6 Questions That’ll Make You A Reference Check Pro!

6 Questions That’ll Make You A Reference Check Pro!

You’ve found a compelling candidate that seems to be the best choice for an open position in your company. The interviews went well, and their resume is just unbeatable. But, if a candidate has a solid resume and is well-prepped for an interview, does it always mean that the candidate is the best choice!? Well, if you’ve got your candidates arranged by one of the top executive search firms in India, like WalkWater Talent Advisors, there should be no doubt in the finding. However, if you’ve done the hunt in-house, or if you just aren’t too sure about the find, it’s always better to do a reference check.

What is a reference check?

A reference check is a powerful tool that helps understand the candidate better, thus making a better hiring decision. Many businesses use such a reference check to dive deeper into a candidate’s traits to find out if he/she is fit for the job. This is made possible when an employer contacts a candidate’s educational institution, previous employer(s), and other legitimate individuals who know them well, to learn more about the candidate, and verify every important information stated in their resume. With a proper reference check, one can dive deeper into a candidate’s personal traits, strengths and weaknesses, behaviour, skills, educational background, employment history, job qualifications, and much more. Want to become a reference check pro?

Here are some tips on how you can do it right.

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REPORT THIS AD A reference check guide Verifying the context What’s written on the resume should always be accurate, but unfortunately, it’s not always so. There are instances where candidates write much better than what they’ve done or what they are in their resumes only so that they seem to be eligible for a job. It thus becomes very important to verify all the details mentioned, to ensure that the candidate is an honest one. If you’re approaching an educational institution, check the qualifications, along with the dates and grades. If you’re contacting a previous employer, verify the job title and period of working.

Technical skills Once you validate every information on the resume, the next step is to identify the technical skills of the candidate to check if they’re worth hiring. Ask the previous employer(s) how the candidate performed at work, how well they collaborated with the team, and how they accomplished the goals. This will help you understand their quality of work, and whether or not they’re capable of performing.

Personal skills Only technical skills aren’t enough to make a decision; personal skills matter too! What if a candidate is technically absolutely apt, but on the personal front, they aren’t of a good and respected conduct? It thus becomes absolutely important to find out the candidate’s real personality. This can be found out through any of the educational institution they’ve studied at, any previous employer they’ve worked for, or any individual who knows them personally.

You can ask them about the candidate’s values, communication, honesty, group effort, and every other skill that matter’s for your company and the vacant position.

The right fit Because the candidate was good at their previous job doesn’t mean they’ll be apt for this new role at your company too. What they did back then may be quite different from what they’ll need to do now. Especially if the job title is different, the skills and responsibilities will differ too. It is thus wise to ask the previous employer if the candidate would be able to be a good fit for the new

job. Explain to the employer the scope of the job, and ask whether or not they believe the candidate would thrive in the position, and why.

Grading Although very blunt, but this one is necessary. After asking all your questions, one last thing you can ask the reference is to give the candidate a ranking on the whole, from 1 to 10. Anything between 1 to 7 should get you worried about the recruit, while the grading from 8 to 10 should put you a step further to making a decision. However, if the grading is an 8 or a 9, you must also ask the reference what is missing for the perfect 10. This answer is what will help you identify the candidate’s weakness!

Recommend or not?

This is the final question, but a sureshot one! If it’s a personal reference or an educational institute, you could ask them if they’d recommend the candidate to their best friend. And, if it is a previous employer, you could ask them if they’d get a chance, would they hire the candidate again. Both these questions will give you a certain ‘positive’ or ‘doubtful’ vibe about the candidate. The right hiring decision is not made by merely asking the candidate about their strengths and weaknesses in an interview. Rather, asking their previous employers, colleagues, and professors, will help you make an informed judgment. Reference checks can be among the most reliable basis for making better recruitment decisions!

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