If you're involved in hiring, you know how tedious reference checking can be. We understand. Check out our rant about this outdated process and how you can make it better!
11. They’re something
you do at the end
of the hiring process.
When you’ve pretty
much made up
your mind.
12. They just make sure
there aren’t any
hidden landmines.
Like a candidate
who lies about their
previous jobs.
13. And they only give
you a bare minimum
of information.
Like how long
a person worked at
a company, their job
title and their salary.
And they only give
you a bare minimum
of information.
Like how long
a person worked at
a company, their job
title and their salary.
14. No wonder most
companies don’t rate
reference checking
very highly.
We’d feel the same way
if we did them like that.
15.
16. A growing number of
remarkable companies
have discovered a
completely new approach
to reference checking.
17. They’ve seen that reference
checking is the most
powerful assessment tool
in their hiring arsenal.
18. And they’re using this new
approach to dramatically
change the effectiveness
of their hiring (without
changing the way they
work all that much).
19. These smart companies
also happen to be some
of the best-run companies
in the world.
Invariably, they’re known
for their people.
20. So what did they
discover about
reference checking
that so many other
companies overlook
34. But, across industry, turnover
rates and hiring failures have
barely changed in all that time.
Something is wrong here.
35. What’s wrong is that personality
tests aren’t the only way to
measure the things we really
ought to be assessing: the skills
and behaviors that drive success
in each specific job.
37. Okay, back to past
job performance
as an indicator
of future job
performance.
38. What if we could use
a candidate’s past
managers, colleagues and
direct reports as rich data
sources for assessment
instead of simply ‘check-
box’ administrators?
39. No one knows better
how a person performs
in a particular job than
the people who have
worked alongside that
person in that job.
40. So the experiences of
former colleagues aren’t
just a great data source for
any assessment process…
46. Design a job-specific survey
that captures the proven
success drivers of each job
you’re hiring for.
That might mean dozens
or even hundreds of surveys
for your company.
1 2 3
47. Have the job candidate invite his
or her references to an online portal
to complete the confidential survey.
It’s quick, it’s easy and it’s accurate.
2 3
48. Obtain access to the data
through a highly visual report.
It takes a day or two to generate
a full report – far less time
than even traditional, empty
reference checks.
3
50. It’s data rich.
It’s job-specific.
And, most importantly,
it’s predictive of success
on the job.
It happens
early in the
process, as an
assessment tool.
51. The data shows it over
and over again. It’s proven,
it’s validated and...
56. So the next time someone
refers to reference checking,
go ahead and yawn.
57. But if they refer to
Predictive Reference
Feedback, get out
of your chair, throw rose
petals at their feet and give
your best impression of
a standing ovation at
Madison Square Garden.