Why Reference Checks are More Important than Ever Before?

“Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change.” – Jim Rohn, American Entrepreneur

Reference checks have become crucial in recent years. This trend was emphasized in the last four years following the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown. Everyone moved towards remote and hybrid work models. Those were great in their own way, but they also presented certain challenges. One such challenge is that, with employers and employees going digital, the need for reference checks arose. It becomes physically impossible to interact with a person face-to-face. Add to that the remote work models and it’s doubly hard to be sure of the person you are hiring.

Adding fuel to the fire we have the sheer number of applicants that employers need to sort through. This means that even traditional means of reference checks won’t cut it anymore. The industry needs something more, and that is automated reference checking! At the end of the day, if you run a business, you know the importance of onboarding quality candidates.

Keep in mind that we are not at the peak of the pandemic anymore, and on-site work has made a comeback. However, even with in-office work and interviews taking their place in the job market again, remote work and hiring still has value. Roughly 75% of interviews take place in person, which is to be expected. On the other hand, 25% are still held virtually. Companies have come to realize the value of remote hiring, which is, it allows you to hire from anywhere in the world. The pandemic is no longer the cause of these remote habits. It is simply due to companies expanding on a global scale.

Even with the low percentage of remote hiring taking place, there is still a risk, which is why automation is the way to go. It gives you the best of both worlds by providing efficiency, while still giving you insight into what kind of person you might be bringing on.

Reference checks help you to truly know the person you are hiring, beyond just their resume.

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Credibled: The Ideal Automation Solution for You

Speaking of automation, you should consider including Credibled in your reference checks. Credibled is an automated reference checking web application that can help streamline the whole process. The platform was created to bring credibility and honesty to the forefront of recruitment. It was created by industry experts specifically for companies that hire candidates all over the world and have a hard time evaluating the candidate.

The simplicity of this automated platform is what makes it unique in the recruitment landscape. All they have to do is enter the required information into the system. From there the result is presented to whoever requested or initiated the reference check. Our custom questionnaire is sent to the referee for them to fill and sent to the employer in question. There is no middle man and no awkward interactions with candidates. You can also tap into the passive candidates’ pool with this technology.

You should note that not every reference check guarantees a 100% success rate. It is virtually impossible. However, Credibled will give you more accurate results and it will free up much-needed time for your internal processes. The best part is, we only charge if and when you get the results! If you initiate a reference check, but the candidate doesn’t respond, you don’t pay for it!

On top of it all, candidates will appreciate the simplified way of providing referee details. They just need to put in the details when prompted in an email. Our application handles all the heavy lifting.

“Action and adaptability create opportunity.”

– Garrison Wynn, Author

Why Are Reference Checks So Important?

Traditionally speaking, a reference check was a way to close out a hiring process and sometimes even after the person was hired. The traditional purpose was just to have formal confirmation of that person’s previous job roles. However, in this day and age, the amount of time, money and effort that one puts into a single hire is huge. The markets are tight, competition is at an all-time high and good talent is hard to find. So, if you are wrong about that hire, well then all that effort, money and time goes down the drain. It’s not something that you can afford to waste.

As the world goes more and more digital, reference checks are becoming more of a tool that kicks off the hiring process, as opposed to being the closer. What’s more, it is setting the table for every other potential decision the employer would take following that. Now, keep in mind that a reference check won’t protect you from every failure or hiring mishap, but it will give you a more insightful perspective on the person you are hiring.

It shows you the different perspectives of people who have worked with the candidate in the past. The more angles you have the more clear the big picture becomes. This is also why you usually see employers asking for a minimum of three references.

Reference checks can help cover a lot of bases such as confirming details on the resume, job roles and timelines, understanding the candidate’s skills, work ethic and character, as well as getting some unique insights from past employers. Basically, it helps you catch any red flags.

Automation is crucial not just in recruitment but in many aspects of business. It allows us to focus on other aspects of work.

Why Is Automation in Reference Checks Crucial?

As we mentioned before, running around, and chasing references is not a great way to spend your time when there is a business to run. It takes a lot of back and forth with referees, candidates might not be forthcoming with referee information, and you never know when the responses are going to come in. When you have to deal with all this and a high volume of other candidates who you have to screen, time management becomes your biggest challenger.

Automated reference checking frees up time so your internal team can focus on the important stuff, instead of getting lumped into admin work. It is just the more efficient path to take. Having said that, even with the best automation software in the world, there are still certain unavoidable factors that require a more human and traditional approach.

For one, when you get back all the responses from the references, as a hiring manager, you need to evaluate the information and determine how you want to move. This is a must because only you know what or who is right for your business. Candidate profiling is, therefore, unavoidable. Then you have the other side of the coin, where you have to deal with a bad outcome.

Regardless of the advanced nature of the reference checks and filtering program, nothing beats a good, old gut feeling. That business instinct cannot be programmed or coded. It is something that as a business owner you need to follow personally, not something automation can give you.

To Sum Up

Reference checking as a concept is being redefined in the industry and automation seems to be one of the only logical solutions to transitioning with this change. Automated reference checking platforms like Credibled can help you sift through mountains of candidate profiles while freeing up internal team members to attend to more pressing issues.

It also helps standardize the reference checking format, which makes for a smoother operation in the long run. However, no matter how advanced technology gets, a certain human element and gut feeling is needed in business to make sure things are headed in the right direction. Having said that, you should check out Credibled and some of the industry-leading services we offer.