Are Personal Reference Checks in HR Still Necessary or Just a Formality?

Personal References Verification in HR Practices

I would like to solicit your expert feedback on personal references verification provided by the candidate in pre/post-joining documentation. Since all the referees are given by the candidate themselves, no adverse feedback is expected from them, and the actual situation also aligns with that expectation. If any adverse remarks do arise, their percentage in comparison to satisfactory remarks would be nominal.

Therefore, why is this exercise still included in HR policies/practices? Should it not be discontinued? If yes, what alternative would you suggest, or is no alternative needed in this regard?

Regards,
GM Qureshi

I still think it is necessary. You may have doubts about a certain strength you perceive in the candidate, only to learn that his/her referees think of the person exactly as you do. Remember, the referees may not know what you are looking for; hence, even if they don't give adverse feedback, the information they provide may still be very useful. You just need to be careful not to compare two candidates based on the feedback obtained, as it could be exaggerated.

Bottom Line

Don't use personal references as the basis for offering a job. Rather, use it as a tool to gather more information that you may not have been able to obtain through the interview and the tools related to the interview.