90% of recruiters will ask these typical reference check questions

Typical reference check questions

One of the bloggers I read on a regular basis, Donna Svei from the Avid Careerist, posted an article yesterday on how to prep your referees.  She cites a study of 500 HR professionals which found that 90% ask questions about the same seven topics.

Typical reference check questions are:

Reason for leaving; character traits; attendance; discipline problems; strengths and weaknesses; ability to get along with others and their overall opinion.  Other topics that future employers cover include: eligibility for rehire; job performance and work ethic.

These are all good questions.

Although it may sound like a simple thing to do, as a recruiter, I’ve found reference checking to be a bit of an art, especially when I have suspected some issues with the performance of the person I have been referencing. A referee  can be reluctant to say anything too detrimental for fear of being sued, or they are simply nice people, and do not want to get in the way of someone getting a new job.

One of the biggest and most telling questions I used to ask as a recruiter was would you re-hire this person? – as often this is what it all came down to. Quite often referees can give reasonable sounding answers to all of the other questions I would ask, and I would listen thinking “it’s not exactly a glowing reference – yet I can’t pin the referee down on what the main issue is with this person.”

If there was any hesitation in the referee’s voice or if the referee said something like: “I personally would.” I would start to dig into why. I’d comment on the referee’s tone and say they didn’t sound certain. I’d ask some pointed questions and I’d speak to all of the referees the candidate supplied.

Donna suggests to prime your referees, for this very reason. She says to let them know that they will receive a call, the questions that are likely to come up and why you think you are a good fit for the new job. This, she says, can counter any negativity about your suitability for a new job.

This means if your referee says they wouldn’t re-hire you, directly or otherwise, they can still talk more confidently about whether you are a good fit for the new role.

Karalyn

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Tagged as: referees, reference check questions