Recruitment Spotlight: How to Check References

Most people have to check references in some shape or form, whether it’s for a candidate or a babysitter.  I don’t know about you, but until I wrote Success for Hire I never really knew how to do it. Here's what I learned:

While you can e-mail a reference initially, connect either in person or by phone with at least one reference for each person you’re thinking of hiring.  While reference letters or e-mails can be helpful, speaking with a person allows for a better interpretation of tone, and for the ability to ask questions on the fly. 

Some experts say that the primary goal of a reference call is to verify the basics of what the candidate told you in the interview, but I believe you need to do much more than that.  After all, would a person really provide you with a reference who couldn’t back him up on obvious things like how long he worked at a company, and what he did there?  What you should be looking for is the reference’s perspective on the candidate’s strengths and weaknesses as an employee.  In this respect, you should ask open-ended questions about job accomplishments, intellectual ability, personality and character, interpersonal and technical skills, business judgment, level of commitment, management style, and areas for development.  As in the interview, don’t broadcast to the reference exactly what you’re looking for.

The problem with most references is that they tend to be very vague in their comments.  They don’t know you from Adam, and so they don’t want to say anything that might get them into trouble.  If you’re getting a pleasant but generic image of the candidate, re-phrase your questions so that you’re presenting the topic of a candidate’s weaknesses in a non-aggressive manner.  For instance: “We are really excited about the possibility of bringing John on board.  If he is selected for the position, what are some areas in which you think he could use some development?’”

If you’re speaking to a reference and she mentions someone else you might want to talk to, take her up on it and get the person’s contact information.  Calling a candidate’s references is not just an item to check off your list before making an offer.  It’s in your best interest to do everything you can to make sure to get to know the candidate as intimately as possible, and the more people you ask, the more complete your picture is likely to be.

Comments

[Erika with Qvisory]

I agree that checking references is usually not paid as much attention as it ought to be. You can really tell a lot about a person by talking to the people they've worked with!

[Recruitment Software]

Just dropping in a comment to tell you that I love the theme of your blog. Is it a customized one?

[Patrick]

Great article - checking references is always tricky. I've always found a phone call is the best way - as you can learn the subtly of the responses to make a judgement.