What to Expect from the Job Reference Check

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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 checking aims to verify the information a candidate provided (e.g., resume) and can provide a different perspective. Both instances present a better picture to the hiring manager of how the candidate would perform on the job.

Reference checks are conducted once the applicant pool is narrowed down to the top candidate(s). Typically, the person who will be making the final hiring decision checks the top candidates' references. Alternatively, a human resources (HR) specialist may check references.

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, hiring managers will ask the candidate for additional references.

Picking Your References

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

Managers understand that references who have had the most recent contact with you will be better able to provide specific and accurate feedback about your skills and abilities. Less recent references may not be aware of new skills you 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.

There are times when you will not want the company to contact your current supervisor. This is a common request (and is often an option within online staffing systems). More than likely you will be asked if their current supervisor can be contacted once a tentative offer has been extended to you. You may also be asked to provide alternative references.

The best way to contact a reference is usually by phone. When contacting the reference, we briefly tell the reference who we are and why we are calling. We provide a brief overview of the position being filled and an estimate of how long the call will take. We also let the reference know the candidate has given permission to have his or her references checked. Then we ease into the conversation, begining with basic questions (e.g., reference's relation to you, your title and dates of employment), then move on to more in-depth questions.

Most Likely Questions your Reference will hear:

• In what capacity did you work with the candidate (e.g., peer, colleague, supervisor)?
• Could you give me a brief description of the duties the candidate performed?
• What were the candidate's strengths? What were the candidate's weaknesses or areas where the candidate could improve?
• Would you recommend him/her for this position? Why or why not?
• How well did the candidate know the work? How well did the candidate perform on the job? How well did the candidate manage the workload?
• How would you describe the candidate's relationships with co-workers, subordinates, and supervisors?
• Is there anything else you can tell me about the candidate's ability to perform his/her job?
• What kind of work-related training, certificates, education, or other qualifications does the candidate have?
• Is the candidate eligible for re-hire in your organization?