Hiring managers, when do you call the references?

[eeneR 1]

So I am curious how most managers or hiring staff handle this. I have seen it both ways. I had a kick ass job interview the other day and they were all excited made sure all that information was together, and told me a decision would be made Friday. Well my interview was on Tuesday afternoon.

I am getting excited and curious.

She is not a "Dumb Blonde" - She is a "Light-Haired Detour Off The Information Superhighway."
eeneR
TF#72, FB#4130, Incauto

[Remster 24]

We call em at the very end of the process.

Remster

[ryoder 1,384]

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So I am curious how most managers or hiring staff handle this. I have seen it both ways. I had a kick ass job interview the other day and they were all excited made sure all that information was together, and told me a decision would be made Friday. Well my interview was on Tuesday afternoon.

I am getting excited and curious.

Can't tell you when, but I know the calls do occur, since I've received them as a reference for several people over the past year.

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[eeneR 1]

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Can't tell you when, but I know the calls do occur, since I've received them as a reference for several people over the past year.

Yup I did some for a friend a couple weeks ago....

She is not a "Dumb Blonde" - She is a "Light-Haired Detour Off The Information Superhighway."
eeneR
TF#72, FB#4130, Incauto

[Shell666 0]

After all the interviews are completed and we have made a decision on the candidate(s) we're interested in.

'Shell

[BIGUN 1,053]

HR sorts top 10 of job description to resume and hands off to hiring manager.
Hiring manager selects top 5
Interview from job specific interview sheet provided by HR for skillset & position.*
Pick & Rate Top 3
Ask Peers to interview top 3 (without sharing rating).
Peers must ask the exact same questions from the interview sheet (ineterview sheet is Behaviorial Interviewing - generic situations).
Hand it off to HR.
HR scores all interview ratings and develops overall score.
HR does background checks and reference checks concurrently.
HR hands overall score ratings, reference remarks back to hiring manager (if background check came back negative, then that information is kept in HR and the applicant is pulled without explanation) and the remaining applicant pool is submitted back to hiring manager.
Hiring manager makes final decision on specific applicant based on quantitative & qualitative information (i.e., best fit with department, etc.).
Hiring manager submits final decision back to HR for offer letter.

*EDIT: Some Interview sheets have job-specific questions (i.e, sales, technical, operations, etc.) followed by the behavioral interview questions.

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[Muenkel 0]

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After all the interviews are completed and we have made a decision on the candidate(s) we're interested in.

What Shell said.

Best of luck Eener!
BTW, you did remember to tell them your name is Renee, not Eener; didn't you?

_________________________________________
Chris

[eeneR 1]

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After all the interviews are completed and we have made a decision on the candidate(s) we're interested in.

What Shell said.

Best of luck Eener!
BTW, you did remember to tell them your name is Renee, not Eener; didn't you?

This is where I am some what confused. I was one of the first interviewed, I had a phone interview on Monday and they brought me in right away on Tues. They had a couple more interviews scheduled for Wed and Thurs. She wanted to make a decision by Friday.

This is where the question came from, thats not a lot of time to contact references, and it is now 5pm on Thurs, none of mine were contacted.

Chris, yes I told them my name is Renee.

She is not a "Dumb Blonde" - She is a "Light-Haired Detour Off The Information Superhighway."
eeneR
TF#72, FB#4130, Incauto

[Shell666 0]

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Quote

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After all the interviews are completed and we have made a decision on the candidate(s) we're interested in.

What Shell said.

Best of luck Eener!
BTW, you did remember to tell them your name is Renee, not Eener; didn't you?

This is where I am some what confused. I was one of the first interviewed, I had a phone interview on Monday and they brought me in right away on Tues. They had a couple more interviews scheduled for Wed and Thurs. She wanted to make a decision by Friday.

This is where the question came from, thats not a lot of time to contact references, and it is now 5pm on Thurs, none of mine were contacted.

Chris, yes I told them my name is Renee.

They still have tomorrow to contact references and make a decision.

Good luck!!

'Shell

[Muenkel 0]

Once again, like Shell said. Also, they might not make their decision tomorrow. I was management for many years and did a ton of interviews. It's very common not to meet the deadline you proclaim. Do yourself a favor, call tomorrow mid-morning. Just tell them that you are following up on your interview and wondered if there were any more questions you could answer. Mention how interested you are in working for their company.

BTW, have I ever told you how much I like the name Renee? I dated a girl in H.S. named Renee and she was hot. Now I have a good friend named Renee who is a lesbian and one cool chica.

_________________________________________
Chris

[tigra 0]

When I was in management, about the only time I would call is if I knew the reference personally, which did happen once or twice. Think about it- you aren't going to list a reference unless that person has something positive to say.

And if you're calling to check previous employment, its illegal for them to say anything but position and dates employed- they can't even tell you if the person was fired for theft or other illegal activities. And if you do get some inside info from someone you know at that company and it isn't good, legally, you can't base your decision on that so you better have another good reason NOT to hire that person. Sometimes you are better off not asking and just trusting your gut.

Most large employers use background checks and credit reports these days, and hope for the best. I still don't see how a credit score is a good indicator of what kind of employee a person will be, but when you think about it, most references are pretty useless too.

Anyway, good luck! I hope you get the job!

[BIGUN 1,053]

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I still don't see how a credit score is a good indicator of what kind of employee a person will be,

It's not the credit score, it's the credit report.

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[Muenkel 0]

Tigra's post is also exactly correct.

Don't sweat it Renee. Try to relax tonight knowing we're all wishing you the best of luck.

_________________________________________
Chris

[NtheSeaOrSky 0]

You know I don't do this often.....

but....


I TOLD YOU SO!!!!!

Life is not fair and there are no guarantees...

[BIGUN 1,053]

Good luck... Keep us posted.

