In a world where you can check someone’s credit score or screen their social media profiles with just a few clicks of the mouse, taking up and checking employment references might seem a bit old school. Many employers may question the value of checking references for new employees, and employees wonder what the point is, if they are also having DBS checks and other screening. The other worry is whether or not a company would shy away from giving a negative reference to avoid potential repercussions. There are however many reasons why employment references are still a central part of the employment screening process for many organisations.
Reasons For Taking Up References
Despite the concerns that references are old-fashioned and fairly worthless, there are still some very good reasons why taking up references can give valuable information about a candidate.
- Fact Verification: Even basic references can confirm essential details like job titles and employment dates which can be checked against information a candidate has given on their CV.
- Duty of Care: Checking references demonstrates an employee’s commitment to due diligence in hiring and keeping their other members of staff safe.
- Insightful Information: While most references may be basic, others might offer valuable insights into the candidate’s performance and suitability for the role.
Practical Steps for Checking References
References should only be taken up after an offer has been made and accepted. Satisfactory references are usually a condition of employment. Employers are usually advised to have a consistent approach to references which typically means requesting references from the candidate’s previous line managers over the last five years. Candidates should also be asked for their permission before their referees are contacted, and it is best to use a standard form to ensure all referees are being asked for the same information. This doesn’t guarantee that previous employers won’t use their own forms anyway, but it does ensure the references are being requested in a standard way. Referees should be chased up if a response is not received in a reasonable period of time.
Challenges of Checking References
Candidates may be reluctant to provide referee contact details. Discuss their concerns and try to address their concerns. Often, discussing why you are checking references and how you go about it will be enough to convince them to provide names and numbers.
Similarly, people who are named as referees can be uncooperative or just fail to respond. Ask the candidate if there is someone else in the company who can provide a reference, or for requests to be redirected to the HR team. If references are incomplete, often a follow-up telephone call will provide the information you need.
References are Only Part of the Picture
Ultimately, while references can be valuable, they are just part of the picture when you are hiring a new worker. If everything else you have observed about someone is positive, is a single poor reference worth discarding them over? Always look at the full picture.
