PAGE 2 S1. Charles County Business Record April 14, 2008
Do you need' background an'd reference checks? Yes, you do!By Ed MayugaSpecial to the Business Record
As candidates near the end of
the interview process and youare excited
about hiringthat person,STOP, take aminute andplan yourbackgroundand reference check
ing strategy.Why is it
Ed Mayuga important tocheck back
ground and !references? Becausethis difficult economy has created a buyer's market in potential candidates and you want tobe certain that you find the right
person for your growing business.
:Ideally, you would have atleast two candidates at the end
of the process who are bothqualified for the job and canserve as a backup for each otherin case the other does not workout. This is where clear and frequent communication is necessary to "keep a candidatewarm" and maintain their inter
est in your opportunity. Manyemployers that I have spoken tohave questioned the reliabilityand value of checking references because of the time
involved and my response is"Don't skip this crucial step!"
There are a few companiesthat can create a credit, education, and criminal backgroundcheck for a nominal fee (around
$70) within a few days. It isimportant to have the candidatesign a release form that allowsyou to check their backgroundand may also include a D~Vdriver's license check as well asa controlled substances check;there are many forms that youcan find on the Internet.
When it comes to referencechecks, I ask the c~ndidate for10 references: a minimum of
three managers/supervisors,three or four colleagues, andthe remainder are direct
reports, if applicable. If a candidate has not done a good jobof maintaining the network,coming up with 10 referenceswill be difficult. It is also inter
esting if a management candidate cannot produce directreports for references, indicat-
ing a "red flag" for her management style.
Occasionally, a client willquestion if reference checks areworthwhile, suspecting thatthere will only be positive references or the candidate worked
for a corporation that has anofficial policy of not giving references, only dates of employment and verification; howevermost people are willing to givea positive review. No one willget sued for a glowing review.
Checking references takestime and you may have to leavea few messages and wait for acallback, so you need to beready with a few key questions,such as:
What would you say arehis/her greatest strength?
What would you coach
him/her to improve?In your opinion, if you were
in charge of the hiring process,would you rehire this candidate?
This is completely confidential, but are there any red flagsthat we should know about?
Any job offer that you makeshould be contingent on reference checks being clear, even if .your state is an "at-will" state.You are making a significantinvestment in recruiting, interviewing, and hiring a top performer, so it is well worth it toinvest a little time in knowingthe person that you are hiring.
Ed Mayuga is a search consult
ant with Collaborative StrategiesInc., a strategic consultant andexecutive search firm. He can becontacted at 314.523.9421 or