The last blog I wrote was about some of the confusion that exists regarding reference checking. Because the topic is so important in the hiring process, I think it needs even more attention.
Therefore, one must ask the question about the purpose of real reference checking. The best way to address the question is, perhaps, by outlining what is not the purpose of reference checking. Reference checking is not confirming that the candidate for employment actually worked where he said he worked. It is not about a superficial confirmation of job title and dates of employment. It is not about finding out whether or not the candidate would be eligible for rehire by a previous employer.
What real reference checking is about is determining how well the candidate did his job and how well his duties and responsibilities match the requirements of the job for which he is being considered. Another important aspect of real reference checking is an assessment of the candidate’s ability to work well with others – just to mention a couple of the reasons real reference checking is so important.
Ultimately, real reference checking is about collecting enough information about past job performance to make an informed decision about whether or not the candidate is the right person for the job or not.
Other aspects of background checking include things like confirming that the information on a candidate’s resume or job application is correct and that there are no serious issues that a public records check might reveal. But neither of those pieces of a background check are anything like checking references.
Frankly, it takes people who are trained to do real reference checking and can collect the information employers need to hire the best people for the job to be done. We at Barada Associates have over 35 years of experience of doing real reference checking the right way. The next time you’re looking for a candidate to fill an important position within your organization – regardless of type of organization – call us! I humbly believe that nobody does real reference checking better than we do.