Dear In Practice,

I have served in my current ombuds role for almost seven years and I’ve decided it’s time for a change - either an ombuds role elsewhere or something entirely different. I’ve updated my resume and cover letter but I’m at a loss as I try to identify professional references who can speak to my work as an ombuds. This is my first ombuds role and I have many excellent references from prior professional roles.

My best work as an ombuds has been behind the scenes with visitors, although I am quite visible and connected with mid-level managers and senior leaders (many of whom have been visitors themselves). May I ask a former visitor to serve as a reference? Should I ask leaders within my organization who know my skills and compliment my work?

As I ask these questions, I also wonder about the ombuds on staff in my office and who, other than me, will vouch for them when they are on the job market. I’d like some advice about how other ombuds have handled seeking references from within their organization.

From Recent Experience…

Marcus Stergio, Ombudsperson, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

This particular dilemma resonates with me given how recently I navigated it myself. I’ve held my current ombuds position for almost a year, and during the application process I was asked for three professional references. While there may be differing views on best practices for selecting references, I was able to find my own clarity.

I was personally uncomfortable asking former or current visitors to vouch for my services. First and foremost, I was concerned about confidentiality. I tell visitors that, in addition to what we discuss, the fact that they visited the ombuds office will remain confidential. It would be contradictory to ask them, months or years later, to revisit our discussion about a potentially sensitive situation when, other than for my personal benefit, they have no reason to do so.

I also thought about impartiality. My fingers were crossed that I would secure the job, but what if I didn’t and instead continued working for my former employer? Would I have formed an alliance with the reference, even if unintentionally? Moreover, despite my confidence in my ability to remain impartial and my sincere hope that a reference would not feel that I owed them something, couldn’t there still be at least the perception of a conflict of interest?

While I agree with the author of this dilemma that some of “my best work as an ombuds has been behind the scenes with visitors,” there are two caveats to that view. First, I am not always convinced that visitors have a full appreciation for the ombuds role, even after meeting with us. Yes, they certainly get a glimpse, but I’m not sure how prepared they are to help a future employer evaluate my candidacy based on a single interaction. Second, it felt more meaningful to choose references who could speak to my work ethic, character, and the value I demonstrated over a longer period of time.

For all of these reasons, I opted for a combination of former managers, former (non-management) organizational leaders, and an ombuds mentor. As a federal ombuds who worked across three administrations during my six-year tenure, I had reported to three different political appointees. Fortunately, I developed solid relationships with the two who were no longer with the agency, so it felt appropriate to ask both. I also asked a former Deputy Director who coincidentally had a background in mediation and a unique appreciation for my ombuds role. Last but certainly not least, I asked my longtime ombuds mentor, whom I knew could vouch for my professionalism, collaborative nature, and growth as an ombuds.

In summary, I’d like to think that, as with most other ombuds dilemmas, allowing the Standards of Practice to serve as your guideposts, along with thoughtful and ethical decision-making, will lead to the most appropriate selection of references.

Start with Colleagues

Camilo Azcarate, Chief Ombuds Officer, International Committee of the Red Cross

The main source of your references should be colleagues who know your work as an ombuds and your commitment to the Standards of Practice. These colleagues are in the best position to provide references that are highly informed by our professional standards.

You could also include anonymized feedback received from visitors through evaluations, particularly feedback that may have been included in an annual report. Using references from stakeholders (leadership, staff associations, etc.) is also possible. I do not see any inherent conflict of interest, particularly if the list includes members from all stakeholder groups.

I would not recommend requesting recommendations from visitors. There are too many liabilities and risks associated with this option, mostly related to the confidentiality of the ombuds' work and the impression it may create for prospective employers regarding the nature of communications between ombuds and their visitors. Strict confidentiality is a serious promise, and we should avoid any misunderstanding about it.

A Strategic Approach

Melanie Jagneaux, JD, MBA, Executive Director Ombuds Office, Baylor College of Medicine

As organizational ombuds, we face a unique challenge when seeking professional references. The very principles that make our role effective—confidentiality, independence, informality, and impartiality—limit our ability to “prove” impact in traditional ways. This requires a thoughtful and principled approach to reference selection. That said, there are ethical and effective ways to obtain strong references for our ombuds work that fully align with our professional standards.

Confidentiality serves as the guiding principle. While former visitors may sincerely wish to serve as references, doing so introduces risk. Protecting visitor confidentiality remains essential, even long after we have worked with them. We can instead consider people who can speak to our presence, communication style, systems-level influence, and ability to build trust. Our references should respect ombuds confidentiality while still demonstrating the depth and impact of our professional contributions.

