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Resumes and interviews give you a snapshot of your candidates’ capabilities, but they’re not perfect. Reference checks provide an additional layer of screening to validate your candidates’ skills, work style, and impact. They may offer insights you simply can’t get from other parts of the hiring process.
References can tell you how a candidate handles challenges, collaborates with others, and contributes to team success. They provide concrete examples of past performance that help predict future success. Most importantly, they reduce the risk of making expensive hiring mistakes that can cost your company time, money, and team morale. Investing in thorough reference checks can be a great way to improve your hiring outcomes.
The benefits of reference checks
Reference checks offer several key advantages that make them worth the investment. When done properly, they help you verify critical information about candidates and make more informed hiring decisions.
Potential drawbacks to consider
While reference checks provide valuable insights, they do have some limitations to keep in mind. Understanding these drawbacks helps you use reference checks more effectively as part of your overall hiring strategy.
Asking candidates for their references
Requesting references via email enables you to provide more detailed instructions and allows candidates to respond once they have time to gather the required information and contact their references.
Here’s a sample email you can send to ask candidates for their references:
Subject: Reference request for [Company Name] position
Dear [Candidate Name],
Thank you for your continued interest in the [Position] role at [Company Name]. As part of our hiring process, we’d like to speak with professional references who can discuss your work experience and capabilities.
Please provide contact information for three professional references, including:
- Their full name
- Current title and company
- Professional relationship to you
- Email address
- Phone number
We respect your references’ time and will keep our conversations focused and professional. Please let them know we may be reaching out within the next few business days.
Best regards, [Your name]
Customize this message based on your company’s specific needs and requirements. For example, you can ask to speak only with direct supervisors or colleagues from the past five years. If reference checks are a regular part of your recruitment process, create a custom email template in your ATS to streamline this step.
Contacting references
Reach out to your candidates’ references via email to find a good time to connect. Offering a few time slots or a self-scheduling link can make it easier to find a time that works for both parties.
Subject: Reference Check Request for [Candidate Name]
Dear [Reference Name],
[Candidate Name] has listed you as a professional reference for the [Position] role at [Company Name]. We’d appreciate your insights about their work experience and capabilities.
The call should take about 15 minutes. Would any of these times work for you?
- [Date/Time Option 1]
- [Date/Time Option 2]
- [Date/Time Option 3]
Please let me know your preference, or suggest alternative times that work better for your schedule.
Thank you, [Your name]
Customize this message based on your company’s specific needs and requirements. For example, you can ask to speak only with direct supervisors or colleagues from the past five years. If reference checks are a regular part of your recruitment process, create a custom email template in your ATS to streamline this step.
Reference check questions
Asking the right questions during reference checks helps you gather meaningful insights about candidates. Here are some examples to help you get started.
1. “What was your working relationship with [candidate], and how long did you work together?” Listen for clear, specific details about their role relationship and duration. Be wary if the reference seems uncertain or provides vague answers about these basic facts.
2. “Can you describe [candidate’s] primary responsibilities in their role?” Look for alignment between what the reference describes and what the candidate claimed during interviews. The reference should be able to speak knowledgeably about the candidate’s actual duties.
3. “How would you describe [candidate’s] overall performance in their role?” Try to get specific examples rather than generic praise. Strong references typically provide concrete instances of the candidate’s achievements and impact.
4. “What were [candidate’s] most significant accomplishments while working with you?” You want to hear measurable achievements that demonstrate the candidate’s capabilities. Pay attention to how these align with your role’s requirements.
5. “How did [candidate] grow or improve during your time working together?” Listen for examples of the candidate’s willingness to learn and adapt. Good candidates typically show progression in their skills and responsibilities over time.
6. “What opportunities for development did you identify for [candidate], and how did they respond to feedback?” Look for honesty about areas where the candidate needed improvement, and specific examples of how they handled constructive criticism.
7. “How did [candidate] work as part of a team?” Listen for examples of collaboration, communication, and conflict resolution. The reference should be able to describe specific instances of team interactions.
8. “Can you describe [candidate’s] communication style?” Pay attention to insights about interpersonal skills and professionalism, including mentions of how they handled any disagreements or difficult situations.
9. “How much supervision did [candidate] require to be effective in their role?” Listen for indicators of independence and reliability. Look for examples of self-direction balanced with appropriate communication with management.
10. “Would you hire or work with [candidate] again? In what capacity?” Look for enthusiasm and specific reasons why they would want to work with the candidate again. Hesitation or qualified responses may indicate concerns.
Reference check best practices
Following established best practices can help you get the most value from reference checks while avoiding common pitfalls. Here are some guidelines to follow when conducting reference checks.
Verify reference authenticity
You may want to verify that references are legitimate before conducting checks. You can look them up on LinkedIn or call references using company phone numbers listed on official websites. This helps prevent candidates from having friends pose as false references.
Reach out to references in a timely manner
Reach out to references when you say you will. Many candidates will alert their references when they should be expecting a call, and you may get a better response rate if you reach out while the request is still top of mind.
Standardize your approach
Create a consistent process for conducting reference checks. Use the same basic questions for all candidates applying for similar roles. This standardization helps you compare candidates more fairly and ensures you gather relevant information for each position.
Prepare specific questions
Develop targeted questions based on the role requirements and any areas you want to explore further based on interviews. Focus on gathering concrete examples rather than general impressions. Ask about specific projects, challenges, and achievements that relate to your open position.
Document everything thoroughly
Take detailed notes during reference conversations and save them in your ATS. This documentation provides valuable information to reference if questions arise later in the hiring process.
Listen for what isn’t said
Pay attention to tone and hesitation as much as what’s actually said. References may be reluctant to speak negatively about candidates but might indirectly express concerns through careful word choice or subjects they choose not to address.
Cross-reference information
Compare reference feedback with what you learned during interviews and other assessment steps. Look for consistency in how candidates represent their experience and achievements. Major discrepancies warrant follow-up questions.
Focus on behavior and results
Ask references to describe specific situations that demonstrate the candidate’s capabilities. Questions about how they handled challenges, collaborated with others, or achieved goals provide more valuable insights than general character assessments.
Final thoughts on reference checks
Reference checks can be a valuable tool in the recruitment process when conducted properly. By following best practices and using standardized templates, you can streamline the process while gathering crucial insights about candidates.
Remember that reference checks work best as part of a comprehensive hiring strategy. Use them to verify information gathered through other assessment methods and to gain additional perspective on candidates’ capabilities and fit for your organization.
Keep your process consistent, document everything carefully, and focus on gathering specific examples rather than general impressions. With this approach, reference checks can help you make more informed hiring decisions and reduce the risk of costly hiring mistakes.
Most importantly, respect everyone’s time throughout the process. Keep your communications professional, your questions focused, and your conversations efficient. This helps maintain positive relationships with both candidates and their references while getting the information you need to make sound hiring decisions.