Employment Reference Checks – Best Practices When Checking Employee References!
4 Employment Reference Checking Tips for Managers
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Transcript of 4 Employment Reference Checking Tips for Managers
Easy Small Business HR 1
Four Employment Reference
Checking Tips For Managers
Special Report From: EasySmallBusinessHR.com
Reference checking is an important part of the interviewing and
hiring process, yet so many supervisors are unsure of either how to
go about checking references, or why they should even take the
time to check references on their job applicants.
When you have found your perfect job candidate, and you're ready
to hire, it’s understandable that you’d be ready to keep the hiring
process moving forward and hire your job candidate as quickly as
possible.
For some supervisors, this means checking just one “quick”
reference, and for others it may mean going by your “gut” and
skipping the reference check process altogether.
Checking references won’t give you an iron-clad guarantee that
you’ve hired the perfect candidate, but it is one of the best ways to
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determine whether or not your candidate of choice has the skills,
experience, and temperament that you need for the job that you are
filling. It’s also a very important way to learn about any
performance or behavioral issues with a potential candidate.
Four tips to think about prior to checking references:
1. Plan ahead and determine what it is that you need to know
about the candidate. Keep in mind that the questions that you ask
should focus on the candidates’ work experience and interpersonal
skills.
2. Determine who is the best person to provide you with the
reference information that you will need in order to make a final
decision as to whether or not to hire a candidate.
Do you really need to obtain a job reference from your candidate’s
friend, a work colleague, or a former teacher if these individuals
aren’t able to share any pertinent information about your
candidate’s job performance?
A good rule of thumb is to always obtain references from at least
two people who are in a position of authority over the person that
you’re hiring. Insist on references from current or past supervisors
who can speak to the person’s overall skill set and job performance
as well as a reference that can speak to the candidate’s ability to
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work across departments, teams, or with various clients and
customers.
3. How many references do you need?
I recommend obtaining a minimum of two business references and
up to 4 references as appropriate. Two of the job references should
be from the candidates’ current and past supervisor.
4. Ask permission to check references with your job applicant and
be clear with the applicant as to what types of references that you
will need.
Now that you’ve taken a few minutes to think about the references
that you’ll need to make your hiring decision, you don’t want to
leave it up to your job applicant to give you a list of references that
may not be helpful to you.
Let your candidate know specifically with whom you’d like to
speak to for a reference. If it’s the current supervisor, ask them to
provide you with the reference contact information in writing.
Always get permission to check references in writing.
Be transparent and let the candidate know how many references
you will need to speak with before you can make a final decision,
and when the candidate can expect to hear back from you.
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It’s also a good idea let your job candidate know if they are a
strong finalist for your job opening. You can then confirm with
your candidate that your final hiring decision will be based on
obtaining satisfactory references.
You’ll find that there are some candidates who will legitimately
feel uncomfortable with your checking references with a current
supervisor.
Show some empathy by letting the applicant know that you
understand how uncomfortable they may feel, and that checking
references is a normal and necessary part of the job interview
process. Emphasize how important it will be to speak with a
current supervisor before making a final decision.
Most applicants will give you permission to check with the current
employer, especially if they know that they are part of the final
candidate pool.
I can’t stress enough that whenever you are in the reference
checking stage, that you emphasize with the candidate that any job
offer is dependent on a strong” or “satisfactory” reference.
If your candidates' references aren’t as strong as you had hoped
and you decide not to extend a job offer, at least they were notified
prior to the reference check that a poor reference will disqualify
them from further consideration.
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You are not obligated to share the references that you received
with applicants, and it is a best practice not to share any detail
about the type of reference received; whether the reference was
good or bad.
If you check a reference and find that the reference has changed
your decision about hiring an applicant, you should be brief and
state that you feel that that the job is not the right fit, (an accurate
assessment if the candidate did not receive a good reference).
Whenever possible or practical, check in with your HR
professional or, with an employment lawyer if you are unsure as to
how to handle this type of situation.