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[tigra 0]

Actually, its both. What's on the report contributes to the score and if you think companies won't wonder about a prospective employee with a really poor credit score, think again. Its not the only thing they'll look at but it is a factor especially if the person will be handling funds or sensitive customer information.

And eeneR- most companies won't go through the trouble and expense of a background check unless they are really interested. Last time I went through the process, the background check took a while. They said they wanted to make a quick decision, but it was at least 2 weeks before I got the offer.

[lawrocket 3]

Before interview. I like to see how they handle cross examination...

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[ryoder 1,384]

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Before interview. I like to see how they handle cross examination...

So before the interview begins, do you have a bailiff swear them in?

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[eeneR 1]

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Before interview. I like to see how they handle cross examination...

So before the interview begins, do you have a bailiff swear them in?

Note to self: I do not want to be interviewed by lawrocket...EVER!

She is not a "Dumb Blonde" - She is a "Light-Haired Detour Off The Information Superhighway."
eeneR
TF#72, FB#4130, Incauto

[MajorDad 0]

What 'Shell said plus we normally know someone in a company where the prospect has previously worked and check sources other than references. After all it is rare for someone not to have "good" referneces lined up.

It happens, though. I once had someone I fired use me as a reference without checking with me. When asked if I thought the guy was a good worker, I had to ask, in all seriousness, if the guy had stopped drinking...... Fortunately I work in a red-neck industry in a red-neck part of the world and this was before the term "politically correct" was coined.

Good luck Renee!

Major Dad
CSPA D-579

[Armour666 0]

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And if you're calling to check previous employment, its illegal for them to say anything but position and dates employed- they can't even tell you if the person was fired for theft or other illegal activities. And if you do get some inside info from someone you know at that company and it isn't good, legally, you can't base your decision on that so you better have another good reason NOT to hire that person. Sometimes you are better off not asking and just trusting your gut.

Depends where you live

References fall into the area of defamation, which includes saying things that are untrue about you, giving information that tends to malign your character or painting you in a false light. Truth is not considered defamation. Neither is an honest opinion based in truth. Defamation comes from being reckless about what is said or from ill will against the person being defamed.

This misnomer that employers can not give a bad reference has gotten many people in to a bind by loosing potential positions. Ask the person you wish to use as to be one (nothing worse then your reference getting a call out of the blue and you didn’t inform them you were using them as one) and have a discussion about the position you are applying for and be selective on who you use as a reference and weather they are in a relevant position to give a good reference.

If you are supplying a character reference who are you asking to be a reference and remember in this day and age of the internet is their anything negative about that person.

Calling references is the last step I do and I feel it rude to interrupt and fatigue a person’s reference unless they are the selected person to be hired. Also mans I’m not wasting my time chasing and calling people that I may not even hire.

I guard my references well and will only give them out after been offer a position and if they balk at this or want to check references before an interview I refuse and move on. (My case is a little bit different as some times I may do 4-5 short project contracts in a year and don’t want to flood people that have been good reference to me in the past.)

Patience is good but also keeping in touch with them and showing continued interest is good as well without overdoing it. Good luck !!!


http://www.shawvalenza.com/pubs/Job_References.pdf
http://www.twc.state.tx.us/news/efte/job_references.html

P.S. Relax you should do fine

SO this one time at band camp.....

"Of all the things I've lost I miss my mind the most."

[Remster 24]

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Actually, its both. What's on the report contributes to the score and if you think companies won't wonder about a prospective employee with a really poor credit score, think again. Its not the only thing they'll look at but it is a factor especially if the person will be handling funds or sensitive customer information.

And eeneR- most companies won't go through the trouble and expense of a background check unless they are really interested. Last time I went through the process, the background check took a while. They said they wanted to make a quick decision, but it was at least 2 weeks before I got the offer.

I had a long discussion about that with our HR VP. He's been in HR for 25 years now, so he's seen it all. He's a very ethical, fair man. And as you said, you cant defame someone, but HR professionals have a language of their own where they can explain alot without compromising their integrity.

Say, someone calls me about a ref from someone that used to work for me. I can either say:

"Mmm, Bob Smith, yeah, I think I remember him. Yes, he was a good worker. Dont recall having any issues with him."

vs.:

"Bob Smith? Of course I remember Bob! He's looking for a job? Damm, I wish he had applied to come back with us!"

Remster

[tigra 0]

Absolutely!

Its also nearly impossible to prove if a former employer sabotages your chances of getting a new job because of an "off the record" conversation. But what's technically legal or illegal and what actually happens in the workplace are 2 different things.

I would call on a reference if I knew the person, or I might call someone I know at the place the candidate used to work to try and get more info, but technically, I couldn't use any negative information I received as a reason NOT to hire someone. (and I once had one of MY managers-who knew better- try to feed me blatantly "illegal" information that he found out about someone I had interviewed.) I would just need to cover my bases and make sure either that person clearly wasn't right for the job or I had a better qualifed candidate and most of the time, that isn't too hard to do.

[Guest]

Good luck to you.

That being said, I have no sympathy for HR types. They're just covering their ass, which I can understand, but it's almost always at the expense of losing good people.

"Better to lose ten (or one hundred) good people than to hire one bad one."

In this age of the Internet, HR types have even more bias against otherwise worthwhile people.

mh
.

"The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat."

[TrophyHusband 0]

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And if you do get some inside info from someone you know at that company and it isn't good, legally, you can't base your decision on that so you better have another good reason NOT to hire that person.

i don't understand why this is illegal. as an employer, don't you have the right to decide who you hire or don't hire? why do you even have to have a reason for not hiring someone? it seems to me that you could base your decision on the color of their shirt if you wanted to.

"Your scrotum is quite nice" - Skymama
www.kjandmegan.com