Contacting candidate references is an important part of your hiring process. You can verify information about a candidate while learning more about them in a professional setting. This verification helps confirm whether the candidate is well-suited for the role.

Hiring the best candidate elevates employee engagement, performance, and productivity. The right candidate should experience strong job satisfaction, improve employee morale, and increase attraction and retention rates. These factors strengthen your bottom line.

As a result, you should prepare effective questions before contacting a candidate’s references. Uncovering relevant information helps determine which candidate best fits your company’s culture and can add the most value to your organization.

Use these refreshers and reminders when contacting candidate references.

Prepare Your Questions

List the open-ended questions you want to ask each candidate reference. Consider the job duties, responsibilities, skills, and requirements when forming your questions. This process helps ensure you have adequate time to address the relevant points and receive detailed answers.

Schedule a Time to Talk

Set up a time to talk with each candidate reference. Ensure they have sufficient time for a brief conversation in a quiet environment. These factors help the reference focus on your questions and give detailed answers.

Provide Background for Your Call

Let the candidate reference know the reason for your call. Include the name of your company and the role the candidate applied for. These details help the reference provide relevant feedback on whether the candidate would fit with your organization and adjust to the position.

Take Notes  

Record details about the information the candidate reference shared. Refer to these notes when making hiring decisions. This information helps ensure you extend a job offer to the best candidate.

Examples of Questions for Candidate References

Consider asking candidate references questions such as:

• Can you verify the employment dates, job titles, and responsibilities the candidate had while working for you?
• In what capacity did you work with the candidate?
• What do you consider to be the candidate’s strengths and weaknesses?
• What would you say the candidate’s top skills and contributions to the role were?
• Would you rehire the candidate if you had the opportunity? Why or why not?
• We are considering this candidate for an HR role. Would you recommend them for this type of position?
• Is there anyone else you suggest I speak with regarding the candidate’s time with your company?
• Should I know anything else about the candidate before making a hiring decision?

Do You Need to Add to Your HR Team?

Prepare your questions and schedule a time to talk with each candidate reference. Give background for each call and take notes during each conversation. Following these refreshers and reminders helps increase your success in hiring the best candidate.

For additional support with hiring HR professionals, turn to Arlington Resources. Contact us to learn more today.