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Reference Checking

Strategic Practice Solutions HR Reference Checking
She said “ALL THE RIGHT THINGS” at the interview … WHAT HAPPENED!?!

Dr. Molar had the same team for over 20 years. She never expected that her main front desk person would move out of town and resign. For the first time in years, Dr. Molar found herself in unfamiliar territory – to recruit and hire a new team member. She sought out the assistance of Strategic Practice Solutions to coach her through the process. Approximately 3 weeks of recruiting went by before Dr. Molar was impressed by a candidate, Jane. Jane had said all the right things during the prescreen and face to face interview and performed very well during her working interview. Dr. Molar was ready to hire. STOP! What was the vital step that was not completed by Dr. Molar? If you said, EMPLOYMENT REFERENCES, you are correct!

Dr. Molar was coached on how to perform the employment reference and how to document the call. Guess What? As a huge surprise to Dr. Molar, Jane was not a good candidate for hire. All 3 of Jane’s work references cited how she was very skilled and knowledgeable in her administrative duties; however, she was insubordinate at times, had attitude issues and “stirred the pot” with the team. Needless to say, the 6 to 8 minutes Dr. Molar spent conducting employment references saved her hundreds of hours putting out fires and performing HR related items.

At one time or another, we have all been in similar situations. A key person puts in their resignation or you are needing to terminate a person who holds a key position on your team. We have all felt the anxiety consume our bodies as we try to find time to quickly refill a position. Yet, if you are looking to build a winning team, employment references are important – that is if you are not willing to settle.

Reference checking is a vital part of a successful hiring strategy and is primarily used to:

  • Verify information provided by the candidate
  • Better predict the candidate’s on-the-job success
  • Gain additional knowledge (e.g. candidate’s abilities)

Reference checks are conducted once the applicant pool is narrowed down to the top 2 to 3 candidates. For purposes of this guide, a “reference” is a person (e.g. supervisor, coworker, professor) whom the hiring manager or human resources (HR) specialist can talk with regarding the candidate’s past performance.

How many references should be contacted?

Contacting multiple references can be beneficial to gather different perspectives on a candidate’s skills and abilities. Speaking to a supervisor, instead of a co-worker is highly recommended for these individuals can “truly’ speak of the candidate’s performance.

Who conducts the reference checks?

Typically, candidates provide three (3) references for the hiring manager (or HR specialist) to contact.  If those references are not available, or if additional perspectives are desired, you can ask the candidate for additional references.

Who should serve as a reference?

The employment reference should have been in a position to directly observe the candidate and be of a professional nature (previous or current supervisors, dentist/owner, etc.) and not personal (friends, relatives, etc.).

Employment references who have had the most recent contact with the candidate may be better able to provide specific and accurate feedback. Less recent references may not be aware of new skills the candidate may have developed. On the other hand, there may be circumstances where a less recent reference has the best knowledge of the competencies that are most important for the position to be filled. Accordingly, you will need to use judgment and weigh the information that the references provide depending on the situation.

Should I obtain a candidate's consent to check their references?

Yes, when you ask a candidate to provide references, you should obtain their permission to contact their references. Consent can also be granted via language on the job application (e.g. a statement that all information provided by the candidate will be verified), the Declaration for Federal Employment form (OF-306) or a similar agency-developed form, or orally (e.g. during the interview).

What if the candidate asked not to contact their current supervisor?

This is a common request (and is often an option within online staffing systems). One option is to ask if their current supervisor can be contacted once a tentative offer has been extended to the candidate.

If a candidate has asked their current supervisor not be contacted, ask the candidate to provide alternative references.

What should I consider when planning my questions?

Develop questions relevant to the position under consideration. For example, if the position requires the candidate to adhere to strict guidelines, asking a reference about the candidate’s ability to follow work procedures may be appropriate. Ensure questions are open-ended and based on behavior the references are likely to have observed.

Consider time constraints when deciding how many questions to ask. Deem how long it will take the references to answer the questions. Keep the list of questions to a manageable number.

We have provided a Request for Reference Template (PDF) for you to review and utilize. Any answers that are below a “5” are always followed by “What would he/she need to do to get a 5”.  You will be surprised at the plethora of information that will be given to you.

How shall I contact references?

The best way to contact a reference is usually by phone. When contacting the reference, briefly tell the reference who you are and why you are calling. Provide a brief overview of the position being filled and an estimate of how long the call will take. It may be helpful to let the reference know the candidate has given permission to have his or her references checked.

To ease into the conversation, begin with basic questions (e.g. reference’s relation to the candidate, candidate’s title and dates of employment), then move on to more in-depth questions.

What if the reference refuses to provide any information?

Some office policies do not allow the release of a previous employee’s information. At a minimum, most will provide start and end dates and position titles. If you are not able to get the information you are seeking, you can ask the candidate to provide another reference.

What is the best way to handle discrepancies that may develop?

While checking references, it is possible the candidate may view a situation, interaction, or goal accomplishment differently than a reference; consequently, some discrepancies may emerge. If you receive information differing from what the candidate said, it may be beneficial to allow the candidate an opportunity to clarify during a 2nd interview.

 

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