Beyond “Name, Rank & Serial No.” in Reference Checking

A few weeks ago, I found a nice concise piece in HR Daily Advisor (BLR) with some good tips for making reference checking more than a pro forma exercise.

Some of the points:

• Make reference checking a personal matter, not a matter for “Personnel” (talking to the candidate’s immediate supervisor, not the HR department)
• Ask about the candidate’s duties, and then explain how they relate to the position you are filling. You might get information or clues on the quality of the person’s performance of these duties.
• Use a written checklist of questions.
• Ask how the candidate might benefit from additional training, as a subtler way of asking about shortcomings.
• Ask former supervisors how to manage the person in the future, not about their past performance.
• “Say ‘I have to eliminate this candidate if I don’t get a reference,’” “Likely answers will be either ‘that would be a terrible mistake’ or ‘do what you have to do.’”
• Use a background checking organization.

Source:

“Improve Your Reference Checking and Break Through the “Stone Wall of Silence”

Additional Resources:

Monster.com: “Reference Checking” (whole library of articles)

“Solving the Reference-Checking Puzzle”

Job Applicant Reference Checking Documentation Form (basic as heck, but a heck of a lot better than nothing)

http://www.badreferences.com/ (strikes fear in the heart of every employer!) See this page of the site, too.