You submitted an application. Were invited to an interview. Made it through multiple rounds. And the company asks for your references.
It’s a great sign. And it means that things are going well. You’re potentially on the verge of a job offer.
But does getting your references checked mean that you’ve got the job in the bag?
This article will help you answer “will I receive a job offer after a reference check” and other related questions.
Let’s dive in.
Will I Receive a Job Offer After a Reference Check?
If a company checks your references, that’s one of the strongest signs that you will receive a job offer. In fact, a reference check does often generally mean that you will be receiving a job offer shortly.
However, that is not always the case. I’ve had bosses that have decided not to give offers due to red flags that came up after references checks.
So, it’s critical to select the right references because a bad reference could indeed cost you a job.
That said, I have never not given a job offer from a reference check. And, in my experience, job offers are given the vast majority of time someone makes it to the reference check stage.
What Are the Chances of Getting a Job Offer After a Reference Check?
While I don’t have exact data to support this, if I were to make a conjecture from my experience, I would say you have a greater than 75% chance of getting a job offer after a reference check.
That estimate is based on my comments from the previous section that a reference check is one of the strongest signs that you will receive a job offer, as well as my own personal experience of calling references for employees prior to a job offer.
How Long After a Reference Check to Receive a Job Offer?
Generally, you should expect a job offer to come about 1 – 3 days after your final reference has been checked.
You can see read details on when you should expect to receive a job offer after a reference check, and answers to related questions, in our full article on the topic.
Are Reference Checks the Last Step?
Yes, a reference check is typically the last step in the process of vetting a candidate before making a hiring decision.
Now, a reference check doesn’t for sure mean that an offer is coming your way, but it’s good sign that you’ll be receiving one, and at least will be hearing a definitive answer from the company soon.
No News After Reference Check?
If you know for sure that a company has spoken to all of your references, and you have not heard from them for over a week since that point, that could be a red flag that you will not be receiving a job offer.
Significant delays in communication from a hiring company, particularly if it is a change in their normal pace of communication, is one of the more common red flags that you will not be receiving a job offer.
For more information on common reasons why you might being ghosted by a company after a reference check, take a look at this article.
Conclusion
A reference check is one of the strongest signs that you will be receiving a job offer.
And while it isn’t a sure thing, I would estimate that you have over a 75% chance of receiving a job offer after a reference check.
So once you hear that a company has started reaching out to your references, you will hopefully be hearing good news in anywhere from one – three business days.
