The International Schools Review Forum

Hey everyone, happy new year! Please talk me down off the ledge here - we've been engaged in Mr. UnCloudy interviewing for his dream job for the last month and they've finally asked if they may call his references. This is likely the last step, but will admin generally call for their top choice or their top...three choices? Thanks :)

It is the "due diligence" immediately before offering a contract.

Usually.

Top two or three. Increasingly three these days as it covers their back a bit more if they get it wrong (which they will do at some point, way it goes). A skilled recruiter who knows the candidate is good should be able to secure a good reference from the current principal/head and at least one other of note.

Excellent, thanks guys. The wait is just killing me!

I generally concur with the previous contributors. Generally recruiters will check the reference from the last/current supervising member of leadership, depending on that reference they may or may not check a second or third, though a second is becoming more common regardless of the weight of the first. When the reference is someone other than the most recent supervisor, that is when a recruiter is defiantly going to check the second and the third reference.

Oh! I see what you all are saying and I've been unnclear - I was wondering if they will call the references of multiple candidates or only their top choice candidate? Not which of those candidates references they will call.

Uncloudy, good luck to your husband. Would you share the continent of the school you are aiming for this time? Feel free to wait until it's a done deal if your are paranoid/superstitious.

@UnCloudy

It depends, some recruiters will check all the references on the short list (some check the long list), it is however more common to check references however as one of the last steps before offering a contract, in which case only those on the short, short list or the actual appointee have their references checked.

Thank you for the follow-up, PsyGuy!