There's a common misunderstanding when it comes to agencies asking you for references when you're in process for a new project.
Sure, some agencies might use the information for business development purposes (naughty, naughty).But in the vast majority of cases, it is fundamentally in your interest to provide references when you're in process for a client that you haven't previously worked with.
Here are a few reasons why:
1️⃣. You wouldn't go to a restaurant or hotel that you haven't visited before, without checking some reviews, right? Well, you should think of references in the same way. It's a form of quality assurance on behalf of the client, to ensure that the consultant that they might end up working with has done a good job in the past, before committing to spending thousands of Euros/Dollars/Pounds!
2️⃣. Usually reference requests are client-led. I.e. clients request them, so the agency needs to comply with these requirements (they are usually contractually enforced, too).
3️⃣. If you've done a good job with a previous customer, you should want to tell the whole world about it! It's one thing to ace an interview, or for the agency to tell the client that you're a "superstar candidate"... but it's so much more powerful for a former client to say the same thing. There's less bias involved, and clients will find this a more reliable barometer of the quality of your previous work.
4️⃣. It's a good sign if an agency asks you to provide references. It shows that they take pride in their due diligence processes. After all, it's in everyone's interests that the hard skills, soft skills, personalities and values align when it comes to positioning you on a new project. If an agency doesn't ask you for references, it could show a lack of attention to detail & care, which could be a sign of things to come...
5️⃣. If you're genuinely nervous about a breach of trust when providing references, ask your agency to sign an NDA with you committing to only using the contact details to gather a reference. At Reilcom, would have absolutely no problem with this. In fact, we encourage it!
Get in touch if you're coming on the market soon! Would love to have a chat together.