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April 16, 2021
With more pressure on HR teams than ever before, we want to know if reference checking is really worth it anymore. Find out what we think here.
Checking references is a well-established way of getting information about a candidate before offering them employment. A good reference will tell you if:
However, many reference requests are no longer valuable because the effort put into quality control needs to be readjusted. If you are keen to enhance your reference checking so that you get the best candidates, then follow our advice to tighten up your current processes.
Stipulate Who Can Provide References
Many people take the chance to get colleagues to write their references in a bid to avoid any unhelpful comments from their employers when they are trying to get a new job. The problem with this is that you then don’t get a true picture of a candidate.
Rather than leaving the referee section vague, stipulate that you need two or three references, with at least two of them coming from previous managers. If you have someone that is new to the workforce, then this can be resolved by requesting a referee from their tutor or educational leader.
Work Out What You Want to Know
There will always be generic questions to do with sickness and performance that you want the answer to, but when it comes to digging deeper, you will need to give the referee a frame that has been constructed to help them supply the right information.
Ask questions about their work skills, timekeeping, professional relationships and communication skills if you want to get a true picture of the candidate. Doing this will help the referee know what to share and give you insight into how the candidate may perform if successful. Plus, if you don’t get the information you need back, you can then follow up any answers with the referee via phone or email.
Don’t Be Part of the Problem
Rather than getting frustrated at the lack of information you are given, take a moment to ensure that you are not part of the problem. This means that when you get reference requests, take the time to give the answers you’d like to see rather and lead from the front. Many companies refuse to give references but want them when they hire. Not only is this hypocritical, but it also creates a view that references are not important any more.
How CMD Can Help You To Get the Information You Need
When you choose to work with a recruiter, you can be confident that our applicants will have full work histories ready to be shared with your HR team and access to credible referees that can provide an honest account of how suited they are to the job vacancy they have applied for.
Call CMD Recruitment today and let us help you get access to meaningful references that will make recruiting easier than ever before.
01225 805080
info@cmdrecruitment.com
