What’s Your Credibility Worth?

As a career transition and career management professional, it’s my business to be well connected.  As the principal of a boutique consulting practice, it’s also my business to be constantly networking.  And finally, as a recruiter, I darn well better be connecting with folks through multiple channels – in person, by phone, via social media. My network is large and diverse – and filled with people I know well and those I hardly know at all but who are part of my network for current or future business opportunities.

I often encourage people to contact me if they want to be connected to someone in my network and I take the time to make that connection.  If I know them really well and can recommend them, I do that too.

What makes me crazy are the folks who reach out to me and ask me to refer them (actually to recommend them) to people within my network when they don’t even know me.  If I don’t know you, haven’t worked with you and can’t speak to your work ethic, your qualifications, your experience, etc. how can I possibly recommend you?  A recommendation is defined by Wikipedia as an assessment of “the qualities, characteristics, and capabilities of the person being recommended in terms of that individual’s ability to perform a particular task or function.”

Please don’t ask me to do that.  Don’t ask that of anyone you don’t know and who can’t honestly speak for you.  As for me, I’ve spent my career building my brand and my network of colleagues and other professionals know that if I recommend someone, it’s because I believe in that person.  It would ruin my credibility if I were to start referring people that I don’t honestly know.

Imagine this.  You reach out to me, don’t really know me, but want me to recommend you to someone in my network.  I do it.  You don’t live up to the recommendation and my contact gets back to me and asks “what gives?”  I have to admit I don’t really know you.  Do you think that person will take a referral from me ever again?  I think not.  Creditability ruined.

Is it familiarity that breeds this behavior?  Is it things like “endorsements” on Linked In where you only have to click to “endorse” someone?  Every day at least half a dozen people I haven’t worked with endorse me for skills they cannot possibly assess.  I don’t accept the endorsements and delete those folks from my connections.  Some people accumulate those endorsements and think the more they have, the better.  I don’t think so.  It’s all about your reputation; it’s all about your brand.

At the end of the day, our reputations – our brands – speak volumes about who we are.  If I know you and if I’ve worked with you and if I want to refer you, I will.  Reputation is everything.