Calling on Personal References

Trish

What questions should be asked when calling on personal references for new applicants?

Margaret Morford

I really don't like personal references. If a prospective employee cannot find three people who will say nice things about them, he/she is not worth hiring. I would encourage you to ask for professional references only (specify no relatives). Ask for managers that he/she has worked for and ask him/her to call the managers and tell them to expect your call. This may get you around the company policy of name, rank and serial number. If the candidate is going to have management responsibilities, ask for a reference from someone that has worked for him/her.

With all that said, I would ask:
How long have you known this person?
What were his/her job duties?
How would you rate this person's performance on a scale of 1-10? (Ask follow-up questions about the particular number to determine weaknesses.)
In what areas, did he/she excel?
In what areas, could he/she improve?
What has his/her co-workers said to you about him/her?
What was his/her reason for leaving your company? (See if it matches what candidate told you.)
Would you consider re-hiring this person?
For whom, did this person work prior to joining your organization? (Checks job history.)
Who else would you suggest we talk to in order to learn more about his/her performance? (Do not contact anyone at current place of employment with out calling applicant first.)
Is there anything else you can tell me about him/her that you think I need to know? (Listen carefully for hesitations here.)

Hope that helps. If you have any other questions, feel free to call me at 615-371-8200.

Margaret Morford

(BJ)

Similar questions to those asked of an employment reference, but in a different context. You wish to determine reliability, skills, etc. Have you ever worked ona project with the applicant? What skills did you observe? etc.
What are the strengths of the persons?
How would you describe the person's character? Why?

BJackson