Credential VerificationWe prefer to call this final segment of the ESP “credential verification” rather than the more commonly used “reference checking.” This is because our concept of the term implies a wider review of a candidate’s background, ranging from verification of academic credentials or military service to financial and criminal background checks.

Although we don’t conduct either financial or criminal checks, we encourage clients to seriously consider their merits, especially if any related concerns arise during the interview process. In some industries such as financial services, satisfactory background checks are often a requisite for employment. Academic degree verification is recommended for the simple reason that an estimated 40% of claimed credentials are misstated or were never earned.

The concept of contacting people who worked with or for a candidate for employment to verify and/or expand on information gathered during the interview process seems sound. However, the fact that most references contacted by hiring managers or their recruiters are provided by the candidate gives reason for caution. One can reasonably question the extent to which a candidate-provided reference is going to say anything that comes across as negative. In addition, some companies have strict policies prohibiting current employees from providing anything beyond basic employment data on former employees, for fear that additional information may invite legal action.

One strategy proposed by Brad Smart (Topgrading) and his son Geoff Smart (Who) is to employ what they call TORC (Threat of Reference Check.) This entails informing each candidate at the beginning of the interview process that every supervisor they worked for will be contacted. Furthermore, the candidate will be expected to arrange the contact. This approach, while apparently effective in some instances in eliciting truthful interview responses, contradicts my belief that creating a proper interview environment will encourage the same level of candor without the intimidation factor.

Our recommended approach is to contact the references provided, while concurrently expanding the list through other sources, including asking the candidate-supplied references for additional leads. Questions should address topics relating to personality/cultural fit, accomplishments, failures as well as clarify any areas of confusion or concern that arose during the candidate interview. An ideal outcome is one in which the collective comments of all references support the evaluation and conclusions of the interview team.