Question for anyone else who might have insight to reference checks.

20 Comments

1. Jennifer AlbertalliFebruary 15,2022 at 5:29PM UTC

   My organization still does reference checks in addition to background checks. You can always ask for a professional reference, not necessarily a past boss, but someone who has worked with them in some capacity (volunteering at an organization or through school, community, etc.) What do you hope to gain from reference checks? Is it to gauge their ability, talent, or something else. I would then reverse engineer it from there to get at the insight you're looking for.

2. Rebecca AliFebruary 15,2022 at 5:37PM UTC

   Thanks for this. Actually, I was asking for a friend who is currently interviewing and her work references are only able to provide a specific set of information. She's been going to school FT and working FT (no time for volunteer work) so I was hoping to give her some insight on what other options she might have to provide additional reference information.

3. AnonymousFebruary 16,2022 at 2:36PM UTC

   Teachers for school, and for jobs customers, vendors, co-workers who aren't management or HR

4. Veronica PattyFebruary 16,2022 at 4:02PM UTC

   I would suggest a character reference. Is there a professor who might be able to serve as a reference in relation to her work? You mentioned she’s working - what about a co-worker whom she works alongside or someone she reports to?

5. AnonymousFebruary 15,2022 at 8:41PM UTC

   My company still makes us do reference checks. As a manager, I use it to figure out how to best work with the person. Things that motivate them, how to support them, that type of thing. I find it helpful, because it's insights that I get about the person that they might not realize about themselves. I don't really use it to decide if they can do the job, because if they are at the point that I'm checking references, I've already decided they can do the job.

   Hope this helps! Good luck :)

6. Rebecca AliFebruary 15,2022 at 8:57PM UTC

   Thanks for your response. Do you find that people are able and willing to go into detail with you? As a previous HR manager, we always were coached and coached our managers that we couldn't offer more than the basics.

7. AnonymousFebruary 17,2022 at 7:46PM UTC

   So far I've had people go into detail, but the people I've been involved in hiring have been fresh out of college or this is their second job out of college so it could be a bit different.

   I also ask questions like "what did you find was the best way to motivate them", "did they ask you questions during a project if they were unsure of something, or did they move forward with work and wait for your edits when you reviewed it?", "is there anything you wish you would have known when they started working for you", and most importantly "would you hire them again". I try not to ask questions about their skills and really stick to things that show more of their actual work style.

   My current company doesn't allow us to give references, everyone gets funneled to HR. So I know that reference checks are not as common any more. If every company goes to funneling people to HR and just confirming that the person worked there, reference checks will become useless and interviewers will need to become more creative with how they ask questions to ensure they are getting the information that they need.

   Sorry it took so long to respond, work has been busy this week and I didn't see your reply until today.

8. AnonymousFebruary 16,2022 at 1:31PM UTC

   I think personal and professional references are a waste of time. Most people can arrange 3 to 5 other people to say good things about them. Checking if they were honest about prior experience makes sense.

9. KatFebruary 16,2022 at 3:54PM UTC

   Some people really have no idea how to choose references. Where I used to work, an employee was fired (for poor performance amongst other things) and listed their boss as a reference. That is not a good reference. More recently, a former student worker wanted a reference. She didn't give us a heads up, so no one was really able to provide more than employment dates. References aren't always the best way to find out more about a potential employee, but you can't assume everyone is going to say glowing things. You have to get the right questions to find out what you need to know.

10. AnonymousFebruary 16,2022 at 1:44PM UTC

    As a manager, I was limited to confirming hire dates if someone called me for a reference, and that was it. I could not provide any other details. I used the internet as my reference check. Does their resume match their LinkedIn? (Not EXACTLY as you should tailor your resume to the position, but are there glaring differences in job dates/titles/etc.). Do they own their own company? If someone is applying for a full time job, I'm leery if I also find they own their own company for something that also looks like a full time gig. What does their Facebook look like? There are a lot of clues there. As someone said below, back when I first started as a manager and was required to do reference checks, they were always friends and I did not get any relevant information that would help me in my hiring decision.

