Backdoor References: 37% Say Potential Employers Contacted People They Never Listed

A job reference may seem like a straightforward endorsement, but what happens behind the scenes can be more complicated.

New research from Zety, a leading resume builder, shows some references are recommending people despite their own reservations (40%), some candidates are coaching or even faking references (19%), and employers aren’t always sticking to the names they’re given (37%).

Surveying over 1,000 U.S. workers, the Professional References Report found that 42% believe references should have little to no influence on an employer’s final hiring decision, with the results raising broader questions about the role references play in hiring.

Key Findings

Rise of “backdoor” references: 37% say a potential employer reached out to a former manager or coworker who was not listed as a reference.
Candidates struggle to meet reference requirements: Nearly one-third have had difficulty finding enough professional references when applying for a job.
Some job seekers turn to fake references: 1 in 10 have asked a friend or family member to pose as a former coworker or manager.
References can come with reservations: More than half (52%) have been asked to recommend someone they weren’t comfortable endorsing, yet 22% gave a positive reference anyway.

How Far Job Seekers Go to Manage References

Rather than leaving references to chance, many candidates take steps to steer the process in their favor.

Workers report using several tactics:

39% chose people they know will speak positively about them.
11% asked their references ahead of time what they plan to say about them.
11% avoided listing a former manager because they expected a negative reference.
10% asked a friend or family member to pose as a former coworker or manager.
9% coached their reference on what to say.
7% intentionally provided outdated contact information.

High Risk for “Backdoor” References

Candidates may carefully curate their references, but 37% of workers say a potential employer reached out to a former manager or coworker they never listed.

Meanwhile, the references they do provide aren’t necessarily contacted: just 15% say their references were contacted every time they were hired, while 47% say sometimes and 38% say rarely or never.

Opinions are divided on whether employers should go beyond the reference list:

48% say it’s acceptable, but only with the candidate’s permission.
25% say it’s acceptable even without the candidate’s permission.
27% say it’s unacceptable to contact people who were not provided as references.

Not Every Reference Is an Endorsement

Being selected as a reference does not necessarily mean someone is comfortable recommending the candidate. More than half of workers (52%) have been asked to provide a reference for someone they had reservations about, including:

22% who gave a positive reference anyway.
18% who gave an honest but mixed or negative reference.
12% who declined.

Questioning the True Value of References

Despite their longstanding role in hiring, professional references do not carry the same value for every worker. Some question their accuracy and influence, while others struggle to meet reference requirements in the first place:

22% feel that professional references do not accurately reflect a candidate’s work performance.
Nearly 1 in 3 (31%) have struggled to find enough professional references when applying for a job.
42% believe references should have little to no influence on an employer’s final hiring decision.

“Rogue reference checks introduce a wild card into the hiring process because candidates have no control over who is contacted or what version of their work history that person may share,” said Dr. Jasmine Escalera, career expert at Zety. “Someone outside a candidate’s reference list may have an incomplete view of their performance or a perspective colored by office politics, past conflicts, or personal history. Even more concerning, the candidate may never know the conversation took place, much less have an opportunity to provide context.”

For detailed insights on the Professional References Report, access the full study at https://zety.com/blog/professional-references-report.