Reference Checking Guide
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.................................................................3 HANDLING REFERENCE INFORMATION .........................................................................................................3 WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO HANDLE THE INFORMATION GATHERED FROM A REFERENCE CHECK?.............................3 SUGGESTED REFERENCE CHECKING STEPS .................................................................................................4 SAMPLE QUESTIONS ..............................................................................................................................................5 i “Reference checks are conducted once the applicant pool is narrowed down to the top candidate(s).” Frequently Asked Questions about Reference Checks Who conducts the reference checks? Typically, the person who will be making the final hiring decision checks the top candidates’ references. Alternatively, a human resources (HR) specialist may check references. How many references should be contacted? Contacting multiple references can be beneficial to gather different perspectives on a candidate’s skills and abilities. Typically, candidates provide three (3) references for the hiring manager (or HR specialist) to contact. If those references are not available, or if additional perspectives are desired, you can ask the candidate for additional references. Who should serve as a reference? The reference should have been in a position to directly observe the candidate and be of a professional nature (previous or current supervisors, coworkers, professors, etc.) and not personal (friends, relatives, etc.). References who have had the most recent contact with the candidate may be better able to provide specific and accurate feedback. Less recent references may not be aware of new skills the candidate may have developed. On the other hand, there may be circumstances where a less recent reference has the best knowledge of the competencies that are most important for the position to be filled. Accordingly, you will need to use judgment and weigh the information references provide appropriately to the situation. Should I obtain a candidate's consent to check their references? Yes, when you ask a candidate to provide references, you should obtain their permission to contact their references. Consent can also be granted via language on the job application (e.g., a statement that all information provided by the candidate will be verified), the Declaration for Federal Employment form (OF-306) or a similar agency- developed form, or orally (e.g., during the interview). What if the candidate asked not to contact their current supervisor?
.................................................................3 HANDLING REFERENCE INFORMATION .........................................................................................................3 WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO HANDLE THE INFORMATION GATHERED FROM A REFERENCE CHECK?.............................3 SUGGESTED REFERENCE CHECKING STEPS .................................................................................................4 SAMPLE QUESTIONS ..............................................................................................................................................5 i “• Verify information provided by the candidate” Frequently Asked Questions about Reference Checks Who conducts the reference checks? Typically, the person who will be making the final hiring decision checks the top candidates’ references. Alternatively, a human resources (HR) specialist may check references. How many references should be contacted? Contacting multiple references can be beneficial to gather different perspectives on a candidate’s skills and abilities. Typically, candidates provide three (3) references for the hiring manager (or HR specialist) to contact. If those references are not available, or if additional perspectives are desired, you can ask the candidate for additional references. Who should serve as a reference? The reference should have been in a position to directly observe the candidate and be of a professional nature (previous or current supervisors, coworkers, professors, etc.) and not personal (friends, relatives, etc.). References who have had the most recent contact with the candidate may be better able to provide specific and accurate feedback. Less recent references may not be aware of new skills the candidate may have developed. On the other hand, there may be circumstances where a less recent reference has the best knowledge of the competencies that are most important for the position to be filled. Accordingly, you will need to use judgment and weigh the information references provide appropriately to the situation. Should I obtain a candidate's consent to check their references? Yes, when you ask a candidate to provide references, you should obtain their permission to contact their references. Consent can also be granted via language on the job application (e.g., a statement that all information provided by the candidate will be verified), the Declaration for Federal Employment form (OF-306) or a similar agency- developed form, or orally (e.g., during the interview). What if the candidate asked not to contact their current supervisor?
.................................................................3 HANDLING REFERENCE INFORMATION .........................................................................................................3 WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO HANDLE THE INFORMATION GATHERED FROM A REFERENCE CHECK?.............................3 SUGGESTED REFERENCE CHECKING STEPS .................................................................................................4 SAMPLE QUESTIONS ..............................................................................................................................................5 i “• Better predict the candidate’s on-the-job success” Frequently Asked Questions about Reference Checks Who conducts the reference checks? Typically, the person who will be making the final hiring decision checks the top candidates’ references. Alternatively, a human resources (HR) specialist may check references. How many references should be contacted? Contacting multiple references can be beneficial to gather different perspectives on a candidate’s skills and abilities. Typically, candidates provide three (3) references for the hiring manager (or HR specialist) to contact. If those references are not available, or if additional perspectives are desired, you can ask the candidate for additional references. Who should serve as a reference? The reference should have been in a position to directly observe the candidate and be of a professional nature (previous or current supervisors, coworkers, professors, etc.) and not personal (friends, relatives, etc.). References who have had the most recent contact with the candidate may be better able to provide specific and accurate feedback. Less recent references may not be aware of new skills the candidate may have developed. On the other hand, there may be circumstances where a less recent reference has the best knowledge of the competencies that are most important for the position to be filled. Accordingly, you will need to use judgment and weigh the information references provide appropriately to the situation. Should I obtain a candidate's consent to check their references? Yes, when you ask a candidate to provide references, you should obtain their permission to contact their references. Consent can also be granted via language on the job application (e.g., a statement that all information provided by the candidate will be verified), the Declaration for Federal Employment form (OF-306) or a similar agency- developed form, or orally (e.g., during the interview). What if the candidate asked not to contact their current supervisor?
