We've all heard the horror stories β those employees who talked a big game but couldn't back it up. Checking references gives you a chance to separate fact from fiction and make sure you're not getting sold a lemon.
Skipping over this step is just asking for trouble. An unqualified or bad fit temp can wreak havoc β tanking productivity, bringing team morale way down, maybe even ticking off clients or customers. In some extreme cases, you could be looking at legal issues or rep damage in your industry. No fun at all.
But get this β doing a solid reference check could lead you to hidden gems. Maybe a candidate undersold themselves or has amazing people skills that would be gold for your company. Taking the time to really dig in increases your odds of scoring a true temp all-star.
Effective reference checking isn't about firing off a lame checklist of yes/no questions. It's a delicate dance where you uncover the real scoop on a candidate's skills, strengths, and overall mojo. Here are some areas to really probe:
Reference checking is a conversation, so you want to make it a positive one for the reference too. Here are some tips:
For the full scoop, you want to connect with former managers, coworkers, maybe even direct reports if relevant. Each one offers a unique viewpoint:
Putting all those perspectives together helps you spot consistent positives or raise flags. Gaps or contradictions deserve a closer look.
Some references may be hesitant to spill, worried about confidentiality or legal stuff. No sweats, just reinforce that you ONLY want their honest opinions on the person's fit and abilities for the role. Make it crystal that you won't share any proprietary tea or even reveal they spoke up.
If they still balk, no need to push it. Moving on is better than burning a professional connection or opening yourself up to legal drama. You want frank insights, but only if offered freely.
Doing a ton of reference checks can eat up so much time, right? Thankfully there are some cool tech tools and online platforms to help streamline the process now. You can:
Having a system makes this way more efficient instead of chasing folks down individually. That's using modern solutions!
Reference checking is one of those practices you gotta constantly re-evaluate and improve. Get feedback from your hiring team, keep up with best practices, and iterate.
Having formal training is clutch too. It ensures everybody understands why this matters and follows consistent guidelines. This reduces biases, keeps things above board legally, and upholds professionalism.
And setting clear criteria for evaluating references - like a rating scale for key competencies - makes it much easier to objectively compare candidates. You want evidence-based decisions, not gut feels.
At the end of the day, thorough reference checking for Temporary Employees isn't just busywork. It's an investment that can save you from bad hiring decisions that enable slackers, impact productivity, and damage your reputation.
Asking the RIGHT questions, hearing multiple perspectives, and making it a positive experience for references - that's how you separate the MVPs from the toxic temps. A little effort now avoids a metric ton of headaches, frustrations, and regrets down the line.
So don't overlook this critical step when you need to staff up temporarily. Doing it right means bringing aboard skilled, reliable temps who truly mesh with your company's values and drive success. That's the name of the game!
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