When someone applies for a job with your company, you of course want to assume that everything they put down on their application or resume is truthful. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. In fact, many people put misleading statements or outright lies on applications or resumes in hopes they won’t be checked out by a prospective employer. If you want to make sure you get the employee you expect upon hiring, here are five of the biggest benefits you’ll gain from checking references.
Verify Information
More than anything, checking references will let you verify the information given to you by an applicant. You will be able to confirm the job they held with a previous employer, the reason they left, that they possess the skills and experience needed for the job at your company, and any other details that may be important.
Cultivating Other Sources
When you check references, you gain peace of mind in that you get to hear both sides of the story, not just the story the applicant has provided. By contacting previous employers and personal references, you can learn more about who the applicant is as a person. For example, are they able to get along well with others? Have they left out something crucial, such as being fired from a job? By cultivating other sources, you get a very clear picture of the person you may or may not hire.
Assessing the Candidate
Since a person’s past performance is a strong indicator of how they will perform in the future, reference checking will let you assess the candidate to see if you think they will succeed as a member of your company. Make sure to ask questions as to their reliability, performed tasks, and consistency.
Ranking Job Candidates
Once you check the references of all applicants, this will let you rank them in terms of their skills, personalities, and other key areas that will be deciding factors in who gets the job. If you will be conducting follow-up interviews before making a final selection, reference checking is a must.
Protects You From Legal Action
If you fail to check an applicant’s references and then that person is subsequently hired and commits a crime or other wrongdoing, you could be facing substantial legal action in the form of a lawsuit. By checking a person’s references before making a hiring decision, you can protect yourself and your company from claims you were negligent during the hiring process.
Though it may be time-consuming, checking references is more critical today than ever before. By verifying everything beforehand, you can make life much easier for you and everyone else at your company.
Lizzie Weakley is a freelance writer from Columbus, Ohio. In her free time, she enjoys the outdoors and walks in the park with her husky, Snowball.
