In Part 1 of “How to Conduct a Reference Check,” we covered some basic principles of conducting a reference check.  The “must-do’s” of reference checking, if you will.  Here in Part 2, I’ll tell you exactly what questions to ask, and why.

 

A reference check call should take no more then 20 minutes, barring some unforeseen revelation that merits a deeper dive.   If you’re running longer than 20 minutes, you risk the ire of the reference who was nice enough to take your phone call.  The approach I teach is designed to gradually move to more probing questions, putting the reference at ease immediately.

 

Conduct a reference check by asking the following questions, in order:

 

1.  “What are [candidate]’s strengths, in your opinion?  You know, things that really stand out, thing that you like and respect about him/her?”  Listen intently, and ask follow-up questions.  Statements like “tell me more about that” will elicit a deeper response than simply letting them run through the list without pausing to elaborate.  Make sure you walk away from this question understanding this person’s opinion of your candidate’s strengths.

 

2.  “What would you consider to be their biggest areas for improvement?” (follow up question:  “What areas of performance are [candidate]’s weakest?”]  This question yields huge insight.  Do they tell you, “they didn’t really have any weaknesses”?  If so, they were probably not an effective manager and therefore the reference should be eyed suspiciously.  Does the reference go into specific detail without being prompted?  If so, that’s the sign of a great manager-employee relationship (read: trust was strong).  After your reference concludes their initial list, be sure to pinpoint each item with a follow-up questios like, “tell me more about [trait] that you just described.”

 

3.  “Let’s talk about their job duties while working for you.  Could you clarify for me what [candidate]’s responsibilities were when they worked for you?”  (follow up question:  “What metrics did you use to measure their performance?”)  The answers to this question will tell you whether or not your candidate embellished or ‘puffed-up’ their job responsibilities.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve asked a reference this question only to realize that my candidate never had any real supervisory accountability, but simply worked as a senior member of a sales team, or some similar example.  Candidates love to over-describe their duties, but here’s where we find out the truth.

 

4.  “On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being ‘outstanding,’ how would you rate [candidate]’s overall performance?” As always, probe for specific reasons for the rating given.  A grade of 8-10 is a good sign.  A grade of 7 should raise alarm bells in your head.  Anything less than a 7 is a bad omen.  Make sure to dig into the specifics.  

 

5.  “Can you confirm for me how [candidate]’s compensation was structured?”  (follow-up question:  “What was the starting and ending salary for [candidate]?”  These answers are typically straightforward.  Here we’re making sure that what the candidate told us about their compensation and what the reference tells us match up.  It’s another place where discrepancies will abound, and typical issues involve the candidate stating that their total compensation potential as higher than it actually was - typically stated as larger-than-was-the-case bonus or incentive compensation.

 

6.  “Let me tell you about the job I am considering hiring [candidate] for.  [Describe job].  Based on your experience with [candidate], how do you think he/she might perform in that role?”  Answers here will range from, “oh, that’s a perfect job for them” to “you know, I’m not really sure because here their job was not similar to the one you just described.”  We’re going to probe for specifics no matter what the answer, but if you’re getting the feeling that your role is likely a stretch, ask the reference the following question:  “Do you think that this role is a stretch for them?”  If the answer is anything other than, “no, they’ll do fine” then you’ll want to take pause.

 

7.  “Is there anything that you’ve observed about your time managing [candidate] that I should be aware of, good or bad?”  Listen and learn.  Probe for specifics when your gut tells you do do so.

 

8.  “What’s the best advice you can give me for how I can best manage [candidate]?”  The answer to this question is many times the most telling answer of all.  Read between the lines and you’ll often uncover emotions ranging from “you really have to stay on top of things with them” (bad) to something like “I sure wish they still worked here” (good).  

 

9.  ”Is there anything else about [candidate] that you feel is important for my overall evaluation of their fit for my open position?”  You’ll usually get a repeat of a previous answer - or some flavor of it - that is innocuous, more often than not.  Occasionally, you’ll get some new info…which is why we ask this question.

 

10.  “I’d like to thank you for your time today.  May I ask you one final question?  If, given the opportunity to hire [candidate] again for a similar job, would you enthusiastically rehire them?”  THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION THAT YOU ASK.  If the answer is no, I would not recommend a single circumstance when hiring the person anyway is worth the risk.  I mean, this reference just told you that, given the choice, they would never again hire your candidate, ever.  What more info do you need?

 

This 10-question reference check format works exceptionally well for all positions, across the board.  Use it with confidence!