Checking professional and personal references can be an excellent way to understand your potential hires, especially if they have a clean background check. According to Northeastern University, 8 out of 10 HR executives consistently contact employee references and 73% indicate that the references have a significant impact on their decision to hire.
Reference checks serve two basic purposes in hiring – to substantiate statements made by the applicant, and to verify their fit in your company culture. The references provided will be able to verify the applicant’s skills and qualifications for the position with your company and perhaps provide some additional insights into their skillset that the applicant may not have highlighted during the interview. The reference can also give first hand information regarding the communication skills, teamwork ability, and accomplishments of the applicant. Use professional references as a tool to enhance the interview process, fill in gaps, and obtain a richer view of the applicant.
Reference Check Best Practices
To obtain quality reference information, your candidates should supply you with a list of professional peers, former supervisors, teachers, or volunteer organizers. Anyone with first hand knowledge of their work experience is a solid choice. The general rule of thumb is to ask for three professional references, including their name, job title, contact information, and the relationship between candidate and reference.
What Reference Questions Should Be Included?
If you’re interviewing several candidates, reference checks can be an effective tool to narrow down a seemingly top-notch applicant list. One of the tips from Erin Coursey at iHire, is to use a standard set of questions for later side-by-side comparisons of the candidates reference check interviews. By asking the same questions to each reference, you’ll have a better data set to analyze when it comes time to make decisions. It also makes for a great place to take notes and retain a hardcopy of your interview for later review. By documenting your findings, you’re proactively protecting against negligent hiring claims or any other issues that might arise
When preparing your questions for either yourself or your employment screening provider to ask, include open ended questions that will generate information on the candidates communication skills, tenure in their position, reliability, and memorable accomplishments, to name a few. The Undercover Recruiter has a long and comprehensive list of top questions to ask, and which ones specifically to ask former managers or supervisors. A few examples include:
- How large was the team that the candidate was part of?
- How does the candidate do with deliverables?
- What do you feel the candidate needs to be successful in their new role?
What Reference Questions Shouldn’t Be Asked?
The same rules for applications and interviews apply to reference checks. Any discriminatory questions about protected classes and regarding age, race, religion, and so on violate the EEOC and Civil Rights Act, and are illegal. What you can and can’t ask can also vary by state, so make sure you know before you ask, to stay compliant. For example, some states now prohibit asking about salary history. For more information on salary history, read our blog here.
For a smooth and useful reference interview it’s also a good idea to avoid leading questions, negative language, or anything that will put the reference in a defensive mode. It can be difficult sometimes to not ask leading questions if you already really like one candidate over another, but this is another reason having predetermined questions comes in handy.
Understand the Reference’s Environment
Some company policies prohibit managers or HR staff from divulging information beyond a strict set of questions. They’re usually along these lines:
- How long did the candidate work there?
- What was their reason for leaving?
- Are they rehirable?
You may find yourself asking more from a reference than they are able, or perhaps, willing, to give. If they can only answer three basic questions, pressing for further information may frustrate yourself and the reference, and may waste time valuable to you both.
In some instances you may find a few discrepancies between the applicant in the interview and the statements the reference gave. There’s many reasons for this, so it’s best to allow the applicant an opportunity to clear them up before jumping to conclusions or escalating the situation.
Some references may just simply not have the time to answer a long, time-consuming list of questions. Don’t let that put a negative spin on a great candidate; they should have provided other references to choose from.
Interviewing professional references provided by your applicants is a great way to complete the picture of your ideal candidate and verify they are who they claim to be. It’s important to obtain correct contact information from the applicant for each of at least three references to keep the process timely. For effective reference interviews, have a prepared set of questions regarding the candidates communication skills, accomplishments, and tenure, among other attributes that are important to your specific industry or company culture. Remember to avoid questions regarding protected classes, leading questions, and a general negative attitude. This should be a positive experience for everyone involved.
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