This boundary applies equally when the visitor is a leader, as leaders may also seek our confidential support. When using leaders as references, we should take care to ensure their statements reflect their experiences with us in non-confidential interactions, not private consultations.

The following are several strategies for obtaining references that align with ombuds ethics:

1. Explicitly framing ombuds boundaries during the hiring process can help set expectations. We could explain that our references will focus on our overall approach, professionalism, and systems-level contributions rather than specific cases. This presents an opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to ombuds confidentiality and may also educate hiring committee members who are less familiar with ombuds ethics.
2. Generalized or aggregated feedback can communicate our impact without divulging visitor identities. Statements such as “Visitors frequently reported feeling heard and supported,” or themes from anonymized satisfaction surveys, preserve confidentiality while demonstrating effectiveness.
3. Role-based or contextual references from leaders or colleagues allow them to speak to our professionalism, fairness, and trust-building based on what they have publicly observed. Colleagues in HR, compliance, or legal may speak to our integrity, discretion, and ability to navigate complexity. Selecting references from across the organization, rather than from a single group, can reinforce that our work is broadly trusted and not tied to one constituency.
4. Participants in trainings, presentations, or other organizational efforts may comment on our knowledge, skill, and expertise at an organizational or group level.
5. Finally, ombuds colleagues, such as colleagues from IOA networks, mentors, or collaborators, can credibly speak to our skills and ethics while fully understanding confidentiality constraints. Ombuddies can serve as references by speaking to our contributions to the profession through scholarly writing, seminar offerings, professional presentations, leadership, and collaboration on committees or other governance bodies.

The tension between ombuds confidentiality and career mobility is real. Our goal is to preserve trust with former visitors, our current organizations, and prospective employers. May the trust we build continue to guide and sustain positive impact in our current and future ombuds roles.

A Quietly Complicated Challenge

Dr. Francisco Espejo, Former UN regional Ombudsman

This is one of the more quietly complicated professional challenges in ombuds work. The difficulty is not just practical—it is related to our core principles. The confidentiality that makes us effective is precisely what makes us invisible on a reference list.

Let’s take your questions in turn.

May you ask a former visitor to serve as a reference?

I think the answer is no. A visitor comes to us in a moment of vulnerability, protected by the assurance that our interaction is confidential. Even if a visitor would willingly serve as a reference, and even if you are certain they would speak only in generalities, the act of asking crosses a line. It signals that we have retained, and might now use, the knowledge that they came to see us. The answer here should be an uncomplicated no.

Should you ask organizational leaders who know your work?

Here, my answer is yes—thoughtfully and selectively. Senior leaders and mid-level managers who have observed your accessibility, your handling of complex situations, your communication in informal and formal settings, and your judgment under pressure can speak to real professional qualities. What hiring organizations evaluating an ombuds candidate most want to understand is your credibility, your presence, your institutional relationships, and your professional character—and a respected internal leader can speak to all of those.

What about peers, colleagues in the field, and professional relationships outside your organization?

This is where ombuds references often have the most to offer and are most underused. Consider:

• Colleagues from International Ombudsman Association (IOA) training, conferences, or working groups who have observed your thinking, your questions, and your engagement with the field
• A mentor or peer ombuds at another organization with whom you have a substantive professional relationship
• A trainer or assessor from any formal ombuds training you have completed
• Attorneys, HR professionals, or organizational consultants with whom you have collaborated on policy matters or training—people who have seen you operate in a quasi-public professional mode

These references are not substitutes for references who know your daily work. But they establish that you are taken seriously by practitioners who understand what the work actually demands.

On vouching for your staff ombuds

You have raised something important that the field as a whole needs to grapple with. I believe that you are in the strongest position to vouch for them—you have observed their work more directly than anyone else. A reference from you, as their ombuds director, carries weight and is entirely appropriate.

Beyond that, you can help them build the same reference portfolio you are assembling: encourage their participation in IOA and regional communities, support their pursuit of formal training and credentials (the CO-OP designation in particular), and facilitate relationships with peer ombuds at other organizations. These professional investments pay dividends precisely at moments like the one you are facing.  

We value the opportunity to engage with our membership on the dilemmas we face in our roles. Please let us know your perspective on this dilemma in the comment section below.

 A note from the In Practice team:

In Practice will be taking a hiatus over the summer. We look forward to returning in September with new dilemmas and responses. Please consider continuing to engage with the column through the comments section or by submitting your own dilemma to [email protected]. We wish all a peaceful and enjoyable summer. 

Martha, Thomas, Dawn, Mary, and Howard