Guidelines/Tips for Conducting Employment References.
Employing supervisors are now able to conduct reference checks rather than waiting to have them done at the end of the employment process in the HR Office. This will allow supervisors to hear the references first hand, ask their own specific questions which are pertinent to their unit and the job to be done, and allow for a more timely filling of the position. Human Resources cautions supervisors to be very careful in this endeavor - we live in a very litigious society today and checking employment references can be very sensitive and tricky. Here are some guidelines to keep in mind. 1. References should only be conducted by the employing supervisor. This task cannot be delegated to another person, such as a search committee chair, or anyone else. Remember that references are highly CONFIDENTIAL. Information received should not be shared with anyone else (again, including the search committee), other than the Human Resources Office. You may contact the Human Resources Office for guidance on or discussion about problem references or obstacles/issues you may encounter that prevents you from getting references. References should only be conducted on your top candidate. If those references should prove to be unsatisfactory, then you may of course move on to your next selection. Try to get at least two references. Since we are trying to get an unbiased opinion, the best source for references would be former supervisors from outside of Montgomery College. If the supervisor is not available, possibly someone else from within the organization who worked closely with the individual and knows their work would be a good choice. If neither of these possibilities are available to you, you may call previous supervisors from Montgomery College, if the candidate worked here. Again, a source other than from the department who is doing the hiring would be best. If all else fails, you may use personal references but remember - no one is going to give you the name of someone as a personal reference, unless they know that person is going to speak well of them. In the opinion of the Human Resources Office, personal references don’t have much validity, but we will accept them if there is no other choice. Do not call your candidate’s current supervisor without the candidate’s permission. Check the last page of the application to see if they have granted that permission. Even if they have checked “yes” that you may call, it doesn’t hurt to ask again. It is surprising how many people don’t really mean what they check off on the application. You may tell the applicant that you are at the interview stage, or that they are among the leading applicants, but do not indicate in any way that they are your first choice, or have been selected. Also, the applicant should be informed that if they don’t want their current supervisor contacted initially, we do reserve the right to contact them once an offer is ready to be made.
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[Please note: Asking about who it is acceptable to call for references is a good question to ask during your interviews, as about well as the applicant’s availability]. 5. When calling to check references, do not identify the name of the person that you are checking references on, unless you are talking to the person who is to give you the reference. Be very discreet when leaving messages - leave your name and telephone number only. Use common sense when asking your questions. As in interviewing, sticking to the facts about the job itself and the candidate’s duties and credentials is the best policy. Do not ask questions about personal matters (such as state of marriage, child care issues, etc), criminal records, physical limitations, and illnesses or disabilities. If possible, try to verify the candidate’s eligibility for rehire and last salary, as well as the dates they were employed and their exact title. It surprising how much these things can vary from the information has been provided on the application. It is very important to document the name of the person with whom you speak, their title, relationship to the applicant, and the name of the company or organization. Also, at the bottom of the reference, provide your name, title and the date you did the reference check. Human Resources has provided some sample reference forms in the application packet. You may use these, or your own, as long as the critical information is provided. You may also feel free to add your own specific questions to the Human Resources form as long as they are relevant for your particular job or the applicant. Be prepared - many places will not give you any information whatsoever, or else only verify the person’s name, job title and dates of employment. Many supervisor’s who you contact directly will tell you that you must contact their company’s Human Resources Office for the reference (and the HR Office may or may not subsequently provide you with information). We prefer current “verbal” references. Some places may want to provide you something in writing, which is fine as long as it is done at your request. Written references provided to you by the applicant with their application should not count toward the two obtained by you. If you select an internal applicant, it is not necessary to check references. You may make an appointment with the Records area of Human Resources to review the selected candidate’s file if you wish. Again, if you get references that are other than satisfactory and seem to indicate problems, contact your Human Resources Specialist.
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Be sure that the references are included in the selection packet that you return to the Human Resources Office.
Reference guidelines.doc
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