Human Resource question??

Question

When doing a personal reference check on a person that my company is considering hiring, what questions should I ask? What questions are off base?
Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

You should ask how they know the applicant (did they meet them in college or are they an old co-worker turned friend?) and for how long they have known the applicant. Ask them what they feel are good qualities about them.

Answer 2

Personal references, could be tricky. Because you are talking to the applicant's close friends. If you mention ANYTHING that has nothing to do with working, you now have a witness that can say that you didn't hire the applicant because they mentioned that they had children, was/wasn't religious, is/isn't married, gay, a criminal, a certain race, or enjoys baseball over football. Even if you ask the right questions, the person you are talking to could give up information that the applicant did not provide and you could get into trouble due to no fault of your own.

For professional references, Good luck. Most companies have a adopted a policy to not say anything about anyone other than if they worked there and when. With today's outlandish lawsuits, it is possible for an employee to sue a previous employer if they say anything that would prevent them from getting another job. Depending on the job type, you might want to try being a little sneakier. Call the department they used to work in, and ask if they have time to come to the phone. (Act like an old friend) Assuming the person on the phone isn't their replacement, they'll say something about them not working there anymore. You act surprised, and say "No way, what happened?" You'd be surprised how many people love to chat about co-workers.

Answer 3

call all there references, and previous employers, they can usual tell you what type of worker they are.. any co-ops at your company?