Beyond Traditional Reference Checks: How Can the Internet Help Verify Job Applicants?

Colleagues, are there other ways of checking a job applicant's background apart from the traditional reference checks? How could you use the internet to verify who the person says he or she is?

Reference Check Guidelines

What exactly do you want, Toni? What traditional methods or standards are you using for reference checks? Depending on the position the candidate is interviewing for, various other reference check questions will be asked about the skills and abilities required for the new job. For example, customer service skills, technical skills, computer skills, presentation skills, etc.

When checking job references, the employer will also probe to clarify answers. For example: "Can you tell me why you describe his reliability as average?"

You need a standard reference checking format which will help you in this regard. You can easily compare candidates and ensure you are asking the "right" questions to make an educated decision before offering the applicant a job with your company. You can use this format as given below:

- Name:
- Reference Name:
- Company Name:
- Company Address:
- Company Phone:
- Dates of Employment: From:… To:…
- Starting Position:… Ending:…
- Starting Salary:… Ending:…
- What does your company do?
- Please describe your reporting relationship with the candidate. If none, in what capacity did you observe the candidate's work?
- Reason for Leaving:
- Please describe the key responsibilities of the candidate in his/her most recent position.
- How many reporting staff did the candidate manage? Their roles?
- Tell me about the candidate's most important contributions to the achievement of your organization's mission and goals.
- Describe the candidate's relationships with his/her coworkers, reporting staff (if applicable), and supervisors.
- Talk about the attitude and outlook the candidate brought to the workplace.
- Describe the candidate's productivity, commitment to quality, and customer orientation.
- What are the candidate's most significant strengths?
- What are the candidate's most significant weaknesses?
- What is your overall assessment of the candidate?
- We are hiring this candidate to (job title or quick description). Would you recommend him/her for this position? Why or why not?
- Would you rehire this individual? Why or why not?
- Are there additional comments you'd like to make? Is there a question I should ask that I may have missed?

Hope this will work for you, Toni. Best of luck.

Regards

Hi Anil, many thanks for the information. It is good and comprehensive. This is what I mean by traditional reference checks.

Exploring Non-Traditional Background Checks

In addition to this format, is there another way I can check the background of an applicant? If I want to use the internet, how would I get information on the sites this applicant uses? That is more of what I am looking for - other 'non-traditional' ways of doing a background search.

Thank you.

You can check their LinkedIn profile. If they have or could download their resume from job portals, perhaps you will get some idea about their background. However, on the internet, a person may write whatever they want without any proof. So, ultimately, the experience you could talk about will be what they are supporting with documents.

Many thanks for your response. If someone hasn't been convicted of a crime before but has a 'dubious' background, how can I check this or know this beforehand? How can I 'trace' sites he/she may have visited?

I think tracing somebody on the internet is not easy. What if a person does not like to have a presence on the net? If you doubt their background, then I would say the first way is to check their knowledge on the subject and assess whether they will be able to contribute to your organization or not. Then approach the organization where they claim to have worked and inquire about them.

Now, there are some more realities. Sometimes a company does not want to provide detailed information in response to your reference check call or email because they consider it a waste of time as the person is no longer their asset. Other times, the manager you approach for a reference check may not speak positively due to personal reasons. In some cases, when you contact for a reference check, they may confirm the person worked with them in a certain role but may not be able to specify the tasks or responsibilities handled, providing an opportunity for the candidate to manipulate the information.

In my opinion, have the person interviewed by the concerned department manager who can accurately assess their competency in the specific role. If a person has already started working and is struggling to perform adequately, provide them with time and coaching to improve themselves. Ultimately, our goal is to recruit competent individuals based on their work performance. While reference checks are necessary, sometimes they may not fully explain the nature of the work the person performed.

Many thanks. I am actually looking to do a background search to ascertain if the applicant doesn't do drugs and/or other socially unacceptable acts. Will I be able to determine this from his/her handwriting? I'm also looking at the time involved in doing all this search.

All of you are doing well and thinking clearly! Unfortunately, there are software training organizations that operate fake websites claiming to be software companies. Candidates may falsely state that they have worked for such organizations for a few years. When contacted, these organizations will readily provide answers in favor of the candidates. In reality, we are employing our own methods to identify such fraudulent companies. Before sharing further information, I would like to request your views and suggestions on how to identify these deceitful candidates.

Thank you.

Other Alternatives for Reference/Background Checks

• There are many security agencies that will carry out background checks for certain fees.

• The State Police department also carries out and issues PVC (Police Verification Certificate).

Hope this helps.

Regards,