this particular week, application reference # 1 came to me from a friend that called "informally" because I was familiar with a company on the curriculum vitae of the candidate, his. The candidate had no idea that I was a non-official reference. These references unsolicited between colleagues can make or break an employment opportunity. They are usually clear telephone calls between the executives who trust to another; executives can quickly confirm facts and opinion that results can vary significantly from point of view of the candidate's hiring manager. The best thing: informal references are an alternative to relying only on what could be a "partial" reference list in the curriculum vitae of the candidate.Request for reference # 2 came directly, a candidate to request permission to include my name on their list of curricula vitae reference (it is a good practice - requesting a former supervisor in advance if they provide a working reference). Unfortunately, I refused because I was aware of the negative information, that the candidate had "burned bridges" in a relationship with a former employer. This was a conversation difficult to lower the candidate, let me tell you.Reference # 3 was a request sent by one of my colleagues. He received surprise bad news of an investigation by informal reference, which eliminated its star candidate. Is this prospective employee leaving a previous weeks of work after the employer has invested tens of thousands of dollars of specialized - training to join a competitor! A candid conversation (on a non-official reference check) discovered this "burnt bridge". My colleague has refused the candidate and begun above zero on his interview process.Request for reference # 4 was positive, thank God! Favourable references are always a pleasure to provide - what better reward is assisting a former employee aspire to a higher level and move forward in their careers?With hindsight, the number of rotten references was not a normal mixture. Outweigh the balance good references usually outweigh the bad, on a 9: 1 ratio. Maybe it was a bad week - it was a full moon, after all!Lesson learned? NEVER burn a bridge, it's a small world, and your reputation is everything in the long term.