Let’s be honest: you do it because you want the real story.
You know candidates only list references who will say good things. So, you pick up the phone and call someone who knows them “off the record.” Maybe it’s a peer at their current company or a contact you trust in the industry.
It’s just smart due diligence. Right?
It’s not.
It’s a breach of trust,and, worse, it rarely gives you better insight.
Here’s why backdoor references usually backfire.
1. They Break Confidentiality
Most professionals interview quietly for a reason. When you start calling around about a candidate who hasn’t told their employer they’re looking, you’re putting their livelihood at risk.
You may think you’re being discreet, just calling a “friend of a friend”, but word travels fast. A quick conversation can unravel months of careful professional discretion and permanently damage someone’s standing at their current company.
In a small industry like construction, where reputation is everything, that’s not a trivial mistake.
2. The Feedback Is Unreliable
Let’s say you do get someone on the phone. How well do they really know the person you’re asking about?
Were they distant colleagues? Close peers? A short-term collaborator on a bad project? You don’t know—and you probably won’t get the full context in a five-minute call.
Even when the intent is good, backdoor references tend to produce gossip, not guidance.
3. Values Might Not Be Transferable
You might think, “This VP of Construction will know what they’re talking about.” But if that person leads with values or expectations that clash with your company’s, why would their opinion hold weight in your hiring decision?
Calling someone you wouldn’t hire to validate your hiring decision makes no sense.
What to Do Instead
If you want to learn more about someone, ask them.
- Ask better interview questions.
- Have better conversations with their listed references.
- Build enough trust that candidates want to be transparent with you.
If you can’t trust a candidate and the people they’ve chosen to vouch for them, you shouldn’t be hiring them in the first place.
Backdoor references might feel clever. But they’re a symptom of weak process, not strong discernment.
Better interviews build better decisions.
