Is it CORRECT to call professional references before scheduling an interview with a new applicant?

Question

My insane boss wants to save time by not interviewing candidates first and then calling professional references. She wants me to call professional references first and then ONLY schedule interviews after. However, each candidate I had scheduled for an interview qualifies for the position solely based on their resume. Although I'm calling references first (because my boss does pay my bills), I needed to vent! hehe
Thanks!
diego

Answer 1

This is pretty customary to lessen the amount of candidates before they come in to talk to your boss. It would be a waste of time if she really liked a candidate only to check their references and find she wasn't a suitable candidate. At least you aren't wasting your time and there is a justifiable reason. Your boss (rightfully so) thinks his time at work is more valuable than yours.

Answer 2

If you have asked for references as a part of the application submission process, any candidate completing the process should assume that the references will be contacted. And, while contacting the references may be a time-consuming chore for you, that is a logical part of the pre-screen process.

To be on the safe side, you'll want to ensure that the application clearly informs the candidate that references will be contacted.

Answer 3

I've often called personal references prior to the interview. You may consider your boss to be insane but it sounds to me like she has other things to do than to sit around interviewing people all day. I have eliminated many candidates because of their references. I would much rather spend extra time with someone who has Stirling references than someone who has no references or worse.

Answer 4

That would be up to your boss. I see nothing wrong with calling professional references prior to scheduling an interview.