Hi,
One cannot RELY on the reference checks.
Rarely you receive a negative feedback, because of our own cultural weakness. One tends to feel that if a person has not succeeded in my organization, it is not as though he will not succeed in some other organization as the performance/work culture may be and generally differs from organization to organization. This thinking may also be right and let us not treat this as our cultural weakness.
Even when I know that an employee has been uncooperative, dishonest or non-performing in my organization, if he is getting a job outside, I say, "good riddance"! as it has saved me the bother of terminating his employment. When I deliberately conceal the truth of the concerned person's employment with my organization, then I am being dishonest and this is a weakness of our culture.
But then again, how many us are really willing to take into employment a person about we have received (say) an unfavourable response! We also like to play "safe" and give up someone we had otherwise found suitable. Do we not trust our own judgement? Can we not take him, watch him unbiased and decide his fate in our organization on his own merits?
References are therefore to be treated as just opinions arising out of given situations. We do not know who was at fault at that end, but might end up punishing an innocent candidate.
We must acquire competence ot judge candidates for employment and have the guts to go by our own judgment and that would be a great service to our great profession of HR. Extreme cases like criminal involvement, proven dishonesty, adultry etc. are to be treated with an extreme response, may be.
Because of the high unemployment perhaps we can be so casual in avoiding candidates with unfavourable references and play safe. When the things change and we won't be enjoying such luxuries, we will have to concentrate on effective understanding, evaluating people in all situations and to learn to conserve and build human resources skillfully. Till then we live with present situation!
Good Luck to all
Regards
samvedan
September 9, 2006