Never Skip That Reference Check

Marcianne Kuethen

January 9, 2017

Photo by Josh Wilburne, Shinjuku, Japan

Have you ever gotten into a taxi in a foreign county and then felt a little fearful about whether you’d actually reach your destination? You hope that you can trust the driver, you hope that he can understand your language, and you hope he’ll actually deliver you to the address you’ve given him! The hiring process is a lot like that journey–full of risks. You hope you can trust candidates to tell you the truth, you hope one will fit your style and culture, and you hope one will be qualified to perform and deliver the results you need. Using this analogy, your recruiter could be the taxi driver, helping you to arrive safely where you intended to go!

Recently, an engineering firm contacted us with a need for an on-site foreman. Our Amtec recruiter carefully dug up several qualified candidates and submitted them. After conducting interviews, the firm felt that one candidate, Tom (not his real name), was the best match, and they prepared to have us negotiate an offer.

At this juncture, the Amtec recruiter called three of Tom’s references, because as you know, we never skip that reference check! Two of the references said great things about Tom…but a conversation with the third uncovered some negative behaviors and choices on Tom’s part that could disqualify him from consideration.

This was both puzzling and disappointing since everyone agreed that Tom was the best man for the job. But since we believe in full disclosure and protecting our customer’s best interests, the recruiter shared it all–the good, the best, and the ugly–and let the engineering firm factor all the information into its final decision.

Happily for everyone, once the firm’s hiring team spoke more in depth with Tom, they learned that Tom had, indeed, gone through a difficult time but was now in a better place personally. The firm went ahead with the offer, and two months into the job, Tom continues to perform well.

At Amtec, we live and work for stories with satisfactory endings, where we help candidates find meaningful work and help companies build high-performing teams. One of the ways we do that is to never skip that reference check. A thorough set of questions, coupled with experienced discernment, can usually uncover something that might have been missed in the initial candidate interview, as you can see by watching this hilarious, incredible video of a prank reference check.

Are you unsure about whether your hiring process can take you where you need to go? Let Amtec actively market your job opportunities, connect you to passive and active job seekers, and assist with offer negotiations. Click here or call (714) 993-1900 to start your search.