Personal and professional reference checks can be a gold mine that most companies don’t mine enough. The common perception is that anyone can find three to five references that will generally speak well of them, so there is no real information to be gathered. That’s a big misperception.
The team at Cutting Edge Background Investigations is well-versed in asking the right questions in a way that will garner the most valuable and relevant information.
The Value of Personal and Professional Reference Checks
Personal and professional references are contacted to gather additional information about an applicant concerning competence and fitness for the job in question.
- Personal references can help determine the true character an applicant as it pertains to the job opening.
- Professional references can help determine the applicant’s work ethic, the ability to work well with others, and the qualities the applicant possesses that relate to the job in question.
When it comes to personal and professional reference checks, the art is in what questions are asked and how they are asked.
We have actually interviewed mothers that didn’t like their sons (“wouldn’t hire him—he’s lazy, drinks too much and can’t hold down a job). Additionally, it can be very telling when applicants primarily provide references that are family members or contacts with wrong and disconnected phone numbers.
Conversely, references that truly know the applicant and provide glowing references can also provide important behavioral and performance information that can give you a jump start in properly placing the applicant in your organization. We recently conducted a reference interview and were told, “She communicates very well, her time management skills are the best I’ve seen in 30 years of business, she takes initiative on the job, she is punctual, you will be so lucky to get her.”
Each case is unique and Cutting Edge Background Investigations can gather the information you need to make the right decision about your prospective employees.
