When it comes to the issue of a job candidate's references many recruiters are failing to get the full mileage out of them.  Not only can candidate references be used to help a job candidate win out over others and secure a position, they can also be used by recruiters up front to secure an interview for the candidate.  Here's how…

Encourage the candidate to provide references at the beginning of the recruitment process and ask them questions about how they added value to their former employer.  For example, a recruiter might ask, "What was your proudest accomplishment at XYZ firm?"  Request that they provide specifics.  So instead of a job candidate saying, "I was really great at multitasking and worked well under stress," he might say, "I worked on 20 cases a month and once saved the company $20,000 when an irate client threatened to take us off their case. I resolved the client's issue quickly and they eventually became a repeat client."

Once the recruiter secures the "value added" statement from the job candidate, he/she should confirm the statement with the candidate's references.  Once they have confirmed the accuracy of the candidate's statement they should submit to their client, the candidate's "value added" statement along with their resume, cover letter and a note saying that the statement was confirmed by the former employer.  Verified "value added" statements are almost guaranteed to go a long way in winning the confidence of clients and by extension a face-to-face interview for your job candidate.