Use references as another source of information for your hiring decisions. References should be used at the end of your hiring process, because they can be quite time-consuming and candidates might object to providing them until later.
While conducting your reference calls, remember to:
Sample Reference Check Questions
What are some specific examples as to how they saved or made the company money. Would their supervisor think they had a positive ROI? Why?
How would you rank this candidate against others who do the same sort of work? Why?
Does this person typically work alone, or as part of a team?
What was this candidate’s attendance schedule? Were they on time and dependable?
What does this candidate do to cope with stress?
Can you describe some examples of when this person exhibited high performance, or exceeded expectations? What are this candidate’s three strongest qualities?
Describe some instances when this person performed below expectations? How did you communicate these with the candidate and how did they respond?
If given the opportunity, would you rehire this person? Why or why not?
Would you recommend this candidate for this position?
Sample Reference Check Questions
What are some specific examples as to how they saved or made the company money. Would their supervisor think they had a positive ROI? Why?
How would you rank this candidate against others who do the same sort of work? Why?
Does this person typically work alone, or as part of a team?
What was this candidate’s attendance schedule? Were they on time and dependable?
What does this candidate do to cope with stress?
Can you describe some examples of when this person exhibited high performance, or exceeded expectations? What are this candidate’s three strongest qualities?
Describe some instances when this person performed below expectations? How did you communicate these with the candidate and how did they respond?
If given the opportunity, would you rehire this person? Why or why not?
Would you recommend this candidate for this position?
