Real-world reference checks: Follow the investigative reporter rule "consider the source".

When I was first became a recruiter a little more than a decade ago, it struck me as odd that reference checking generally consisted of calling names given you by the candidate. Unless the candidate was an absolute idiot (and I'm sure we've all had a few of those . . .), those references generally put the most positive spin on a candidates skills and abilities. You've been handed the candidate's own rose-colored glasses through which you've been asked to regard his executive-ness in all his glory.

But there is a better way, one detailed by Guy Kawasaki in an article entitled "10 Ways to Use LinkedIn".  Guy is the managing director of Garage Technology Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm and a columnist for Entrepreneur Magazine.  Buried in the middle of that list is the following:

"5. Perform blind, 'reverse,' and company reference checks.

LinkedIn's reference check tool to input a company name and the years the person worked at the company to search for references. Your search will find the people who worked at the company during the same time period. Since references provided by a candidate will generally be glowing, this is a good way to get more balanced data. Companies will typically check your references before hiring you, but have you ever thought of checking your prospective manager's references? Most interviewees don't have the audacity to ask a potential boss for references, but with LinkedIn you have a way to scope her out . . .  By the way, if using LinkedIn in these ways becomes a common practice, we're apt to see more truthful resumes. There's nothing more amusing than to find out that the candidate who claims to have caused some huge success was a total bozo who was just along for the ride."

The best recruiters I know do not rely on the candidate's references alone.  Early on, they "calibrate" candidates through more objective sources.  For those reference check situations that required bullet-proof checks, you can outsource to a firm frequently used by the top retained firms, Kroll.

Comments

[Bill Ward]

As a general rule, you learn about all of the touch points an executive had at companies of interest

When I recruit CFOs for example, I will talk to past and current board members, buy and sell side analysts covering the company stock, major customers and banks that dealt with this executive. Most of these conversations have to be off the record in order to get the real story and not the sterilized version.

The information you obtain should validate what you have learned from your interview and ultimately make your decision to present a candidate to a client a bit easier.