Reference Check FAQ 1) WHEN should reference checks take place

Reference Check FAQ

1) WHEN should reference checks take place?

The most common and recommended time for conducting a reference check is after the final

interview process for the top candidate(s). It can also be done earlier in the process to assist in

determining the interview pool or to prepare for the interviews.

At whatever point the reference check is done, the candidate needs to be informed in

advance of the reference checks being completed.

IMPORTANT: Candidates should be informed that you are contacting their references PRIOR to

starting any reference checks. To help expedite responses from the references, ask the

candidate to reach out and inform their references that the checks are beginning and to be

prepared to respond to requests.

2) What does the workflow look like for a reference check process?

At the initial interview:

Ask all candidates for their references (including one for their current supervisor). The

candidate should provide you with a minimum of three professional references that include:

name, phone number, email address, and a description of the working relationship to the

candidate.

• Internal candidates should be informed that IF they are a finalist, you will be asking

them to notify their current supervisor prior to any outreach for a reference. This allows

the employee to progress through the process at minimal risk to see if they are even

interested in the position. If they do not become a finalist, no contact will be made with

the current supervisor.

• External candidates may wish to not provide their current supervisor’s information. You

can let them know that for external candidates, offers can be made contingent upon

later completing a reference check with their current supervisor.

When the finalist candidates are identified:

Notify your top candidates that they are a finalist. At the same time:

• Internal candidates should notify their supervisor at this point, if they have not already.

• External candidates should be asked to contact their references to make them aware

that the reference checks are in progress, so that their references are responsive to

requests and respond promptly.

3) When reference checks are completed and satisfactory:

• Notify the person designated as your HR Business Partner for Job Offer (JOF) approvals

that the checks have been completed so that they will be able to attest to this in the

offer approval stage.

• If unfavorable checks occurred, please review the FAQ on unfavorable checks.

IMPORTANT: for internal candidates, reference checks must be completed BEFORE the job

offer can be routed for approval.

4) How many reference checks need to be completed?

For external candidates, it's recommended that two to three reference checks should be

completed, including a former supervisor. If those external candidates have been with their

current employer for a long period of time (as their only employer), these references may need

to be completed after a verbal offer has been made.

For internal reference checks, a minimum of one reference check with the current supervisor is

required.

5) Who performs the reference check?

Hiring departments are responsible for completing reference checks.

For external candidates:

References for external candidates can be conducted by any of the following:

• Hiring manager

• An assigned member of the search committee

• Someone designated by the hiring manager.

• Division HR

For internal candidates:

Best practice is to contact BOTH the candidate’s current HR professional and their current

supervisor. Checks can be conducted by the following:

• Hiring manager

• An assigned member of the search committee

• Division HR

6) What if a reference is reluctant to answer questions?

If the reference is reluctant to provide information, assure them that the candidate has

consented to the reference check process. If the individual is still reluctant to provide

information, ask what they would be willing to provide. At a minimum, attempt to verify dates

of employment, position held, and if they would rehire the candidate into their former position.

7) What if no responses to reference checks are received?

• The first step would be to reach out to your candidate and ask them to contact their

reference, encouraging them to respond. If that does not work, you can do the

following:

• For references on external candidates, document that multiple attempts were made

and proceed based on good faith effort.

• For references on internal candidates, contact DSAHR, who can ensure that the

candidate does not have any relevant corrective action on file at IU.

8) What if an unfavorable check occurs, or raises questions about the candidate’s ability?

Unfavorable responses should be communicated to DSAHR. For a candidate who has received

an offer contingent upon the reference checks, best practice would be for DSAHR to consult

with UHRS Talent Acquisition and/or UHRS Employee Relations if it would rise to the level of

rescinding an offer.

While it is important to consider any unfavorable comments carefully, they should not

immediately disqualify the candidate from further consideration. There are two sides to every

story. Should this situation arise, the best course of action is to ask for specific examples to

support the unfavorable comments and then check additional references. You should disregard

information when the person giving the information does not have first-hand knowledge of the

situation being discussed.

Be sure to speak with multiple references and to formulate a specific question that asks about

the deficiency. For example, if one employer says that the employee had a problem with

tardiness, ask other references if the candidate was prompt, dependable, able to meet

deadlines, etc.

9) How do I attest that reference checks have been completed?

When submitting a job offer for a candidate in TAM, the person submitting the offer will need

to click on the “Reason” dropdown menu on the left side of the page. If the person submitting

the offer does not make a selection, a selection will be required at the HR Business Partner

approval stage. Hiring committees will need to inform DSAHR/payroll processor that this

process has been completed the date completed, and the name of the person who completed

the reference checks.

10) How to Perform, Document, and Retain Completed Reference Checks

Phone calls, in-person discussions or emailing templated forms are acceptable methods of

completing external and internal reference checks. To document a reference check being

completed, please use one of the following methods:

For reference checks completed on external candidates:

• Document discussion using a template: Record who you spoke with, when you spoke,

and the results.

For reference checks completed on internal candidates:

• Via email: “Thanks for the time you took today with me to discuss ____. I appreciate the

feedback. I will keep you posted on any offer acceptance and the potential start date.

Thanks.”

• Document discussion using a template: Record who you spoke with, when you spoke,

and the results.

NOTE: Completed reference check documentation is confidential. You must document each

reference check with legible, thorough notes. Your notes from reference checks are part of the

recruitment record and should be kept in accordance with the university’s retention sc