Reference checks provide a structured opportunity to verify the claims made in a candidate’s application and forecast their potential for success within a new organization. Developing a consistent approach helps establish fair practice and ensures the information gathered is relevant and reliable. A well-designed reference check moves beyond simple confirmation to offer deep insights into a candidate’s past performance and future trajectory.
Essential Preparation Before Making the Call
Effective reference checking begins before the phone is picked up. A foundational step involves securing explicit written consent from the candidate to contact their past employers and provided references. This documentation helps protect the process legally and ensures the candidate is aware of the outreach.
Before initiating contact, verify the legitimacy of the reference against the candidate’s employment history. Confirm that the individual was the candidate’s direct manager or supervisor during the stated period of employment. This ensures the feedback received comes from the most informed source.
Preparation also involves understanding the legal landscape governing disclosures from former employers. Some states limit what information past companies can share, often restricting them to verifying only dates of employment and job titles. Being aware of these state-specific limitations is necessary for compliance and framing appropriate questions.
Structuring the Conversation
The reference conversation should begin with a professional introduction, clearly stating your name, company, and the position the candidate is being considered for. State the purpose of the call immediately: to gather information to help predict the candidate’s success in a new role.
Confirm the reference’s relationship to the candidate, including their job title and the duration they supervised or worked alongside the applicant. This establishes the context and reliability of the feedback. Offering a guarantee of confidentiality encourages more honest and comprehensive responses, assuring the reference that their specific comments will not be attributed directly to them.
Questions Focused on Job Performance and Skills
Questions about job performance must elicit specific, contextual details rather than general endorsements. Employing behavioral-style questions is effective, requiring the reference to recall specific situations, actions, and results. Ask the reference to describe a project where the candidate’s technical skills were instrumental in achieving a departmental goal.
Inquire about the candidate’s quantifiable achievements, asking for specific metrics or targets they met or exceeded. For instance, ask the reference to describe a time the candidate improved efficiency, reduced costs, or increased output, detailing the percentage change. This moves the conversation beyond subjective opinion and into measurable outcomes.
To assess skill mastery, ask the reference to compare the candidate’s competence in a primary job function against their peers. Use a rating scale question, such as, “On a scale of one to ten, how would you rate the candidate’s proficiency in [Specific Skill]?” This forces the reference to provide context for their assessment.
Inquire about the candidate’s productivity patterns and ability to manage heavy workloads or tight deadlines. Ask them to describe the candidate’s typical workflow and how they prioritized competing demands. To confirm ownership, ask the reference to recall an instance where the candidate independently resolved a significant problem without intervention.
Questions Focused on Behavior and Cultural Fit
Assessing soft skills and temperament requires questions that explore how the candidate interacted within the team environment. Ask the reference to describe how the candidate handled a disagreement or conflict with a colleague or client, revealing their preferred method of conflict resolution and emotional maturity.
Inquire specifically about their teamwork style, asking the reference to describe the candidate’s role in a successful team project. Understanding whether they preferred to lead, support, or manage specific tasks offers insight into how they will integrate into a new team structure.
Assess their openness to feedback by asking how the candidate typically responded to constructive criticism or a negative performance review. This indicates a capacity for professional growth and a positive attitude toward self-improvement.
To gauge reliability and adaptability, ask the reference to describe the candidate’s response when facing an unexpected technical failure or a sudden change in project scope. This reveals their level of composure when plans go awry.
Ask about the candidate’s general demeanor and how they contributed to the overall culture of their previous department. Understanding their reputation among peers and management provides context for their potential fit into the new organization’s social structure.
Probing for Weaknesses and Areas for Growth
Questions designed to uncover limitations must be phrased constructively. Ask, “If you were to coach the candidate on one skill or area of development, what would that be?” This frames the limitation as a manageable area for growth rather than a fundamental flaw.
Ask the reference to identify the kind of environment or situation where the candidate would be least successful. This provides a realistic assessment of the candidate’s operating boundaries and helps identify potential misalignment with the new role’s demands.
Asking about the primary reason the candidate left the organization is necessary. Hearing the reason from the former employer’s perspective offers a more complete picture of the separation than the candidate’s explanation alone.
Inquire about patterns of attendance and reliability, specifically regarding punctuality and adherence to work schedules. Ask the reference to confirm if the candidate had any recurring issues with unexcused absences or chronic tardiness, as attendance patterns predict future reliability.
To gather comparative insight, ask the reference what percentage of their former employees they would rehire. Following up with a query about why the candidate falls into a specific group offers a detailed assessment of their overall standing.
Legal Compliance: What Not to Ask
Legal safety requires strict adherence to federal and state employment laws regarding prohibited inquiries. Questions must focus solely on job-related duties, performance, and qualifications, avoiding any discussion of protected characteristics.
It is inappropriate to ask about protected characteristics such as age, race, religion, national origin, or disability status. Inquiring about a candidate’s marital status, sexual orientation, family plans, or medical information must also be avoided entirely. The focus must remain exclusively on the candidate’s professional conduct and competence.
Salary History Restrictions
In many jurisdictions, asking about a candidate’s specific salary history from a previous employer is now restricted or illegal. This prevents perpetuating wage discrimination based on past pay. Interviewers must ensure they are up-to-date on local regulations concerning salary history inquiries.
Any questions that could be used to discriminate against a candidate based on their membership in a protected class should be eliminated from the reference check script. Maintaining a script that strictly adheres to these boundaries ensures the process remains fair, legally compliant, and directly relevant to the job requirements.