As an employer or hiring manager, you are announcing a job opening to be able to hire the candidate with the right skills, education, attitude, and work experience. Finding one is quite an accomplishment. It actually saves you from the unwanted
consequences of bad hiring decisions.
Recruitment is a tedious process itself. You should not waste the time, money, and effort you spend on it by employing undeserving candidates. Make your hiring process foolproof by backing it up with necessary measures to filter unqualified
applicants. This includes checking the background of potential hires.
A professional reference check is a step that strengthens the integrity of your company’s recruitment process. It means you don’t have to rely on everything a candidate tells you through his/her resume and personal interviews. It requires a hiring manager to take one more step to verify an applicant’s declarations – check these from third-party sources and dig real stories behind your candidates’ declarations.
Here are some reasons why you must include a reference check in your hiring process:
1. Catch Falsehoods
More than 50% of applicant resumes contain falsehoods. If you don’t verify the declarations of even your best candidate, it can put you into trouble. The best way to confirm information from applicants is to verify it from previous employers and managers. Some employers would even be too kind to provide you with insights about your applicant’s attitude and work ethic.
2. Verify a Candidate’s Reputation and Trustworthiness
Past bosses and superiors are the best sources of information about an applicant. If a job candidate only mentions former colleagues in his list of references rather than past employers or bosses, you should take it as a warning sign.
A candidate who mentions past managers or employers as references is confident about his performance and track record with past employers.
3. Avoid a Bad Hire
You cannot expect job applicants to be honest about their qualifications all the time. Lots of them can lie in an effort to win your job offer. Through a professional reference check, you will be able to discover who is honest and not through the hiring process. Applicants who tell the truth are usually the ones who have the experience and skills you’re looking for. This will ultimately lead you to the right candidate.
Employment screening is a long, stressful, and costly process. It is your first defense against misfits that are capable of causing losses to your business. Make your hiring process foolproof by installing effective hiring procedures and efficient personnel with the experience and capability to find the best candidates.