By Lane V. Erickson, Attorney
According to a Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) survey more than eight out of ten human resource professionals reported that they regularly conduct reference checks for professional (89 percent), executive (85 percent), administrative (84 percent) and technical (81 percent) positions. Regular reference checks were less likely, but still happened, for skilled-labor, part-time, temporary and seasonal positions. Information routinely provided to reference checkers by surveyed employers included: (1) dates of employment for the job applicant; (2) eligibility for rehire; (3) salary history of the job applicant; and (4) employability of the job applicant.
Even with this high number of reference checks occurring we all know that references for a job applicant should be viewed through a filter of reality. Usually a job applicant will choose only those persons who will provide glowing praise as a reference. However, even in these situations, a check of references by an employer can help to provide an objective view of the job applicant if the right approach is taken.
The best questions that can be asked when checking references are those that require objective answers. For instance, asking a reference how the job applicant would fit the position you’re interviewing for is a great way to learn more about the job applicant’s personality and skills from the reference’s point of view. Additionally, asking a question that has the reference provide an example of how the job applicant was a dependable employee requires specific information. It lessens the subjective question of whether the job applicant is a dependable employee.
It shouldn’t come as any surprise that many job applicants aren’t honest in the information they provide on a job application. For this reason, asking references questions that are simple are often a great way of gathering data on the job applicant. For example, using a reference to verify length of employment can shed light on how accurately the job applicant lists this information in the Job Application. Employers that asked this question often discover that job applicants inflate even this simple information.
Some additional areas of information that an employer can and should ask references include the job applicant’s:
- work ethic;
- attitude;
- how the job applicant’s work compared with their peers’ work;
- what the job applicant accomplished while working for that particular reference;
- what the job applicant’s weakest points are;
- why the job applicant left; and
- whether the employer would be excited to hire the job applicant again.
While these items aren’t a comprehensive list of the questions that should be asked, they do provide an example of questions that can be asked of references to get a dose of reality about a particular job applicant. Each employer should consider the job position for which they are hiring and customize questions to ask references that will provide the most objective data possible.
If you have questions about the types of information that you can gather from a reference, we can help. Call us toll free at 877-232-6101 or 208-232-6101 for a consultation with Lane Erickson and the Racine Olson team of Employment Law attorneys in Idaho. You can also email Lane Erickson directly at lve@racinelaw.net. We will answer your Idaho Employment Law questions and will help you solve your Idaho Employment Law problems.
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