How important is Recommendation?

I always have a question in my mind why is recommendation or reference is so important. Do you really need one ???

There are different kind of recommendations which are at different levels wiz, for Employment, School/College, books, places, restaurant, your service etc.

Why Does an Employer Conduct a Background Check?

Employers check potential and current workers for several reasons. The things an employer wants to know about you can vary with the kinds of jobs you might seek. Here are a few of the reasons for employment screening.

• Negligent hiring lawsuits are on the rise. If an employee's actions hurt someone, the employer may be liable. The threat of liability gives employers reason to be cautious in checking an applicant's past. A bad decision can wreck havoc on a company's budget and reputation as well as ruin the career of the hiring official. Employers no longer feel secure in relying on their instinct as a basis to hire.

• False or inflated information supplied by job applicants is frequently in the news. Some estimates are that 30% to 40% of all job applications and resumes include some false or inflated facts. Such reports make employers wary of accepting anyone's word at face value.

• The "information age" itself may be a reason for the increase in employment screening -- the availability of computer databases containing millions of records of personal data. As the cost of searching these sources drops, employers are finding it more feasible to conduct background checks.

I don't have anything to hide. Why should I worry?

While some people are not concerned about background investigations, others are uncomfortable with the idea of an investigator poking around in their personal history. In-depth background checks could unearth information that is irrelevant, taken out of context, or just plain wrong. A further concern is that the report might include information that is illegal to use for hiring purposes or which comes from questionable sources.

Here are some of the pieces of information that might be included in a background check. Note that many of these sources are public records created by government agencies.

Driving records	Vehicle registration	Credit records	Criminal records
Social Security no.	Education records	Court records	Workers' compensation
Bankruptcy	Character references	Neighbor interviews	Medical records
Property ownership	Military records	State licensing records	Drug test records
Past employers	Personal references	Incarceration records	Sex offender lists