It depends who is giving the nod on recruitment. If it has to go through HR, then no.
When I was involved in recruiting, which in my case was mainly contractors, if I didn't know the contractor I would often just ring up their ex-gaffer(s) (who sometimes I knew personally) for a chat. If I knew the contractor I didn't bother and just gave the nod.
Lots of firms won't give written references due to potential legal problems (libel), they'll just provide bare bones info: time with company, positions held &c.
That is pretty much spot on. CV's of unknowns is just a gamble. If they're in the business, known quantities amongst your contemporaries or your rivals that lessons the risk significantly. I only take punts on sure things. Well kind of.
Written references are pretty much dead. A simple phone call is all you need to those they've worked with before
A CV landed on my desk this week, an ex-colleague recommended them to contact me. There's a contract I will likely get next week - fingers crossed - and unless she comes across as a weirdo freak in the interview she's got the lead position.
My interview technique isn't your standard HR malarkey. If you've got the credentials, not from diploma mills, forged or photocopied and pasted from your daughter's engineering degree, or vast fictional revision of CV's over the years, then you're basically past the first post with me.
Depending on role: I'm interested in how you engage, work ethic, ethics in general and can you cope with volumes of emails/requests, data, reporting and be an ambassador for the organization, project and yourself. And does the work scope interest you?
A great many people don't come across well in formal interviews with those stock questions: ''What's your greatest strength?'' and ''What's your greatest weakness?''. I ask general questions on specific experiences on projects, working in diverse teams and why they're interested in this work. If it's only money, then you know they're chasing it and will jump ship as soon as the next thing smoking arrives.
I want to get to the real person and you can only do that by making them feel ultra-comfortable in your presence.
Our South African office is big, or was on those personality tests. Total waste of time. You can fake it. They had someone they employed from Germany in an executive position and when the US shareholders and bankers met this guy they were totally underwhelmed. He lasted a couple of months after threatening the female office staff, etc.
