101: Reference calls
Reference calls – where a manager checks with a job candidate’s past employer to see if details they’ve given in an interview are correct – can greatly clarify the hiring process. From a managerial standpoint, are you getting as much out of reference calls as you could? Can you leverage them to better?
Cover areas of improvement. Delving into parts of a potential employee’s performance needing improvement during a reference call can get tricky. His or her former supervisors may not be comfortable if they feel they are being asked to cover any negative territory. But, said Ariana Moon of Greenhouse, a New York talent-acquisition software company, questions can be phrased in a way to still extract helpful information. Some examples: “Where did Sally shine? What kinds of work did she prefer to do? Tell me about a challenge you overcame together. What is something Sally was able to help you do better? Vice versa, what is something you think you were able to help her do better?”
Soft skills matter, too. Speaking to Harvard Business Review, author Claudio Fernandez-Araoz suggested questions focusing on soft skills, like, “What can you tell me about Mary’s self-awareness and self-regulation? How motivated is she? Does she exhibit empathy? There are no right or wrong answers,” Fernandez-Araoz said. Hiring managers can learn about the kind of culture Mary’s worked within and how she might fit into their organizations.
Get performance information. This can be done without specifically asking about performance, Jana Tulloch of Tulloch Consulting in Canada told Forbes. A good question to ask is, “What advice would you give in terms of how to best manage this individual?” Employers should ask what keeps that employee motivated. “Employers who can best understand this from the interview stage can understand whether or not they can realistically keep the potential employee engaged,” Tulloch said.
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