Your reference is more likely to respond if they know to be on the lookout for our survey. Here are a few general tips to follow when requesting a reference:
- Ask the person for permission to use them as a reference beforehand.
- Ask your references if they are comfortable giving you a good recommendation.
- Confirm your reference’s email address and which they prefer to use (work or personal email address).
- Make sure your references will be expecting the reference request and will be available to respond in a timely fashion.
- Be sure to explain the form of the request (brief survey) and where to look for it (via an email from Hire an Esquire), emphasizing that the survey will require a very brief investment of their time (no more than 5 or so minutes).