.................................................................3 HANDLING REFERENCE INFORMATION .........................................................................................................3 WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO HANDLE THE INFORMATION GATHERED FROM A REFERENCE CHECK?.............................3 SUGGESTED REFERENCE CHECKING STEPS .................................................................................................4 SAMPLE QUESTIONS ..............................................................................................................................................5 i “• Gain additional knowledge (e.g., candidate’s abilities)” Frequently Asked Questions about Reference Checks Who conducts the reference checks? Typically, the person who will be making the final hiring decision checks the top candidates’ references. Alternatively, a human resources (HR) specialist may check references. How many references should be contacted? Contacting multiple references can be beneficial to gather different perspectives on a candidate’s skills and abilities. Typically, candidates provide three (3) references for the hiring manager (or HR specialist) to contact. If those references are not available, or if additional perspectives are desired, you can ask the candidate for additional references. Who should serve as a reference? The reference should have been in a position to directly observe the candidate and be of a professional nature (previous or current supervisors, coworkers, professors, etc.) and not personal (friends, relatives, etc.). References who have had the most recent contact with the candidate may be better able to provide specific and accurate feedback. Less recent references may not be aware of new skills the candidate may have developed. On the other hand, there may be circumstances where a less recent reference has the best knowledge of the competencies that are most important for the position to be filled. Accordingly, you will need to use judgment and weigh the information references provide appropriately to the situation. Should I obtain a candidate's consent to check their references? Yes, when you ask a candidate to provide references, you should obtain their permission to contact their references. Consent can also be granted via language on the job application (e.g., a statement that all information provided by the candidate will be verified), the Declaration for Federal Employment form (OF-306) or a similar agency- developed form, or orally (e.g., during the interview). What if the candidate asked not to contact their current supervisor?
.................................................................3 HANDLING REFERENCE INFORMATION .........................................................................................................3 WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO HANDLE THE INFORMATION GATHERED FROM A REFERENCE CHECK?.............................3 SUGGESTED REFERENCE CHECKING STEPS .................................................................................................4 SAMPLE QUESTIONS ..............................................................................................................................................5 i “Reference checking aims to verify the information a candidate provided (e.g., resume) and can provide a different perspective.” Frequently Asked Questions about Reference Checks Who conducts the reference checks? Typically, the person who will be making the final hiring decision checks the top candidates’ references. Alternatively, a human resources (HR) specialist may check references. How many references should be contacted? Contacting multiple references can be beneficial to gather different perspectives on a candidate’s skills and abilities. Typically, candidates provide three (3) references for the hiring manager (or HR specialist) to contact. If those references are not available, or if additional perspectives are desired, you can ask the candidate for additional references. Who should serve as a reference? The reference should have been in a position to directly observe the candidate and be of a professional nature (previous or current supervisors, coworkers, professors, etc.) and not personal (friends, relatives, etc.). References who have had the most recent contact with the candidate may be better able to provide specific and accurate feedback. Less recent references may not be aware of new skills the candidate may have developed. On the other hand, there may be circumstances where a less recent reference has the best knowledge of the competencies that are most important for the position to be filled. Accordingly, you will need to use judgment and weigh the information references provide appropriately to the situation. Should I obtain a candidate's consent to check their references? Yes, when you ask a candidate to provide references, you should obtain their permission to contact their references. Consent can also be granted via language on the job application (e.g., a statement that all information provided by the candidate will be verified), the Declaration for Federal Employment form (OF-306) or a similar agency- developed form, or orally (e.g., during the interview). What if the candidate asked not to contact their current supervisor?
.................................................................3 HANDLING REFERENCE INFORMATION .........................................................................................................3 WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO HANDLE THE INFORMATION GATHERED FROM A REFERENCE CHECK?.............................3 SUGGESTED REFERENCE CHECKING STEPS .................................................................................................4 SAMPLE QUESTIONS ..............................................................................................................................................5 i “Both instances present a better picture to the hiring manager of how the candidate would perform on the job.” Frequently Asked Questions about Reference Checks Who conducts the reference checks? Typically, the person who will be making the final hiring decision checks the top candidates’ references. Alternatively, a human resources (HR) specialist may check references. How many references should be contacted? Contacting multiple references can be beneficial to gather different perspectives on a candidate’s skills and abilities. Typically, candidates provide three (3) references for the hiring manager (or HR specialist) to contact. If those references are not available, or if additional perspectives are desired, you can ask the candidate for additional references. Who should serve as a reference? The reference should have been in a position to directly observe the candidate and be of a professional nature (previous or current supervisors, coworkers, professors, etc.) and not personal (friends, relatives, etc.). References who have had the most recent contact with the candidate may be better able to provide specific and accurate feedback. Less recent references may not be aware of new skills the candidate may have developed. On the other hand, there may be circumstances where a less recent reference has the best knowledge of the competencies that are most important for the position to be filled. Accordingly, you will need to use judgment and weigh the information references provide appropriately to the situation. Should I obtain a candidate's consent to check their references? Yes, when you ask a candidate to provide references, you should obtain their permission to contact their references. Consent can also be granted via language on the job application (e.g., a statement that all information provided by the candidate will be verified), the Declaration for Federal Employment form (OF-306) or a similar agency- developed form, or orally (e.g., during the interview). What if the candidate asked not to contact their current supervisor?