Conducting reference checks is vital to the hiring process. The point of conducting a reference check is to elicit information that will help the prospective employer make the best hiring decision possible.
Done properly, a reference check can give insights into a candidate’s past performance and suitability for your organization. However, how you phrase your reference check questions can significantly impact the quality and legality of the information you obtain. Asking the right questions, in the right way, not only helps you gather relevant data but also ensures compliance with legal standards and a professional hiring process.
At Barada Associates, we understand the nuances involved in crafting effective and compliant reference check questions. In this blog, we’ll explore the importance of careful question phrasing and provide you with best practices for conducting thorough and legally sound reference checks.
Read on to learn more helpful tips for checking references from your job candidates and contact our pre-employment background screening experts to get tailored support for your hiring manager or hiring process.
What Kind of Reference Checks Should I Perform?
When conducting reference checks during your interview process, it’s essential to gather comprehensive and relevant information to make informed hiring decisions. Different types of reference checks provide varied insights into a candidate’s background, work history, and suitability for the role.
Here are some key types of reference checks you should consider:
- Professional References: These include a former supervisor, former colleagues, or even subordinates who can speak to the candidate’s job performance, work ethic, and skills. Professional references offer a direct perspective on how the candidate operates in a work environment.
- Educational References: Verifying academic credentials and speaking with professors or academic advisors can provide insights into the candidate’s educational background, intellectual abilities, and dedication to their studies.
- Character References: These references, often from friends or community leaders, can shed light on the candidate’s personality, integrity, and overall character which doesn’t come across in a candidate’s resume. While less formal, character references can still be valuable for understanding the candidate’s personal qualities.
- Supervisor References: Former supervisors can provide specific examples of the candidate’s achievements, areas for improvement, and how they handle responsibilities and challenges. This type of reference is particularly useful for assessing leadership and management potential, listening skills, and other soft skills.
By incorporating a mix of these reference checks, you can gain a well-rounded understanding of the candidate’s qualifications, ensuring you make a hiring decision that aligns with your organization’s needs and values.
Best Practices for Crafting Reference Check Questions
Creating effective reference check questions for your candidates’ references is an essential skill for hiring managers and HR professionals on your hiring team. The right questions can uncover valuable insights into a candidate’s past performance, work ethic, and cultural fit, ultimately painting a complete picture of an applicant’s potential job performance.
Conversely, poorly crafted questions can lead to vague answers or even legal issues. Here are some best practices for asking the right reference check questions to ensure you gather meaningful and compliant information.
What Kinds of Questions Should I Ask?
When conducting reference checks, focus on asking questions that provide specific, actionable information about the candidate’s professional capabilities and behaviors. Here are some examples:
Focus on Performance & Skills
- Can you describe a time when the candidate exceeded expectations in their role?
- How would you describe the candidate’s overall job performance?
Instead of asking, “Did the candidate ever have any conflicts at work?” a more effective and compliant question would be, “Can you describe how the candidate handled conflicts or disagreements in the workplace?” This rephrased question focuses on behavior and skills, maintaining professionalism and compliance.
Work Ethic & Teamwork
- How would you rate the candidate’s reliability and commitment to their work?
- Can you give an example of how the candidate contributed to team projects?
- How effective was the candidate in communicating with colleagues and clients?
Make sure your questions are direct, without being too specific. A direct question will help references reach an appropriate answer, but remaining broad will ensure your questions can apply to multiple different candidates for a different job title or position.
Leadership & Problem Solving
- How would you describe the candidate’s management style?
- How did the candidate handle challenges or setbacks in their previous role?
When you check references, you may also need to ask follow-up questions to get all the valuable information you need. For example, asking about a candidate’s management style could lead to questions about how people responded to that management style or how it affected their performance. Always be prepared to be flexible with your list of questions.
What Kinds of Questions Should I Avoid?
Some questions could be considered “wrong” to ask when checking references. These are unprofessional questions, whether for invading candidate privacy or for violating legal compliances.
Here are some questions to avoid:
Leading Questions
Care needs to be exercised to make sure leading questions aren’t asked. Here’s an example of how not to do it: “So, would you say the candidate’s overall job performance was good?” While it isn’t a leading question in the strictest sense, it nearly is. By not offering up a possible response, the reference is put in the position of thinking more carefully about the response.
Another example of a leading question is “Would you describe the candidate as a ‘hands-on’ manager?” While not quite saying so, it is fairly obvious what the prospective employer is looking for in a new hire – a hands-on manager.
Instead, ask an open-ended question so it’s almost impossible for the reference to guess the hoped-for response. Open-ended questions make so much more sense if the prospective employee is looking for an objective assessment of the candidate’s overall job performance and management style.
Obvious Questions
To ask, “Would you say he was a good employee?” is almost as egregious as asking, “He was a good employee, wasn’t he?” Why bother asking the question at all, when the desired answer is so obvious?
Narrow-Focus Questions
Some employers will ask questions like, “How good do you think he was at statistical analysis of current data?” Not only has the key skill the successful candidate needs been identified, but the phraseology of the question comes very close to suggesting the nature of the desired response. It would be far more useful to ask, “What do you think so-and-so’s main strength was?” and let the reference come up with a response without any prompting.
Why Careful Phrasing Matters in Reference Checks
The phrasing of your reference check questions matters almost as much as the questions themselves. Carefully worded questions can elicit more detailed and accurate responses from references, providing you with deeper insights into the candidate’s skills and potential fit for the role.
Proper phrasing helps ensure compliance with legal standards and avoids discriminatory or inappropriate inquiries. The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) laws require that questions be relevant to the job and not invade the candidate’s privacy or elicit biased information.
Additionally, clear and specific questions can help references provide more focused and relevant feedback. Ambiguous or leading questions may result in vague or skewed responses that do not accurately reflect the candidate’s performance or abilities.
The way you phrase your reference check questions significantly impacts the quality of information you receive. By asking clear, relevant, and non-discriminatory questions, you can enhance the effectiveness of your reference checks and make well-informed hiring decisions.
Contact Barada Associates Today
Ready to optimize your hiring process with precise and legally sound reference checks? Look no further than Barada Associates. Our team of experienced professionals specializes in conducting thorough and effective background screenings that give you the insights you need to make informed hiring decisions.
At Barada Associates, we understand the nuances of reference checks and the importance of asking the right questions. We ensure that every inquiry is crafted to elicit meaningful responses while staying compliant with all legal requirements. With decades of experience in all types of background screening, we’ve helped countless businesses across various industries build trustworthy and high-performing teams.
Don’t let uncertainty cloud your hiring process. Partner with Barada Associates and leverage our expertise to enhance your candidate evaluations. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and discover how our tailored background check services can benefit your organization.