The Reference check
The most overlooked part of an interview process
Reference Checks
Don’t skip reference checks. It is tempting, but trust me it is a mistake you do not want to make. I had an associate who came to me via employee referral put on an incredible facade during his interviews, we ended up hiring him, and by all accounts he should have been an A-player. If I had done a reference check I would found out that he had been fired from his last job for using his employee discount to discount merchandise up to 99% for his friends.
I believe he even got a misdemeanor for it, but it never showed up on his background check because he was a dual citizen and used his second passport, which had a slightly different name, for his employment application with us.
The reason that this method has to be so in-depth is because people are incredibly crafty. In a perfect world people would be upfront about their strengths and weaknesses, and we could assess whether they would be a good fit culturally and strategically for both parties. But people are not upfront. They care about getting the job that you are offering, and they will lie and cheat their way into it if they can.
Choose the references you’d find most valuable. Go back through your notes from the top down interview and select who you think would be the best fit. You’ll want four to seven interviews depending on the seniority of the candidate.
Ask the candidate to set up reference calls. Because of the current litigious climate, many companies have policies that prevent employees from serving as a reference, but your odds are significantly higher if the candidate sets it up themselves.
Reference questions:
1. In what context did you work with this person?
2. What were the person’s biggest strengths
3. What were the person’s biggest areas for improvement back then?
4. How would you rate his/her overall performance at that job on a scale of 1–10? What about his or her performance causes you to give that rating?
5. The person mentioned that they struggled with ___ at that job. Can you tell me more about that?
In what context did you work with this person?
A conversation starter and a way to jog the person’s memory
What were the person’s biggest strengths?
What were the person’s biggest areas for improvement back then?
Back to the top down interview questions. Look for discrepancies between what they told you versus what you’re hearing. Do make sure to use the phrase “back then” when asking about weaknesses, as it can absolve the person answering of any guilty feelings, and lets them freely discuss what happened in the past.
How would you rate their overall performance at that job on a scale of 1–10? What about his or her performance causes you to give that rating?
Remember that you’re looking for 10/9/8, with 7 being neutral, and 6 representing a red flag. Dig into why they are giving that rating, as one red flag is not necessarily a deal breaker.
The person mentioned that they struggled with ___ in that job. Can you tell me more about that?
This is where you’ll get more information regarding the stories you’ve already discussed. You might even find that the reference check will bring out more than previously discussed.
What, How, & Tell Me More
As with all sections:
One of the reasons that sales is so important is that it is used in every facet of life. When a candidate gives you an answer here, start probing. What do you mean by that? How did that make you feel? Tell me more about that particular situation.
You can spend as much or as little time as you want during this process with the references.
Lucas is the founder of Spark xyz, platform management software for incubators, accelerators, Angel groups, and VC’s.
