Checking references for a potential new hire is possibly one of the most important parts of the hiring process. References can provide details you might not otherwise learn about a candidate and give you crucial insight into how they’ll perform in their new role and how well they’ll mesh with your company culture.

Read on to learn more about why references are so important to the hiring process and how to check references for job candidates.

Why Check References?

When you hire someone without checking their references, it can be difficult to gauge whether they will be the right fit for the role. Seeking a third party’s perspective helps confirm and round out the information you receive in the candidate’s resume and interview.

At Red Seat, we recommend checking references to validate work experience and to confirm the information gathered throughout the interview process. When conducted well, the information a reference provides will often line up with specific circumstances or achievements the candidate shared during interviews.

Depending on the position, here is a list of potential areas that we may touch on during the reference check:

Validation of job title, job function, skills, and experience
Insight into work ethic and reliability
Understanding cultural fit
Mitigation of potential risks
Confirmation of soft skills
Direction on onboarding and how to manage the candidate

References Are Bound To Be Good…Do I Really Need To Contact Them?

A common sentiment we hear regarding references is that if a candidate gives you a name, the reference will certainly be good. And the truth is, we rarely get a highly negative reference (most fall on a scale from “excellent” to “very good” to “good”). We find that most reference-givers want to present a positive, but realistic, review of the candidate.

However, the main objective in checking references is to ask questions that elicit open-ended responses about projects, achievements, skills or behaviors.

For example: instead of asking "How is Pat at relationship building?” ask "Can you describe how Pat managed client relationships, particularly in handling challenges or misunderstandings? How did they maintain trust and satisfaction with clients in these situations?

While we look for “good” references, we are mostly interested in learning whether the references track with the information we have gathered during the hiring process. This can be factual information such as dates of employment, job progression, job title, and the reason for leaving a position. It can also be corroborating information such as the duties the person had, the projects they worked on, the software they used, or their achievements.

Across three to five references, we are also looking for consistency in tone and highlighted strengths or weaknesses. When that many unrelated individuals share similar perspectives, we can have greater confidence that the information is accurate.

How To Check References for Job Candidates

Get Written Permission To Check References

We once had a rogue client who called a candidate's boss without the candidate's permission…and the candidate was fired! This type of scenario is why it’s a best practice to get written permission from the candidate to check references.

A request for permission can be included in your employment application or as a separate document that you provide to candidates. (Fill out the form below to get a copy of the reference form we use at Red Seat! ⬇️)

In some cases, candidates may not want you to contact certain references, such as a current employer who doesn’t know they are looking for another position. This is perfectly reasonable and should be respected. However, if a candidate won’t give permission to contact any of their previous employers, that could be a red flag and it’s a good idea to ask for an explanation.

The hardest part of reference checking is getting in contact with the references. For this reason, we ask for both an email address and a phone number (cell phone preferred), and we only contact individuals the candidate has explicitly given us permission to contact.

Speak With a Variety of References

When contacting references, we recommend trying to speak with at least one immediate supervisor whenever possible, or another person who has managed the candidate. This can give you a clear picture of what it’s like to work with your potential new employee on a day-to-day basis, as well as whether they’ll be a fit for your company’s culture.

But supervisors aren’t the only sources of helpful information about a candidate. When we check references at Red Seat, we like to talk with a good mix of people including superiors, subordinates, coworkers, and, depending on the role, even clients.

One thing to note: Some candidates may offer friends and family as references, and while this may give you insight into the candidate’s personality outside of work, it will generally be less useful for making a sound hiring decision.

Write Out Your Questions

Write questions to ask each reference that will verify the basics of employment and track with the candidate’s competencies, behaviors, skills, values, or other key components you are focusing on in the search.

Overall, your reference questions should touch on the key three to five items you spent the most time talking about in the interview process.

For example, in a recent search, our client placed a high value on innovation through collaboration. More specifically, they wanted the new hire to be the kind of person who elicited new ideas, innovations, and improvements from their team.

With this in mind, we wrote a reference question to specifically address this: “Can you think of an example or two of when [the candidate] innovated or changed something for the better by eliciting input from his/her team?” When we asked the references this question, they gave examples that were consistent with the examples the candidate provided in their interview, validating both the experience of the candidate and skills that were important to the hiring company.

We typically ask around 10 questions in a reference check and plan for the conversation to be about 10 minutes in length. (If the position is unskilled, we will ask fewer questions and for senior leadership, we will ask more.)

Note: Avoid asking questions related to the candidate’s race, age, religion, sexual orientation, gender, or any other protected category, as well as disability status, health conditions, or marital/familial status, as it’s illegal to base your hiring decisions on these characteristics.

Contact Each Reference (Take Notes!)

There are several automated reference-checking services in today’s market, and while this is one viable option, at Red Seat, we’ve found that having a direct conversation with each reference can provide insight that an automated service simply cannot.

We prefer to check references through phone calls because hearing the reference speak about the candidate can be enlightening. For example, sometimes a reference will have difficulty answering a question or will mention something that requires follow-up for further probing.

The reference’s tone of voice can provide some context as well. If they sound enthusiastic when talking about the candidate, that’s a great sign. But if they are hesitant or vague in their answers, a phone call allows for clarification.

We typically call the reference first, then follow up with an email and calendar invite if we don’t reach them. If we find we have a wrong number, we’ll circle back to the candidate for updated information. In our experience, out of four to five references, we reach two to four of them, and we typically call and email an average of three times per contact.

Determine who will be checking references for you and plan to have them take typed or written notes during the call. Taking detailed notes will give you something to reference when you’re making your final hiring decision.

Request Clarification as Needed

If, in the course of checking a candidate’s references, you discover information that conflicts with what the candidate has told you, give the candidate a chance to respond to that discrepancy. They may offer additional context or perspective on the issue that can help clarify things.

Consider the feedback you get from all references to help you form a more well-rounded picture of who the candidate is, what their skills are, and how they function in the workplace.

We hope this gives you a good idea of how to check references for job candidates so you can learn as much as possible about them before you make your hiring decision.

If you’re looking to outsource your recruiting and hiring tasks, the Red Seat team would love to be considered! Contact us to learn how we can help you find and secure top talent for your business.

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Checking References: Why and How To Check References for Job Candidates