By David Wolfe
I’ve heard it said before that a reference check is a “stupid” check. If somebody’s stupid enough to pick a bad reference, they are too stupid to hire.
Most references, we know, are typically going to say good things about the person. That makes reference checks tricky; you know the candidate is only going to pick references who will say glowing things about them. That’s why I do things a bit differently here, in order to ensure that I get valuable information.
Have the Candidate Set Up the Reference Calls for You
Ask the candidate to actually set up the reference call with a direct supervisor or a direct report. You want them to schedule the time and tell you who to call and when. This forces them to take the initiative. It shows you that they really want this job, to the point that they have set up interviews for you.
Also, A-players tend to be excited about reference checks—they can’t wait for their boss or supervisor to talk directly to you. On the other hand, sometimes lower performers really don’t want that. Those C-layers can’t seem to get hold of the references, or they can’t seem to find supervisory references and give you a lot of peer references, which can be a big red flag.
Ask the candidate to find and schedule at least two direct supervisory references. A third or fourth reference can be a peer, but you want to talk to supervisors.
Ask Questions in a Different Way
If you dig a little, you can address areas of concern you had during the interview. If there are a couple of things you aren’t sure about in the candidate, ask probing questions and address your exact concerns to the reference, and allow the reference to speak about it openly. For example, two years ago I was doing a reference check for an internal hire I was about to make. In order to put the reference at ease (and get insightful information), I explained that I was calling to see if he thought this person would fit this specific role well, and whether she would fit our company culture. I explained that I wasn’t calling just to see if this employee was a good employee; there is an important distinction here. I explained the type of role this was and the type of company we were.
When I asked the reference to discuss the candidate’s weaknesses, he said, “None that I can think of,” which is what most people say at first. Then I rephrased it and said, “Obviously no employee is perfect. If there were one or two things you think she needs to improve on most, what would they be?” There was a pause; I waited in the awkward silence. Finally, reluctantly, he started to speak about that. I then began to ask him some clarifying questions, and he slowly started to open up. I ended up getting some great information that didn’t prevent me from hiring the person but gave me critical insight on how I would coach and develop this person in the future.
When references are reluctant to say anything negative, you have to dig. No one’s perfect, everyone has weak spots. What’s the candidate’s Achilles heel? What was the thing that you most got frustrated with? What was the thing that the candidate didn’t do so well? Keep digging until you get something to work with.
Asking questions this way gives the reference an out. They aren’t saying anything bad about this person, just talking about what they need to improve on. Your big objective is to figure out what the candidate’s weaknesses are and what they struggle with. That’s why we preface that question by saying no employee is perfect. It gives the reference a way to talk freely about the person without being overtly negative.
Ask the Reference the Same Question You Asked the Candidate
Another key to reference checks is to ask the reference the same question that you asked the candidate during the interview. Remember that you asked the candidate how their supervisor would assess the person’s strengths and weaknesses and how they would rank them on a scale from one to five. Now you can see how well the supervisor aligns with how they answered that question during the interview. Most of the time it’ll be pretty well matched—and it should match. If there’s a discrepancy, that might show how self-aware and people-savvy the candidate is.
Check the References the Candidate Didn’t Give You
One very powerful technique is to check the references that aren’t on their list. For instance, if they didn’t include a supervisory reference from an earlier employer, and you happen to know who works there or you can find out easily who works there, you can just spot-check that reference. Go do some digging on your own and call around. This extra reference can often give you information you need to know—information that maybe the candidate didn’t want you to know—which can save you from hiring a bad apple.