Employee reference checking can be the most important part of the hiring process. Hiring the wrong candidate can be very expensive and can be easily avoided by completing a reference check.
In order to avoid these bad hires, follow these 5 reference checking questions:
1. How do you know the candidate? This question is crucial as it determines whether or not the candidate worked with the reference. You will then be allowed to asses the relationship between the candidate and the reference and whether or not this person is able to provide accurate information about the potential new hire. Generally a manager who worked closely with a candidate is able to provide an accurate reference.
2. Can you verify the candidate’s dates of employment, job title and roles? It’s important to double check this information to make sure that all information provided by the candidate is correct.
3. Was the candidate ever promoted? This relates directly to the performance of the candidate. You can use this question to find out whether the candidate was a hard worker and whether or not they were able to excel within their previous role.
4. Would you rehire this person? This question tends to say a lot about the candidate and sometimes even reveals why they left the company.
5. Is there any additional information I should know about the candidate? Asking an open ended question during the reference checking process ensures that you don’t miss any critical information. Allowing the reference to lead the answer here is key as they may reveal something that you wouldn’t have considered asking.
