Understanding Reference Checks vs. Background Verification: How Do You Handle Both in HR?

Hi, I am working as an HR Executive in one of the ITES companies and take care of both recruitment and HR general activities. Therefore, I handle background verification as a part of recruitment.

Kindly help me in explaining the difference between Reference Check and Background Verification, and the best ways to perform both. Looking forward to your kind help.

Vinitha

Hi,

Hope you'll find this useful.

Dear Vinitha,

Reference check is a part of Background Screening. Background Screening is a broad terminology that involves a series of checks on an individual to ensure that the candidate one hires has a clear, non-toxic background. The various checks that are included in Background Screening are: Education Checks, Employment checks, Professional Qualification/Certification checks, ID Checks, Address Checks, Credit Checks, Criminal Record Checks, etc.

Generally, this is a very time-consuming process, and companies prefer to hire a third party to conduct this verification.

Hope this information helps you.

Kind Regards, Sonia

Dear All,

The questions are elaborate and require the respondent to take time to answer with desired interests.

Having conducted hundreds of background (antecedent verification) checks, including telephone reference verification across four states with a cross-section of different levels of human resources, I totally agree that these are inputs we need to know at a background level. In my experience, they are seldom answered elaborately as much as expected. Here, a lot of psychological and external factors contribute during the checking process. Many inferences also come into play in our process.

Many points included in the questions are part of hard-core HR-related areas that do not fall under the concept of background checks. They are within the domain of the HR department in the selection process.

I firmly believe that a reference check is a shortcut to background checking, which many HR professionals would willingly do because background checking requires a host of skills, not merely asking questions and listening.

What is most relevant and critical in background checking is the integrity of the inputs stated in the candidate's resume. Having seen various offenses, civil suits, fraud, misappropriation of cash, credit card fraud involving or originated by the candidates, it is appropriate for us as background investigators or consultants to do justice to our clients with utmost genuineness to all concerned. We are not here to assess the suitability of the candidate for the position they have applied for. It is not expected of us as a critical or key area of contribution in our business practice by the majority of our clients.

I will share a copy of the background report if anybody is interested.

Thanks and all the best,

V. Rangarajan and Usha