Found the perfect candidate? Don’t forget to check their references

Esther* seemed like the perfect fit. The founders of the start-up and I couldn’t believe how lucky we were and offered her the role immediately. Unfortunately, she left after just a few months with the company.

This real story came from the early days of ConnectOne. We had just begun hiring for start-ups.

Esther was, by all HR design, the perfect candidate. She fielded questions perfectly through the multiple rounds of interviews—including extensive case interviews. She performed admirably in an on-site immersion test to assess for further fit. Excited to have her on, we neglected to conduct a reference check. In hindsight, that could have saved us a lot of pain.

An investigation into her past jobs revealed she had attitude issues, even facing a disciplinary inquiry at one point. If due diligence is crucial before investing in a startup - then background checks are essential in hiring talents. After all, a start-up is only as strong as its weakest hire.

Since that incident, I have gone on to hire for hundreds of start-ups and spoken to scores of character referees in the process.

Here are five dos, two don’ts and a maybe to help you skip the heartache.

DO: Look in the past

Reference checks give hiring managers a neutral, independent and alternative look into a candidate’s past performance as well as their working style and personality. This gives hiring managers the necessary data to support and onboard them successfully.

DO: Get someone experienced to do it

Background checks should be done personally by the hiring manager or an experienced recruiter. This person should be sensitive enough to ask powerful questions and conduct a deep dive of the candidates’ capabilities and limitations.

DO: Ask open-ended questions

Ask questions that will reveal hard and soft skills as well as culture fit. Check with the other interviewers if there are any gaps they would like to fill from the referees. The key is to be able to probe and deepen the discussion based on the responses to the questions—it is a discussion, not a Q&A.

“References have often also revealed strengths a candidate has which we didn’t pick up. So as much as they are about “what’s wrong with him that we haven’t detected” they could also serve the purpose of having a fuller understanding of the person - both strengths and opportunities for growth” 

Abhishek Gupta, Co-founder, Circles.Life

DO: Consider asking the referees for coffee

If you’re checking on a candidate for a senior role, it is preferable to meet the referees in person. Pay particular attention to the body language and nuances in the words used. If a meetup is not possible, do arrange for a video call with the referee. Avoid sending a form over email or text for the referee to fill out.

DO: Ask for more than one referee

Ask the candidate to provide two to three referees from different companies (according to her job history). Candidates should also explain the working relationship with the referees. As a guide, one from a former boss, a former subordinate and a peer would make a good range. Make sure they are recent interactions. People do change and a working relationship from 10 years ago may not be a fair and accurate depiction.

DON’T: Skip it for any reasons

Many hiring managers see the background check as just a final tick in a checklist. Do remember due diligence is an important step in hiring. We may be tempted to skip the checks because of interview fatigue or in our excitement to bring in the hire quickly.

DON’T: Use it just as a selection tool

By the time you’re at this phase, you should already be ready to hire. Reference checks help you better understand the candidate based on inputs from people who have worked directly with them. This ensures a good context for quality onboarding. The only exception is when the reference checks reveal a serious issue, as in the case of Esther*

And one MAYBE: Check with non-official references

I’ve had people who ask If it is rude to ask for non-official references—that is, references that were not specifically named by the candidate. It is not rude. However, be tactful. Before reaching out, let the candidate know of your intention. You do not have to reveal whom you’re asking and other details. Just assure them that the reference checks will be done sensitively so they will not be affected in the current company should the job fall through.

*Not her real name.