Checking work references takes time and is often ineffective in acquiring the information needed to assess if a person is a good fit for a position. Despite the fact that references are protected by law, many employers refuse to provide more information than dates of employment, income history, and job title.

You're on the lookout for a new employee and have narrowed down your choices based on resumes and many rounds of interviews. So you've decided to make a job offer, correct? It's not nearly time to examine references yet. Sure, you could believe whatever the recruit says, but due diligence mandates that you receive feedback from managers they've worked for in the past.

Here are three tips for dealing with the often tough task of reviewing references for job candidates you're contemplating hiring:

Inform the candidate that you will be checking their references

Make it known to candidates right away throughout the job interview process that your organization will verify their references. Checking references is legal as long as the information being verified is linked to the employment and does not violate discrimination laws. Notifying applicants that you will be checking their references will help ensure that the answers they provide you during the interview are accurate.

It should not be delegated

You should conduct the job reference check personally if the potential employee will report directly to you. You are the most knowledgeable about the situation, and you will almost certainly have follow-up questions that others would not consider. Furthermore, phoning someone on the same level may foster a sense of camaraderie, resulting in more candid and comprehensive responses. Checking references is also a good approach to get advice from a previous boss on how to best manage the person.

Begin with the responses of the candidate

You can get a good start on your reference checks by asking candidates during the job interview what their former employers are likely to say about them.

Check red flags

Additionally, keep an eye out for the following red flags when collecting input from your top prospects' prior employers:

Feedback

It should go without saying that if a reference doesn't give a positive impression of a candidate, it's a red sign. Don't stop there, though. To find out why to ask probing inquiries. You might suspect, for example, that a former colleague or boss is providing you a terrible reference that you don't deserve, possibly because of prior personal disputes. Conduct multiple more reference checks with other contacts to corroborate or dispute the feedback in this circumstance.

Don't call this one

It's a red flag if a candidate gives references and then suggests that you shouldn't contact certain people on the list. Similarly, if you try to verify references only to find out you were given the erroneous phone number, it's possible that something is wrong. However, resist the tendency to jump to conclusions. Allow the candidate to provide updated and accurate contact information.

References that are excessively glowing

It's possible that the feedback you receive is too good to be true. If you ask the correct questions, honest references will open up about their former employee or colleague's qualities and faults. If the reference can't think of a single thing the applicant could do better, it's possible they're not giving you the whole picture.

Conclusion

Despite the time commitment, you should not avoid doing reference checks. The more time and effort you put into vetting a prospect upfront, the more likely you are to make a good hire or prevent a disastrous one.