Human Resource Services
Reference Checking
Overview
Just as you likely would never hire an employee without conducting an interview, you should never extend a job offer without checking your finalist's references. Conducting reference checks will help you make better hiring fits. The general idea is rather simple: how someone performed in past jobs is likely to indicate how he or she will perform in the future. Finally, conducting reference checks may help protect the significant investment you make in any new hire by ensuring better job matches.
General guidelines
References provide valuable information about a candidate's work experiences and qualifications and should support information supplied on the application or resume and stated during his or her interview. According to industry experts, one-third of all resumes and applications contain material falsehoods! With this in mind, reference checking is especially important and necessary to verify that provided information is accurate.
At the University of Florida, references must be checked for every recruiting effort, regardless of whether the final candidate is an external applicant or internal university employee.
All reference checks, whether for an external or internal candidate, should be conducted with the following guidelines in mind:
- Treat all candidates fairly and consistently.
- Only request information that is relevant to the candidate's skills and qualifications in relation to the vacancy.
- Disregard information about which the provider does not have first-hand knowledge or which is unrelated to the individual's skills or performance.
- Use caution when evaluating comments that are "off the record."
- Protect the confidentiality of the recruiting process and the privacy of your applicants whenever possible. Treat names of individuals involved in the recruitment, salaries, and personal information as confidential.
- Keep documentation of your recruitment effort for three years.
- Documentation includes notes taken during interviews and while checking references.
Performing Reference Checks and Verifying Minimum Requirements
Prior to extending a job offer, the hiring department is asked to ensure that the final candidate meets the minimum experience required for the position vacancy. This step can be completed simply by verifying the finalist's dates of employment while checking references.
Please note: Applicants referred in a department's applicant pool are considered qualified for a position based on information provided in their resume. The education and experience of most applicants are not verified until they have been identified as finalists for particular vacancies. Recruitment and Staffing will verify each candidate's educational credentials and will conduct criminal background checks upon request, but it is the department's responsibility to verify a candidate's work experience through reference checking.
FAQs
Q. How many references do I need to check?
Q. If I know a candidate personally, do I need to check references?
Q. Do I need written consent to check references?
Q. If I receive a negative evaluation on a candidate, should I immediately disqualify him or her?
Q. If my finalist is a current UF employee, may I contact his or her current supervisor?
Q. Do I need to verify an applicant's education level as well as experience?
Q. What questions are illegal?
Q. With whom should I share reference information?
Q. What is "negligent hiring"?
Q. Some companies conduct criminal background checks on all finalists. Are these checks needed at UF? Aren't they expensive and complicated?
Q. Does the law protect an employer who provides references?
Q. What is "defamation of character"?
Q. With concerns over liability, isn't it almost impossible to get a bad reference these days?
Q. Some companies provide only basic information on a former or current employee. Is this information useful?
How many references do I need to check?
You must conduct as many reference checks as necessary to account for the number of years of experience required to qualify the applicant for the position title. However, we recommend that departments obtain a minimum of three references for each finalist — two of these should be employers and the third can be a personal or professional reference (professor, teacher, or coworker). Obtaining information from multiple references will allow you to determine whether the information provided is consistent and positive. Note patterns that emerge in terms of the comments made about the finalist.
Contact your employment recruiter to review the required amount of years to be verified and which, if any, educational credentials may substitute for experience.
If I know a candidate personally, do I need to check references?
Yes. References should be conducted on every person you wish to hire regardless of whether you know him or her on a personal basis, regardless of whether a coworker knows the finalist, and regardless of the level of position. Bypassing this step in the hiring process may be tempting, but it is a small investment of time that can pay huge dividends.
Do I need written consent to check references?
When conducting reference checks, it is recommended that written consent be obtained from the candidate. Keep in mind:
- The TEAMS Non-Exempt Application for Employment includes a candidate's written authorization that serves as consent.
- The list of references given to you by TEAMS Exempt applicants (either as part of the initial application or obtained during the interview process) will serve as consent.
- Prior to contacting a Non-Exempt applicant's current employer, please check to see if there are any contact notes about this subject. Often times an applicant — TEAMS Exempt, Non-Exempt, or USPS — wishes that his or her current employer not be contacted until he or she is a finalist for a position.
