Trust But Verify: Reference Checks You Skip Are Ones You'll Regret

4724

President Ronald Reagan famously said “trust but verify” during disarmament talks with the Soviet Union. His signature phrase applies just as strongly to hiring people as it does to superpower negotiations

Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev
Фото: youtube.com
Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev

In an effort to appear as impressive as possible, job candidates often cross the line between putting a positive spin on their past and embellishing the impact they actually made in their previous roles.

Some do much worse than embellishing, as I’ve found during 25 years of executive search.

I remember closing on a semi-finalist candidate for the head of sales position at an online education company. He performed exceptionally during interviews and possessed all the competencies needed to excel in the job.

Before presenting the candidate to the client, I texted two acquaintances who had worked with the client previously to set up a call to talk the next day. Within moments, they responded:

One texted, “Run–don’t walk–in the other direction.”

The other wrote, “I wouldn’t touch him with a ten-foot pole.”

It turns out the candidate had been terminated for ethical violations. He told me that he resigned because he was bored and wanted a new challenge. He lied on his resume and he lied to me in the interview.

My client and I dodged a bullet.

The problem of lying on resumes is getting worse–not better–despite the fact that unemployment is at a record low and candidates often have multiple job options.

Eighty-five percent of employers reported that applicants lied on their resumes last year, up from 66% five years earlier, according to HireRight’s 2017 employment screening report.

The most common resume lies are: dates of employment, fudged job titles, inflated salaries, fake degrees, bogus jobs at made-up companies or companies that went out of business and not disclosing a criminal record.

Having interviewed over 10,000 people, I’ve developed a sixth sense that alerts me if a candidate is wildly exaggerating or lying outright. Still, with all my years of experience, the only way I can be absolutely sure a candidate is playing straight with me is to conduct a thorough reference check.

I urge you to do the same.

Conduct a Proper Reference Check

Many hiring managers trust their decision-making ability and believe talking to references is largely unnecessary. Others find reference checking time-consuming or a hassle, so they do only a cursory check or delegate it to others.

Either way, they’re making a big mistake.

Talking to past employers is the only way to validate the cold hard facts about a candidate and to confirm the candidate has been truthful throughout the process. Moreover, it provides a lot of useful data.

Here’s how to do it right:

  • Speak to references yourself: Since you will bear the brunt of the hiring decision – good or bad –you should make time to speak directly to the person’s former managers and colleagues. Not only will this help with your assessment, it will reveal the most effective ways to lead the person after they’ve joined your team.
  • Check references prior to making the hiring decision: Have you been guilty of this? Too many managers wait until they’ve made their final choice before contacting references. Instead of seeking real input from references, they’re looking to check a box on the hiring process.
  • It only makes sense to speak with to references early on, uncover first-hand information about the candidate’s performance and working style and incorporate that information in your final selection. If you’ve already made up your mind, skip references all together and simply take the risk.
  • Focus on recent direct managers: Only a manager can tell you if your candidate performed up to expectations; how the candidate compared to others on the team; and whether the candidate presented any difficulties. If the candidate’s reference list doesn’t include the majority of their former managers, you should be concerned.
  • Pursue “backdoor” references: These are people you find on your own. Use LinkedIn’s Advanced Search function to find former managers, co-workers, clients, investors, competitors, vendors and partners. Often, they’re more revealing and useful than “frontdoor” references. If more than a handful of people are hesitant to chat with you, that’s a red flag.
  • Speak with at least three references: You’re looking for patterns. Everyone has one manager they didn’t get along with or a company culture where they didn’t fit in.  And one great reference doesn’t close the deal either. Check multiple references to develop a composite picture of the candidate.
  • Do a background check: Different from a reference check, a background check is used to validate the candidate’s education, criminal history, credit history and the like. Online companies provide this service at a modest cost. In my experience, 2% of background checks identify deal breakers. So this step is a no-brainer.

Or Take Your Chances

At best, candidates tell you their version of the truth. Some make small misrepresentations or fail to disclose important information. Others purposefully deceive on a grand scale.

Each time you get close to extending an offer, remember: odds are the candidate has lied about something. You’d rather find out now versus later.

Trust but verify. It’s saved me from some disastrous hires.

It will do the same for you.

Jeff Hyman, Contributor

   Если вы обнаружили ошибку или опечатку, выделите фрагмент текста с ошибкой и нажмите CTRL+Enter

Орфографическая ошибка в тексте:

Отмена Отправить