The actual implementation process will be more or less complicated depending on the size of the organization, but here are some guidelines that should make the process easier:
- By policy, establish that no job offer can be made until references are thoroughly checked and evaluated.
- Establish a rule that every candidate must sign a comprehensive waiver granting express permission to the employer or its agents to contact references. (This is a good point at which to check the most recent provisions of the Fair Credit Reporting Act just to make sure all their rules are being followed.)
- Be sure that candidates are required to provide the specific types of work-related references – people with whom the candidate actually worked on a daily basis within the last five to seven years.
- Make it a policy that no job offer can be made contingent upon reference checks.
Regardless of whether you’re hiring a contractor, a healthcare provider, or a tutor for your children, or a new dentist, or if you’re hiring a dozen people every week, the fundamentals outlined above remain essentially the same.