Put yourself in a leadership role. If you were hiring for a key position within your company, how important would employment references be to you? Secondly; picture this scenario: You are the leader of a company, Bill Ferguson is the Marketing Director for another company, youve worked with Bill on several projects, and boards in the past; therefore, you know Bill personally. From what youve experienced, he has great attention to detail, and a solid work ethic. You believe Bill would be a good fit for your company. You would like to offer Bill a position as Marketing Director, however after your recruiting department checks his references, you hear that Bill is not as hard of a worker as you thought, and hes not the most reliable person. Also, there is concern about a new Domestic Violence charge on his criminal record. How would these new revelations affect your decision to bring Bill into your company?