---
title: Nearly 30 percent of employers have caught a fake reference on a job application
description: Three in five employers said when they contacted a reference listed on an application, the reference didn't provide positive information about the candidate.
---

[Skip to content](https://blog.innovativeemployeesolutions.com/ies-blog-nb-24/blog/nearly-30-percent-of-employers-have-caught-a-fake-reference-on-a-job-application#main-content)

[![IES Logo_Full-ColorNavy](https://blog.innovativeemployeesolutions.com/hs-fs/hubfs/IES%20Logo_Full-ColorNavy.png?width=300&height=140&name=IES%20Logo_Full-ColorNavy.png)](https://www.innovativeemployeesolutions.com/)

- [Innovative Employee Solutions Blog](https://blog.innovativeemployeesolutions.com)

- [Innovative Employee Solutions Blog](https://blog.innovativeemployeesolutions.com)

<https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https://blog.innovativeemployeesolutions.com/ies-blog-nb-24/blog/nearly-30-percent-of-employers-have-caught-a-fake-reference-on-a-job-application&url=https://blog.innovativeemployeesolutions.com/ies-blog-nb-24/blog/nearly-30-percent-of-employers-have-caught-a-fake-reference-on-a-job-application&source=tweetbutton> <http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://blog.innovativeemployeesolutions.com/ies-blog-nb-24/blog/nearly-30-percent-of-employers-have-caught-a-fake-reference-on-a-job-application> <http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://blog.innovativeemployeesolutions.com/ies-blog-nb-24/blog/nearly-30-percent-of-employers-have-caught-a-fake-reference-on-a-job-application> [mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https://blog.innovativeemployeesolutions.com/ies-blog-nb-24/blog/nearly-30-percent-of-employers-have-caught-a-fake-reference-on-a-job-application](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https://blog.innovativeemployeesolutions.com/ies-blog-nb-24/blog/nearly-30-percent-of-employers-have-caught-a-fake-reference-on-a-job-application)

December 3, 2012

# Nearly 30 percent of employers have caught a fake reference on a job application

Written by: [Innovative Employee Solutions](https://blog.innovativeemployeesolutions.com/ies-blog-nb-24/author/innovativeemployeesolutions)

Three in five employers said when they contacted a reference listed on an application, the reference didn't provide positive information about the candidate, according to a new study by CareerBuilder.

The study surveyed nearly 3,000 hiring managers and HR services professionals, in addition to roughly 4,000 workers. Roughly three of every 10 employers reported they've discovered a phony reference on a candidate's application.

According to CareerBuilder, 80 percent of employers contact references when evaluating potential new hires. Sixteen percent of these individuals will contact a reference before calling a candidate to schedule an interview.

The majority of employers have changed their mind about a candidate after speaking with a reference, and half of them said they developed an unfavorable opinion.

As employment picks up in many industries, [HR administration](http://innovativeemployeesolutions.com/wp/hr-administration/) professionals must be extra vigilant in checking job references to bring in the best talent for open positions. Some businesses may consider going beyond the names and contact information provided by the candidate and contact other past employers that job seekers list on LinkedIn. It's also a good idea to use internal resources, like a supervisor or employee who may know the candidate, to acquire truthful feedback.

Tag(s): [Blog](https://blog.innovativeemployeesolutions.com/ies-blog-nb-24/tag/blog)

## [Innovative Employee Solutions](https://blog.innovativeemployeesolutions.com/ies-blog-nb-24/author/innovativeemployeesolutions)

## Other posts you might be interested in

View All Posts

## [Blog 1 min read | July 11, 2011 New test seeks to identify creative individuals during the recruitment process Read More](https://blog.innovativeemployeesolutions.com/ies-blog-nb-24/blog/new-test-seeks-to-identify-creative-individuals-during-the-recruitment-process)

## [Recruiting Tips 2 min read | May 27, 2016 Why Creating an Employee Referral Program Will Bring You the Best Hires Read More](https://blog.innovativeemployeesolutions.com/ies-blog-nb-24/blog/business/creating-employee-referral-program-will-bring-best-hires)

## [Blog 1 min read | March 12, 2013 Small-business owners want a simplified tax code Read More](https://blog.innovativeemployeesolutions.com/ies-blog-nb-24/blog/small-business-owners-want-a-simplified-tax-code)

## Subscribe to email updates

Additional content around the benefits of subscribing to this blog feed.

- [Innovative Employee Solutions Blog](https://blog.innovativeemployeesolutions.com)

 © 2014-2026 Innovative Employee Solutions. All rights reserved.

<https://www.linkedin.com/company/innovativeemployeesolutions/> <https://www.facebook.com/innovativeemployeesolutions> <https://twitter.com/innovativees> <https://www.instagram.com/innovativeemployeesolutions/> <https://www.youtube.com/user/InnovativeEmployees>

[CSR policy](https://www.innovativeemployeesolutions.com/corporate-social-responsibility-policy/) [Diversity & Inclusion](https://www.innovativeemployeesolutions.com/ies-diversity-inclusion-policy/) [Privacy policies](https://www.innovativeemployeesolutions.com/privacy-policies/)

```json
{
  "@context" : "https://schema.org",
  "@type" : "BlogPosting",
  "author" : {
    "@type" : "Person",
    "name" : "Innovative Employee Solutions",
    "url" : "https://blog.innovativeemployeesolutions.com/ies-blog-nb-24/author/innovativeemployeesolutions"
  },
  "dateModified" : "2024-04-24T18:54:56.980Z",
  "datePublished" : "2012-12-03T18:08:10.000Z",
  "headline" : "Nearly 30 percent of employers have caught a fake reference on a job application",
  "mainEntityOfPage" : {
    "@id" : "https://blog.innovativeemployeesolutions.com/ies-blog-nb-24/blog/nearly-30-percent-of-employers-have-caught-a-fake-reference-on-a-job-application",
    "@type" : "WebPage"
  },
  "publisher" : {
    "@type" : "Organization",
    "logo" : {
      "@type" : "ImageObject",
      "url" : "https://blog.innovativeemployeesolutions.com/hubfs/Signature-TaglineKarla.png"
    },
    "name" : "Innovative Employee Solutions"
  }
}
```