I am often asked by prospective clients, “How important are employment references today? Are they really worth the effort? And, if I put forth the effort, will anyone share this seemingly sacred information anyway?” My answers to these questions are: “Extremely important. Absolutely. And, again, Yes.”
Remember Nurse Cullen? “Charles Cullen is a former nurse and the most prolific serial killer in New Jersey history,” according to Wikipedia. The site goes on to say that “Cullen told authorities in December 2003 that he had murdered as many as 45 patients during the 16 years he worked at 10 hospitals in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.”
After committing numerous murders, domestic violence and attempted suicides, Cullen became a licensed nurse in Pennsylvania in 1994. How was Cullen able to not only gain employment but also become a licensed nurse? Wikipedia states that employers feared to investigate the incidents or give a bad employment reference for fear that such actions might trigger a lawsuit.
Prompted by the Cullen case, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and 35 other states adopted new laws which encourage employers to give honest appraisals of workers’ job performance and which give employers immunity when they provide a truthful employee appraisal.
Performing professional reference checking is a daily function at my company, and we have had tremendous success in uncovering vital information. This information is often the final piece of the puzzle to determine an offer of employment. When you are asking yourself whether it is worth your time and energy to do reference checks on candidates, remember that as a company you are responsible for the safety and well-being of your employees and client companies. Consider that past behavior is an indicator of potential future behavior, and acknowledge that a poor hire can cost you a great deal of time, money and aggravation.
So how can you successfully perform reference checks? I advise:
1. Always ask candidates to give you permission to contact any of their past employers and have them sign a release form.
2. Next step is to ask for the names of their immediate supervisors. These are the people with whom you will want to speak.
3. Try not to be directed to HR as they typically will not share much.
4. If a person listed as a reference is hesitant or will not answer questions due to policy, ask if you can contact her or him at home after hours for a personal reference.
There is good protocol to both receiving and providing references:
Etiquette of receiving references:
• Remember that when you are asking performance questions, the company is sharing feedback based on their performance standards versus yours. Always offer your standards and then ask how likely it is that the candidate will fit into this type of requirement.
• If person is hesitant to offer information, explain that this position is critical to the success of your organization and that references are vital to this decision.
• At the beginning of the call, assure the contact that anything he or she shares will be held in complete confidence; and adhere to that. Do not share with anyone but the hiring officials that need to know.
• Never share the feedback with the applicant.
Etiquette of giving references:
• Ask for a copy of a signed release form signed by your ex-employee.
• Share facts rather than generalizations. Example: “Johnny was consistently late for work” — incorrect. “Johnny was late for work 17 times in the last six months” — fact. This will keep you out of trouble.
• If there was an incident that was very sticky such as violence, theft or personal problems, do not share information about these things.
• If you do not have the time, find a professional service to help. There are many out there to help you at very reasonable prices.
An average employee is going to cost your company in the range of $35,000 a year and up. Why would you not secure your investment?
Don’t Avoid the Chance to Check Job References - To learn more about this author, visit Tina Hamilton's Website.
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Tina Hamilton
(Visit Tina's Website)
Tina Hamilton, PHR, is CEO and Founder of
hireVision Group, Inc, a Human Resources
company focusing on Hiring Management and
HR DirectLink Services. Former owner of a
multi-million dollar staffing service
franchise, Tina successfully sold back the
franchise and used the profits (and her
passionate, entrepreneurial spirit) to
launch hireVision in 2002 to make HR
services available and affordable to any
size business. With over 20 years in the
field of Human Resources, Tina has a depth
and breadth of expertise in compliance,
hiring practices, employee relations
issues, small business start-up, corporate
HR practices and networking and leadership
expertise. Well-respected in the business
community, Hamilton is also a sought-after
speaker and a monthly columnist. Beyond
all of the skills, knowledge and rules of
HR, Tina’s mission is to preserve - and
often reintroduce - the "human" element of
the HR function. Learn more about
hireVision Group at www.hirev
isiongroup.com, or contact Tina
directly at tin
a@hirevisiongroup.com. This is a
company and a leader you’ll be happy you
know.
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