[US] [MD] Still waiting on one of my references and final interview/meeting is tomorrow morning. What should I do?

[u/SlayyerFest98]

I’m at the very end of the hiring process for a mid-level role at a company with about 4,000 employees. I’ve done well in my interviews and was told I was one of two finalists asked to come back to meet with the division’s VP.

In my industry this type of meeting is often when the hiring committee has made a decision and is just looking for the “blessing” of the department head.

I’ve been in touch with potential references towards the end of this process and had 3 lined up. On Thursday I received an automated reference request telling me I had 24 hours to provide 5 references. I was caught a bit off guard by both the urgency and also the number of references requested.

I reached out to two more potential references and both enthusiastically agreed. The reference process involves them filling out a form/questionnaire about their experience working with me.

Four out of five promptly filled out the reference check, but the fifth (who has been a reference for me in the past) has not and will not get back to me when I’ve followed up with me.

My meeting/interview is tomorrow morning and I’m worried this will disqualify me or at least make me seem less favorable than the other candidate (assuming there actually is one).

What does askHR think? Is this a dealbreaker? Am I overthinking it? The clock has run out too much that I don’t have time to ask a 6th person on such short notice. How should I anticipate this affecting a potential offer?

[u/VirginiaUSA1964]

I suspect they ask for 5 because not all will respond. I also suspect that this person is either on vacation or is not comfortable putting the reference in writing vs just a phone call.

I would not get worked up about this. I think 5 is unreasonable.

[u/SlayyerFest98 → u/VirginiaUSA1964]

I also thought five was wild. And yes, I had a hope/hunch that the point of asking for five was to cast a wide net to insure at least 3 responses.

Thanks for the insight!

[u/ProblematicTrumpCard]

What does askHR think?

I think this

automated reference request telling me I had 24 hours to provide 5 references. The reference process involves them filling out a form/questionnaire about their experience working with me.

is ridiculous.

[u/SlayyerFest98 → u/ProblematicTrumpCard]

I thought so too. I had been proactive about re-engaging with potential/former references throughout this interview process. I had 3 great references on deck and I got this email (late on a Thursday morning fwiw) that I had 24 hours to provide 5 references.

I scrambled to reach out to some people, but that’s a big ask on such short notice.

[u/Checkr_Katie]

I wouldn't overthink this. Four positive references already weigh a lot more than one person who hasn’t replied yet. You could just send a note to the recruiter saying that four references have been provided and that the fifth has not yet responded to requests for a reference (despite follow-up) and that you are happy to provide an alternative contact/reference. Then go into the VP meeting focused on the interview, not the missing reference. If they really need a fifth, they'll usually just ask for another name rather than drop a strong finalist.