Questions to Ask Candidate’s References

Never before has hiring the right person for your organization been so important. With such an emphasis on specialized skill sets and company culture, finding the perfect candidate is vital to the success of the entire company. While knowing what questions to ask and how to gauge responses during an interview is a necessary skill, there are other things you need to take into consideration as well. One facet that often goes overlooked is thoroughly vetting a candidate through their references. Sure, a person’s references are most likely going to speak highly of them but if you ask the right questions, you’ll glean some useful insight that you might have otherwise missed.

What is Your Relationship to the Candidate?

If you ask this question at the outset of the conversation with a reference you gain context to process the information that is shared. Did the reference oversee the candidate in their previous job? If so, their insight might be especially valuable. Is the reference a co-worker that shared the same responsibilities? In this case, the information you get might be a little biased one way or another.

Can You Verify A Candidate’s Job Title and Dates of Employment?

While this question seems like a no-brainer, it’s amazing how many hiring managers fail to ask it. Even this rudimentary information can tell you a lot about a candidate. Were they in the same position with a company for a long time or do they show a history of never being in one spot for very long? Based on their job title, what were their responsibilities? Do these responsibilities align with what they would be doing in their new role with you?

Can You Tell Me About their Job Performance?

It’s easy for anyone applying for a job to beef up their resume with items like inflated sales numbers or claiming responsibility for managing a huge budget and large number of people. The only way to make sure the information on someone’s resume is accurate is to ask. If a reference is able to verify the information, great! On the other hand, if there are gaps in the information, it’s a sure sign you need to ask some tougher questions to get clarification.

What Are the Candidate’s Strengths and Weaknesses?

This question is worth its weight in gold. When you’re considering hiring someone, you’re going to want to know how they’ll fit in culturally and if they have the skills needed to excel. Equally important however, is having an idea of what their weaknesses are. Weaknesses aren’t a bad thing, everyone has them, but knowing what someone’s shortcomings are will allow you to further deduce if they are a good fit. There’s no more reliable source for this information than a previous employer who knows the candidate well, so make sure you don’t let this question fall through the cracks.

What Was it Like to Work With the Candidate?

When you ask a reference what it was like to spend a day working with the candidate you’ll gain some critical insight into who they are as a person. Were they jovial and fun-loving? Or were they task-oriented preferring to keep to themselves? Did they get along well with others and demonstrate a willingness to work as a team? Or were they primarily concerned with fulfilling their own duties? How well did this person take direction? Were they open to new ideas and ways of doing things?

Why Did the Candidate Leave Their Previous Job?

While this question can reveal red flags like someone being let go from a previous job, it also gives you an idea of how long they might stay with your company should you end up hiring them. Does this person have a tendency to jump ship thinking the grass is always greener? Or have they demonstrated loyalty in their previous posts?

Would You Hire This Candidate Again, and Why or Why Not?

If you only have time to ask one question, this should be it. A reference’s response to this single question can sum up everything that might be revealed in a lengthier conversation. If the reference says they would hire the individual back in a heartbeat, you’ve probably got a quality candidate. However, if they say no or seem unsure, you might want to do a little digging.

Hiring the wrong person for the job can be costly. A 2017 survey conducted by Career Builder found that companies lost an average of $14,900 for each bad hire they made. While there is no way to tell for certain how a candidate will perform until they’re hired, consistently hiring the wrong people can be devastating for the bottom line. If you think it’s difficult to manage with the position open, just imagine how difficult it will be to manage a bad hire.

If you ask the right questions in the interview and take the extra step to ask references some poignant questions, you’ll arm yourself with all the information necessary to choose the right person for the job.

As a Regulatory and Quality recruiter, I can help create a list of essential questions to send to candidate’s references. I help life sciences employers in the biotech, medical, and pharmaceutical industries in the Bay Area. Contact me, Jeff King, at jking@rqfocus.com or (541) 639-3501.