The following questions are questions you can use to conduct a thorough reference check. It is extremely important that you use a standard form with the same questions every reference you check. The only way to compare one candidate to another is to ask the same questions and then to compare their answers. Utilizing a standard form also prevents you from asking any type of discriminatory questions. The following are all legal questions and will allow you to gain insight into your prospective employee.
1. Summarize their strengths and weaknesses.
2. Give examples of accomplishments to support major strengths and weaknesses.
3. How did the weakness affect job performance?
4. How would you rank this person as a manager?
5. Give me an example of where they took initiative.
6. What was their biggest accomplishment?
7. How well does this person work with a team? As an individual?
8. How would you rank this person’s technical competence? Examples?
9. Give examples of their interpersonal skills.
10. Determine timeliness – get examples of ability to work under pressure.
11. How well do they handle criticism? Examples?
12. Give me an example of their level of commitment.
13. How strong are their communication skills? How measured?
14. How strong are their decision making abilities? Examples?
15. What single area could they change to be more effective?
16. Describe this person’s character and personal value system. How did this affect performance?
17. How would you compare this candidate to others at the same level? Why?
18. How would you rank overall performance on a scale of 1 to 10? Why?
19. Would you rehire this candidate? Why or why not?
20. May we contact you again if we have any additional questions?

Again, these are just some examples that you can use to gain more insight into your candidates. Make sure all questions you ask are legal. When taking a reference check, write down exactly what is said and do not embellish the answers given. I have found that by looking at someone’s past, you can make a good assumption what their future performance might be!

Nancy J. Phillips, CPC

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