11. AnonymousFebruary 16,2022 at 2:03PM UTC

    My company does not do reference checks, only background checks. I have not been asked about a reference since 2000 but I will say that at my last company, there was talk of doing them but after much debate the idea was squashed. It is a time-waster because a person is only going to list people who can say good things about them. And many companies don't allow their managers to say anything other than verify dates of employment and job title. So you spend days trying to get in touch with this "reference" only to confirm what the background vendor has already confirmed OR you talk to a friend who was a previous "co-worker" and get a glowing recommendation. I think it is up to the hiring team to post the right qualifications, ask the right questions, and make the decision from there. Will you still hire the wrong person sometimes? Yes, but even if you had checked that person's references and hired them, they were still the wrong person. There are too many opportunities out there, too many over-worked Recruiters and HR professionals, too many burned out people doing the job of 2+ people for companies to waste unnecessary time doing a reference check when it probably won't garner any useful information. Bad enough companies put you through multiple interviews and long waiting periods, then to add a reference check?

12. AnonymousFebruary 16,2022 at 3:03PM UTC

    I love your take on this! I just hope more companies follow your company's lead.

13. Rebecca AliFebruary 16,2022 at 4:51PM UTC

    I agree. I think it's just a CYA move and 99.9% of the time won't add value but does take up lots of time and resources.

14. Paulla Fetzek, MSEdFebruary 16,2022 at 2:07PM UTC

    My company only allows us to tell people the dates that someone was employed. I understand this is protection for the company so as not to be hit with any liability.

    When I'm interviewing, I will look to see if a person has a LinkedIn page and will review it. I'm extremely leery of looking at someone's social media. There is a strong case for "invasion of privacy" in doing this. On the other hand, there's a strong defense for "you learn a lot of a person's character" too. Overall, I'm against judging a potential employee based on what's posted in their social media, unless something throws up strong red flags.

15. Rebecca AliFebruary 16,2022 at 4:49PM UTC

    I consider LinkedIn to be fair game because it's purpose is to be a professional networking site. Let me tell you...I've seen some things that make my hair curl. As a former HR director/recruiter etc., we never were allowed to share more info that dates and I think eligibility for rehire but I don't even think that's allowed now.

16. AnonymousFebruary 16,2022 at 2:53PM UTC

    Do you mean reference or background checks?
    Background checks confirming previous employment dates are standard and normal. If you mean reference checks, I have been asked for letters of recommendation last year. I ended up turning down their offer anyway. So I ended up wasting my referees' time. In the future, if someone asks for letters of recommendation, I am planning not to proceed with the application process. It is a very outdated process. Everybody can find 3-4 letters of recommendation.

17. AnonymousFebruary 16,2022 at 3:41PM UTC

    Most employers call references to confirm that the candidate will be a good fit and to ask any questions that they have reservations about. I was called recently and asked to provide more context of the applicant's skills for them to make an informed decision.

18. Rebecca AliFebruary 16,2022 at 6:22PM UTC

    I was talking about reference checks. Thanks for your input!

19. Karen GongawareFebruary 16,2022 at 7:00PM UTC

    If you are in education, you better pony up at least 3 written references from former or current jobs. You don't even get looked at with out those.

    At my family business, we still ask for 3 references. It isn't wasting anyone's time whether we hire them or not, or they turn down the offer.

    The reference simply is asking the person writing, emailing, or talking on the phone, whether they are willing to put their own reputation on the line to recommend this person for a job.

    I rarely give out references, but when I do it is for a person who is trustworthy, has a work ethic, and is able to work/play well with others.

    For what it is worth, each company decides their hiring process. References, no references, cover letter, no cover letter, background check, no check. It is up to them. If you really want to work at a place, just follow the directions. That is another hiring test by the way. Can you follow simple directions when applying for a job.

20. LaurenFebruary 17,2022 at 1:54PM UTC

    I was in executive level recruiting for over 5 years. Here’s the thing about reference checks…who is really going to provide a name of someone who would give them a bad reference?!?! A background check will do more than a reference check. I work for one of the Big4 now and they don’t do reference checks. My take, they’re as old school as cover letters! :)