What the HR Manager Won t Tell You.
Below is a MRR and PLR article in category Business -> subcategory Careers.
What the HR Manager Won’t Tell You
Reference Verifications: Enhancing Pre-Employment Background Checks
Summary
Enhancing hiring decisions through comprehensive reference verifications.Keywords
Human resources, HR, employment, pre-employment screening, background checks, jobs, recruiting, staffing, employers, employees, reference verification, employment verificationArticle
Today, most HR managers provide only the basic facts for employment verification due to litigation concerns. Typically, this includes the candidate's start date, end date, and job title, with little else. Occasionally, a bold HR manager might add that the candidate left in "good standing," but even this is rare.
A recent radio program highlighted this issue, advising HR professionals to maintain uniformity in employment verifications by sticking to essential details: start date, end date, and position held. This cautious approach ensures legal safety.
But is this bare-bones information sufficient for making an informed hiring decision? Sometimes, yes. For straightforward roles with no special skill requirements, verifying employment history might suffice. However, when hiring for more specialized positions, such as IT roles, this information is often inadequate.
Due to the limited insights from standard employment verifications, more companies are relying on reference verifications to gain deeper insights into candidates’ skills and personalities. Reference checks offer additional value in many hiring contexts, helping employers make more informed decisions.
The Value of Reference Verifications
Reference verifications are particularly useful for assessing specific skill sets. Recruiters can use these checks to evaluate a candidate’s proficiency in specialized skills or experience with industry-specific software. Additionally, these verifications can provide insights into a candidate’s abilities in graphic and web design, networking capabilities, and industry connections.
For sales positions, reference verifications can reveal how well-connected a candidate is in particular regions. For international roles, they can help assess language proficiency.
Beyond technical skills, reference verifications can delve into other important areas: management style, teamwork, punctuality, and areas for improvement. At Corra, we ask references to rate the candidate on a scale of one to ten, with a score of seven or higher indicating a strong candidate.
Reading Between the Lines
It’s important to note that candidates typically provide references they believe will speak favorably of them. However, references may still hint at less flattering attributes. Listen carefully for hesitation, inflection, or diplomatic language that might suggest underlying issues. Sometimes, references will offer subtle cues about a candidate’s less desirable traits without stating them outright.
Ensure that references are genuine contacts. Verify their legitimacy by obtaining business phone numbers or substantiating their roles. This precaution helps avoid false references, such as a friend posing as a former CEO.
Sample Questions for Reference Verifications
Here are some suggested questions for conducting reference verifications:
1. Did the candidate report directly to you? If not, what was your working relationship?
2. What were this person's main responsibilities?
3. What are this person's strengths? Areas for improvement?
4. How does this person work with others?
5. How does this person handle stressful situations?
6. Has the candidate ever had tardiness or absenteeism issues?
7. What advice would you give to the candidate’s future manager?
8. Would you rehire this person? Why or why not?
9. On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate this person's overall performance?
10. Are there any additional comments you’d like to share?
Customize these questions to fit your company’s needs, but maintain consistency to ensure fair and effective evaluations.
Conclusion
Reference verifications are a valuable tool in the pre-employment screening process, offering a more comprehensive view of a candidate's suitability. By using them wisely, employers can enhance their background checks and make more informed hiring decisions.
You can find the original non-AI version of this article here: What the HR Manager Won t Tell You..
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