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PrideStaff Akron

No matter how great a candidate seems during the interview, you can never be reasonably confident they’ll be a successful hire until you check their references. References should ideally be able to give you valuable insight into the candidate to help you solidify your decision, but if you just go through the motions of asking basic questions without a strategy, it won’t be that useful. Learn more about the most effective way to check candidates’ references:

    • Give it a Positive Spin

It’s important to keep the tone of the conversation positive if you want your candidate’s references to be truthful with you. If they feel like you’re trying to uncover “dirt” only, they may not be as willing to open to you.

    • Be Specific

Your candidate’s references are taking time out of their busy schedules to talk to you, so be prepared in order to make the most of it. Plan your questions ahead of time – be specific with what you want to ask, and prioritize your questions in level of importance in case the reference’s allotted time goes over.

    • Stay Open-Minded

Checking your candidate’s references won’t be effective if you have your mind already made up. Go into the conversation completely open-minded with the intention of hearing what the reference has to say on their own without leading them or only asking questions to confirm your own thoughts.

    • Focus on Key Responsibilities

To make the conversation with the reference most insightful, focus on asking questions pertaining to the key responsibilities of the job for which you’re hiring. Pick a few of the most important ones, and ask about the level of experience and performance quality the candidate had in their time working with them.

    • Ask About Soft Skills

Culture fit is super important to a candidate being a successful hire, so chat with the reference about what type of soft skills and personality traits the candidate exhibited. Getting a sense of the type of worker the candidate is can help you figure out how well they will align with what you need.

Hire the Right People with PrideStaff Akron!

Streamline your hiring process and make the best hires possible by working with experienced staffing firm PrideStaff Akron to recruit and assess candidates. By partnering with PrideStaff Akron, you can save time while utilizing our expertise to objectively evaluate candidates and find the ones most likely to have long term success. Contact us to learn more about how we can help with your staffing needs.

 

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