Reference checking has become more important than ever over the last two years because of the shift towards remote working.
As employers go digital and more employees look for remote work, there has been a marked increase in candidates applying for jobs.
Sorting the wheat from the chaff is difficult due to the sheer volume of applicants.
If your business employs people, you will know the importance of assuring candidate quality. Meeting in person is always best, but more businesses are going digital and hiring without physically meeting candidates.
This makes reference checking an increasingly important part of hiring, but the traditional process saps time and eats up resources.
The traditional method of asking someone to spend time making a reference, printing it, scanning it, and submitting it online is unrealistic. People are too busy, and employers are not incentivised to complete them.
You need a better way to get references.
Make life easier with AutoRefs!
AutoRefs is a reference tool that makes collecting and checking employment references easier for both the referee and requester. You create a questionnaire, candidates list their references, and AutoRefs handles everything else.
AutoRefs puts references in one place, saves everyone time, and creates a baseline quality for all references. Our pilots show that response rates more than double, all with less work and time on your end.
If you spend lots of time requesting references, chasing references, and pulling your hair out because you can’t get a response, AutoRefs will take over. There is never a 100% guarantee of success, but our solution frees up your time.
AutoRefs lets you make personalised reference questionnaires, with communication handled by the app. You never speak to a referee, nor does the candidate.
The referee simply fills in the questionnaire, and you get it back.
Candidates will also appreciate the simplified way of providing referee details; they just input contact details when prompted in an email.
Why is reference checking so important?
Traditionally, reference checking closes out the hiring process; references are sought following interviews and, in some cases, after employment or job offers. The traditional purpose of these checks is to confirm job roles.
As the world goes digital, reference checking is becoming a much more valuable tool to hirers, setting the table for every decision.
In-depth reference checking is important because you need a full picture of the candidates you are interested in hiring. You need to go beyond confirmation of role to determine how suitable a candidate is for your position.
The truth is you can’t believe everything everyone says in their CV. If you were to take everything for truth, everyone would get the job. If The Apprentice has told us one thing, it is that most people exaggerate themselves.
Here are the main reasons why reference checking is important:
- Confirm CV details
- Confirm job roles
- Confirm job timelines
- Understand candidate skills
- Get unique feedback from past employers
If you don’t check references, you could hire someone based on them saying they worked for a high-profile company when they never did!
Picking up fraudulent references is the big win with reference checking. The last thing you want is to hire someone based on lies.
Why automating the process is crucial
Every minute you waste chasing references is a minute lost doing other things, like interviews and managing job ads. Even the most efficient recruitment departments can sleepwalk into admin-related tasks.
Automating the reference collection process frees up resources and provides a standard for all references you collect. You can ensure the information you receive is relevant to the role and the candidate in question.
AutoRefs is a brilliant tool for this because it makes reference checking easier for everyone, including the candidate, referee and recruiter.
The way AutoRefs works is simple:
- Create a candidate reference request in AutoRefs.
- Assign a questionnaire to the candidate profile.
- The candidate receives an email and provides reference details.
- AutoRefs automatically sends reference requests to their referees.
- Referees receive an email with a link to complete the questionnaire.
- References are submitted online with no further communication needed.
- The AutoRefs dashboard stores references in the cloud, available anywhere.
Ultimately, AutoRefs is a tool you will love if you value time!
Don’t fall into a time trap with remote recruitment
If you have office roles, there’s a strong chance your business will offer candidates the ability to work at least some of the time remotely. Likewise, there’s a big chance your recruitment process will be increasingly digital.
With technology like AutoRefs, Zoom, Skype and Microsoft Teams, you can hire people remotely without meeting them in person. But some tasks add lots of time to recruitment, and they are all considered traditional.
- The first is candidate profiling. Instead of only collecting hundreds of CVs, you can pre-screen to create a refined list of applications.
- The second is reference checking. Email, phone, post; the delay in getting references pushes recruitment back. You can automate this with AutoRefs.
- The third is setting employees up for work. You can make collaboration easier with tools like Asana, Slack, Basecamp and Microsoft Teams.
If you can refine these three tasks, your recruitment process will be a lot better.
Summing up
Reference checking is more important than ever due to the sheer volume of candidates employers have to sift through. Automating the process brings efficiency, and AutoRefs is the best tool of its kind.
Authenticating references is the most important task with reference checking to assure candidate legitimacy. This ensures that your company doesn’t employ illegitimate candidates and overlook good ones.
AutoRefs also standardises your reference checking format.
You can create customised questions and a baseline request for all referees. There is no need to create a document because AutoRefs does it for you. References are processed in the cloud, with a centralised dashboard available anywhere with an internet connection.
Don’t waste time on reference checking when you don’t have to. Try AutoRefs risk-free today with a free account. No credit card required.