The Do’s and Don’ts of Reference Checks
Employer Articles / May 24, 2010Table of Contents
You think you’ve found the right candidate for your hospitality company. Qualifications, experience, and personality all seem like a good fit. But there’s one more step in your hiring process: checking references.
Why a Reference Check?
There are two main reasons to go through this process, says Peter Shrive, a partner with Cambridge Management Planning: to verify the information presented as facts on the resume and to assess personality traits and work ethic. “With past performance, you want to ensure there are no lies on the resume and that you’re getting the absolute facts; are we getting the straight goods, do we have a date-to-date rundown of the candidate’s performance,” he says. “You also want to know you’re dealing with people of good character, industrious, good customer service skills, no police record.”
The Rights and Wrongs of Reference Checks
If you rely only on the referees listed on a candidate’s list, you’re likely to get a skewed sense of the person. After all, why wouldn’t the job candidate offer a fan club’s list to help nail the position?
That’s why recruiters like Shrive recommend the “360 reference check,” where you locate a group of people who know the candidate and ask their opinion. That way you can gain a well-rounded view of the individual that transcends the facts on the resume. If, for instance, you’re hiring a server who’s worked for a competitor, consider asking that person for a reference. Try speaking to former line co-workers as well as senior individuals at previous places of employment.
A minimum of three references up to as many as nine, if you still have questions about the person’s character, should give you 360 views. Reference checks normally last 15-20 minutes, but, says Shrive, should take as long as you need to get the information to make your decision about the candidate.
Tips for Top Reference Checks
* Prepare a general script, but do not expect referees to fill in a standard form that they email to you. The best reference checks are conducted on the phone or face to face, where body language can often reveal more than words.
* Keep a record of each referee, with name and phone number so anybody else in your organization can phone and follow up.
* Determine the relationship between the referee and the candidate and don’t be surprised to find they have a personal connection.
* Know which questions are off-limits for a reference check. For instance, areas like religion, sex, marital status, and ethnic heritage are no-go zones for reference checks.
* Ask the right questions. When interviewing a previous employer, always remember to ask whether that person would rehire the candidate, if given the choice, and for what position.
* Go beyond date-to-date information. If this is all you’re getting from the referee, try a line such as “What I’m hearing leads me to believe you might be hiding something.” Then, says Shrive, “the individual will give some recognizable nod to the real character. Most referees are concerned with saying the right thing about the candidate. The vast majority say only nice and positive things. When you get away from these things, you want to be able to learn more.”
* Use lines that provoke more than factual answers, like… “Please complete this sentence: if there’s one thing I could change about the job candidate, it’s…”
* Determine what the referee’s general responsibilities were and what the candidates were. If the candidate doesn’t work there anymore, why did the person leave?
* Ask about technical skills. Most hospitality jobs today require more than a base level of computer skills.
* Don’t forget social skills. Customer service skills should be top of your reference list, but interaction skills with your other staff are equally important. Also ask if the referee has any knowledge of problems, such as drinking or drugs, or tardiness, which could affect job performance.
* Look beyond the list. Try to speak to referees who are not on the job candidate’s list, since they can be a gold mine of information, both good and bad. But make sure not to compromise the individual, if he or she is still working for the company.
* Ask questions pertaining to the new job. For instance, if you’re hiring a server to work in a busy downtown bar, ask how the person would handle the stress of this environment.
* Close with an open-ended question. “Is there anything else you’d like me to know about this individual?”
Asking the right questions of the right people will help ensure that your reference checks do more than just reinforce a resume. They’ll illuminate and give you the peace of mind that you’re hiring the right person for your hospitality business.
