Overview

Prior to making a job offer, a candidate's work history (prior employment) should be verified and checked. By obtaining in-depth information about the candidate's past job performance and work habits, you can identify those who most closely align with the position requirements and expectations.

A reference check is conducted to find out more about the individual's experience, knowledge, skills, abilities, strengths and areas of opportunity for improvement from from a previous or current employer or another professional reference. Your goal is to obtain sufficient information to verify information provided by the candidate in their resume and during the interview as well as to identify alignment with the position you are hiring for.

For a work history check, a candidate's current employer may be contacted for a reference if permission is obtained from the candidate first. If the candidate does not provide a reference from a former employer, you may contact that employer to attempt to obtain reference information. While many businesses now maintain policies of providing only the dates of employment and last position held, it is nevertheless important that you make the contact and document the information provided, as well as the name and title of the person providing the information. Information obtained from a reference must be kept confidential within the search committee.

Reference Checking Tips

• Check references ideally by phone. Email inquiries do not allow the opportunity to ask clarifying or probing questions. Contact each reference and follow-up if you initially do not hear back from them.
• Ask open-ended questions about employment history, job performance and potential performance problems.
• Evaluate negative references fairly. A negative response from one individual doesn't necessarily mean the candidate is unqualified or difficult to work with.
• If you have difficulty getting satisfactory references, ask the candidate to provide additional names or to let the reference know they have the candidate's permission to speak to you.

Only job-related information should be requested from a reference. Following are some do's and don'ts to consider when making the reference call and a list of suggested questions. You will likely obtain greater cooperation from a prior employer if you limit the number of questions to those that you feel are essential and to no more than 6-8 questions.

Do's and Don'ts to Consider

1. Identify yourself immediately, explain your position with the company, and tell the party why you're calling about the candidate. Ask if it is a good time for them to discuss the candidate. If they are short on time when you call them, you may not get as thorough of answers as you would if they were not pressed for time.
2. Try to establish rapport with the party you are calling. Maybe you know someone in their organization. Many times a freer exchange of information comes about when the individual you are calling identifies with the company, your position, or some mutual point of interest.
3. Tell the person about the position for which the candidate is being considered. A better evaluation can be made if it is in relation to a specific job.
4. Ask the general question such as, "What was the nature of the candidate's work with you?" After the person responds, lead in with more specific questions.
5. Let the person talk freely without interrupting. Often a question from you at the wrong time will shut off further information.
6. Follow up and probe when you feel the contact is reluctant to discuss certain factors. Many times a further explanation of why will elicit the information you want.
7. Be alert for obvious pauses in answering when you ask questions. Often these are a sign that further questions may bring further information you might not otherwise have received.
8. A good question is, "If you were in a position to hire or rehire them, would you?" This question often brings forth information that you were unable to get by other questions.
9. Be sure to thank the individual for their help.

Sample Questions

Just the Facts

• What were the candidate's dates of employment?
• What was the candidate's title?
• What were the candidate's general responsibilities?
• What is/was your relationship to the candidate (peer, direct report, superior?)
• How long have you known the candidate?

On the Job

• How would you describe the overall quality of the candidate's work? Can you give me examples?
• (For supervisors) What areas of performance did you have to work with the candidate to improve?
• What would you say are the candidate's strengths/weaknesses?
• How would you compare the candidate's work to the work of others who performed the same job?
• How would you describe the candidate's ability to communicate?
• How does the candidate handle pressure/deadlines?
• How well does the candidate get along with co-workers?
• How well does the candidate get along with managers?
• How well does the candidate supervise others?
• Can you give me your impressions of their management style?
• Describe the candidate's success in motivating their direct reports.
• How does the candidate handle conflict situations?
• Based on the candidate's performance with your company, do you think they would be good in the type of position we're considering them for?
• What motivates the candidate? How ambitious are they?
• Did the candidate have a good attendance record?
• Were there any disciplinary issues?
• On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate their work?

The Bottom Line

• Why did the candidate leave your company?
• Would you rehire this person? If no, why not?
• What type of work is the candidate ideally suited for?
• Were there any serious problems with the candidate that we need to be aware of before making a hiring decision?
• Do you have any additional information to share with us about this candidate?