If I receive a negative evaluation on a candidate, should I immediately disqualify him or her?
No. While it is important to consider any negative comments carefully, they should not immediately disqualify the candidate from further consideration. There are two sides to every story. Should this situation arise, the best course of action is to ask for specific examples to support the negative comments and then check additional references. Again, be sure to speak with at least three references and to formulate a specific question that asks about the deficiency. For example, if one employer says that the employee had a problem with tardiness, ask other references if the candidate was prompt, dependable, and able to meet deadlines.
If my finalist is a current UF employee, may I contact his or her current supervisor?
Yes. Remember, an applicant's most recent work experience will provide you with valuable insight into how he or she may perform in the future as well as his or her current skills and job responsibilities. Please keep the following points in mind:
- As a courtesy, inform the applicant that he or she is a strong candidate for the vacancy and that you plan to contact his or her current UF supervisor to conduct a reference check.
- Simply because an applicant is currently working for the university does not mean that reference checks may be waived. While dates of employment for current UF employees may be easily obtained via the payroll system, reference checks must still be conducted with prior departments to verify job duties and performance.
Do I need to verify an applicant's education level as well as experience?
No. Recruitment and Staffingand your employment recruiter will verify any educational credentials for your finalist. If, however, an applicant provides copies of diplomas or transcripts to you at the time of an interview, please forward this information to your employment recruiter. Doing so will help expedite the verification process.
What questions are illegal?
Your inquiry should be as objective as possible and relate directly to the finalist's job performance and job duties and to information provided on the application, resume, or during the interview. Forms of discrimination that apply to interviewing and hiring also are applicable to reference checking. Be sure to avoid questions that involve race, age, disabilities, national origin, religion, or marital status.
With whom should I share reference information?
Information obtained through reference checks should be held to the highest level of confidentiality. This information should only be accessible to individuals who are relevant to the recruiting and hiring process for the particular vacancy.
These individuals may include the department hiring authority, the respective Dean's or Vice President's Office, and your employment recruiter.
What is "negligent hiring"?
Negligent hiring is a failure by a prospective employer to check references adequately or to gather relevant information on a candidate hired. Obtaining reference information is vital to ensure that a new employee does not repeat negative, past behavior, and employers may be held liable for not adequately checking reference information.
Some companies conduct criminal background checks on all finalists. Are these checks needed at UF? Aren't they expensive and complicated?
It depends. Criminal background checks are available to all hiring authorities and are recommended for employees hired into sensitive positions where security is of particular concern. Examples of sensitive positions may include those that involve the safety of students, faculty, and staff or where employees have access to accounts, confidential information, or valuables.
Recruitment and Staffing uses the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) database to search for criminal records throughout the state of Florida. The cost of these checks is $23 and results are available within a few days. If a broader national background search is needed, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) can provide this information for $47 per request. However, the prospective employee must be fingerprinted, and FBI searches can take four to six weeks. The request process is simple--all a department needs to do is complete a one-page form, which is available on the web.
Does the law protect an employer who provides references?
Yes. Section 768.095, Florida Statutes, now provides that employers who disclose information about former or current employees to a prospective employer at the prospective employer's request will be immune from civil liability for the disclosure or its consequences. This statute encompasses any information, not just performance-related information, shared by an employer, about a current or former employee.
What is "defamation of character"?
Defamation of character is communication to another of information that is false and injurious to the reputation of an employee or former employee. Employers should provide truthful reference information without fear of liability if the information is factual and without malicious intent or discrimination.
With concerns over liability, isn't it almost impossible to get a bad reference these days?
No. Although it is true that most references don't generally provide overtly negative comments, it is still possible to obtain information that is not positive. This may require you to evaluate the comments provided and compare them to the qualities, skills, and experience for which you are looking. For instance, if a reference states that the employee was a good worker, but not a good manager, he or she might be more appropriate for positions that do not have supervisory responsibilities.
Some companies provide only basic information on a former or current employee. Is this information useful?
Yes. Although a more ideal reference is someone who shares evaluative information, being able to confirm basic information provided on a resume or application is helpful. These reference checks will allow you to confirm things such as dates of employment, job title, pay, and whether the employee is eligible for rehire. They also will allow you to determine the accuracy of the information provided.