Do you give potential employers separate document describing your professional references? (employment, application)

[life time student]

A Human Resources Recruiter who was once a great mentor in how to get a job once gave me some interesting advice I would like your feedback on. He said that the best applicants will create a document in Microsoft Word "describing their professional references." He said that most candidates for employment will simply give a list of three people on the employment application with their names and telephone numbers. This drives HR Recruiters and Hiring Managers nuts!

Instead, HR recruiters and Hiring Managers would prefer a separate document that can be attached to the employment application that would provide the following information on each reference:
Name, position title, company, address, telephone number, email address and a paragraph description of your connection to that person. Then finally, a paragraph description of some of the work products you worked together on. (This would help the recruiter or hiring manger ask intelligent questions during the phone call with your professional reference.)

What do you think? Is this a good idea, or overkill?

[Rambler123]

It's probably best to have that information since most online applications I've seen will ask for all those details if they want References put into the system. Otherwise, they'll just ask for a separate document attachment, and even in those cases, you should have that information available, IMHO.

[SecretSender6000]

That actually sounds like a good idea. Thanks for sharing this. And you never know. It might just be the one thing that gives a candidate a leg up, especially if most applicants aren't doing this.

[veuvegirl]

I like the idea. Generally when you are asked for references on an electronic application they ask you how you know the reference.

[Kibbiekat]

I've never heard of that, but it doesn't sound like a bad idea.

[Rambler123]

Originally Posted by SecretSender6000

That actually sounds like a good idea. Thanks for sharing this. And you never know. It might just be the one thing that gives a candidate a leg up, especially if most applicants aren't doing this.

Since most applications *don't* ask for references from what I've seen, but I always include mine, I'd like to think it helps.

[Easybreezy]

Most applications ask for reference contact information. I'm thinking overkill.