the best reference questions to ask
DESCRIPTION
In this article, I’ll share with you a list of core reference questions that you should ask about your job candidate and why employment reference check questions are important.TRANSCRIPT
Easy Small Business HR 1
The Best Employment Reference
Questions To Ask
Special Report From: EasySmallBusinessHR.com
In this ebook, I’d like to share with you what I think are some of
the best reference questions to ask:
1. Share with me a summary of the candidates’ job
responsibilities?
This question is important because you need to be able to compare
notes on what the candidate shared with you during your interview
with them. Basically, you want to verify that the work that the
candidate shared is accurate.
Before asking this next question, describe to the reference giver the
job that you are considering the candidate for, and then ask the
following question:
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2. Based on the job that I described, share with me why you
feel that the candidate may be an ideal candidate for the role?
The goal with this question is to obtain the supervisor’s perspective
on whether the candidate has the experience needed. When I ask
this question, I look for examples that support why the supervisor
may feel that the candidate is qualified for the role.
3. Describe the candidates working style as part of a team and
when working on their own?
This question helps you to assess how your candidate works with
others and whether they are able to work autonomously.
4. Describe 3 areas of the candidate’s work performance where
they consistently excelled? Are there any areas of growth or
improvement that have been discussed with the candidate?
This question is another twist on the “Strengths and Weaknesses”
question. Important information to know.
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5. Have there ever been any issues with performance or
attendance that have been addressed with the candidate?
This question allows you to find out whether there were any past
issues with the candidate as well as current issues that may not
impact the hiring decision, but that you should be aware of.
6. If you were in the position to re-hire this candidate, would
you? If no, please share why?
The response to this question allows you to get a good sense of
how the employee is valued. I’ve always asked this question and
have been surprised to get a “no, I would not re-ire them” after
getting positive answers to all of my other questions.
If someone does say that they wouldn’t rehire the person, always
ask why. I think that the answer is always very telling. I’ve heard
things like, “this job isn’t the best fit for their career interests”, or
“they were bored in this job”. You can then ask follow up
questions in order to get a sense of whether you are getting an
accurate reference.
This is my list of the best questions to ask based on what has been
helpful to me and other managers over the years to know about a
candidate before making a hiring decision.
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Consider this a core set of questions; there may be other questions
that you’ll need to ask based on the job or the applicant.
Always be sure that the questions asked help you to better assess
the applicant’s qualifications for a job.
Similar to interview questions; stay away from questions that are
personal in nature.
As always, thanks for reading.
Until then, thanks for your support!