Before hiring a new team member, how important is it to check their references? ​​

Although the practice of reference checking is not as widespread as it once was, you can gain a lot of value from reaching out to a candidate's references. There are tools available to achieve genuine and honest feedback from a person's references, including anonymous platforms that allow references to reply anonymously. Consider asking your interviewer about Google's stance on reference checking.

The decision-makers at Google are interested in your diligence around the interview process, including reference checking. Proper reference checking shows your desire to be thorough in the hiring process.

As a recruitment professional, it's essential to collect valid references, document these conversations, and share your notes with hiring managers. When you reply, express that you value the practice of reference-checking. Be prepared to walk the interviewer through your reference checking process, highlighting how diligent you are with this step of the hiring process.

"When interviewing candidates, I believe checking their employment references is a critical step. This step gives the hiring teams a deeper view of the candidate from an outside professional source. If I am uncertain about any aspect of a candidate's qualifications, contacting their references provides beneficial insight. This information becomes highly useful when making a hiring decision, especially when two candidates seem equally equipped for the role. A solid reference can be the difference between rejection and a job offer. For these reasons, I check employment references for every candidate after their second interview. This action ensures that I have a well-rounded view of their strengths and reputation before moving them into the final interview stage with our hiring manager."