Reference checks are an essential part of the hiring process, because they provide keen insight into a job seeker’s work history, skills, and character. The downside? The typical manual methods for reference checking can be time-consuming and frustratingly riddled with delays. It can take hours to reach a single reference, and with multiple references per job candidate, the time spent playing phone tag adds up quickly. That’s why more and more hiring managers have chosen to start checking references by email using data automation, so they can spend their valuable time on other projects.
The benefits of adopting a reference check email strategy are numerous. Read on to learn how to streamline the hiring process with email automation and explore how automated reference checking can save your business hundreds of hours per year.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
What are the steps to completing a reference check?
How checking references by email speeds up the hiring process
3 reasons to automate the reference check process with Vitay
Conclusion
What are the steps to completing a reference check?
Often, reference checking is done toward the end of the hiring process, so there’s as little time wasted as possible on multiple candidate reference checks. HR professionals and recruiters use fairly straightforward methods to contact a candidate’s references in the later part of the interview stage. Here’s a simple, step-by-step guide to completing a candidate reference check from beginning to end:
1. Obtain consent
Before any employer begins reaching out to any references, they must get written permission from the candidate before they attempt to contact anyone.
2. Determine relevant references
Employers should confirm that the references provided by the candidate are relevant to the position they’re being interviewed for. If the candidate is applying for a position in management, the employer would benefit from speaking with prior supervisors about the applicant’s leadership qualifications.
3. Contact each reference
The employer should reach out to the candidate’s references via phone or email, supplying them with the candidate’s name, the position they’re applying for, and a brief overview of the qualifications needed for the role, so the referee can provide the most relevant information.
4. Ask pertinent questions
The hiring manager should take time to prepare questions specific to the candidate’s job responsibilities and qualifications. The employer should aim for open-ended questions to allow the reference to give plenty of detail in their response. The employer should also make sure to verify the information that the candidate has provided to them during the reference check, including their job title, responsibilities, and dates of employment. It’s also important to confirm any claims the candidate has regarding their skill set and work experience.
5. Follow up with the candidate
After the reference check, the hiring manager has the option to provide feedback to the job applicant about the outcomes from these reference check interviews and any information shared by a reference that might be relevant to the new position.
6. Keep a record of your results
The employer should keep detailed notes and documentation on their findings from each reference check, even after the job offer has been accepted. That way, if there are any future issues or discrepancies with a new hire, there will already be specific records that can be reviewed to determine next steps.
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How checking references by email speeds up the hiring process
Checking references is an important part of the hiring process that shouldn’t be disregarded to save time. Unfortunately, the general methods for contacting references over the phone can be drawn out and inefficient, holding up recruitment and costing businesses weeks of productivity. That’s why switching to email reference checks can be a game-changer for any business, regardless of size. By reaching out to references through email rather than over the phone, companies can get the information they need and make informed hiring decisions much faster.
Here are some primary reasons why businesses should consider switching to reference check emails instead of phoning references:
Convenience and efficiency
One major advantage to sending reference checks by email rather than over the phone is that it allows you to communicate with multiple references at once. Rather than spending that same amount of time trying to reach out to a single reference, you can send out all your reference requests via email and then receive their responses without having to be present for them.
Plus, by communicating through email, you can easily send out a set of relevant questions and receive detailed answers, helping you better assess each candidate’s suitability for their potential job position. Email makes the process faster, easier, and more streamlined for all parties involved.
No More Phone Tag
Rather than having to arrange a series of phone calls while juggling multiple busy schedules, reference checking by email allows your references to respond at a time that’s convenient for them, eschewing the need to find a complementary time on your calendar to meet with them. By eliminating the frustration of missed calls, forgotten meetings, and last minute conflicts, you can save hours and potentially even weeks of time.
Easy Documentation
Rather than depending on note-taking and memory for recording data, email reference checking eliminates the manual middleman by automatically documenting and organizing feedback for company records. With easy storage and easy access, companies save time sharing and analyzing feedback, so hiring decisions can be made more quickly.
3 reasons to automate the reference check process with Vitay
Vitay.io is a cloud-based platform that streamlines the reference check process for businesses, providing an automated system for compiling and organizing feedback on job candidates. Vitay makes the reference process easy by supplying businesses with digital reference forms that can be customized to fit their specific needs. These forms get sent to each candidate’s references via email, and Vitay’s AI-based technology analyzes the responses and turns them into a concise report on each candidate’s performance.
Vitay supercharges the email reference checking process with user-friendly automation, saving your recruitment and HR team hours of arduous manual work. Read on for three major reasons why businesses choose Vitay for their automated reference check needs:
1. Faster Turnarounds
Vitay’s automated software allows you to easily send reference check requests and track responses in real-time. Digital reference forms can be sent to each candidate reference, and email responses are typically received within 24 to 48 hours, much faster than the days and weeks a manual reach out might take. With faster turnarounds, businesses can make job offers more quickly, minimizing the time-to-hire and mitigating the risk of losing leading applicants to other job offers.
In addition to a faster turnaround time, Vitay makes it easy for HR and recruiting teams to collaborate on hiring decisions. Reference responses can be shared easily among decision-makers, boosting overall hiring efficiency.
2. Organized Question Sets
Vitay provides question set templates designed by industry experts on a variety of topics including job performance, work ethic, and personal character traits. Businesses can also easily create and store an unlimited number of custom sets on the Vitay platform. Using question sets ensures that references get asked the same questions, providing consistent feedback and establishing a baseline for comparison between candidates.
Vitay’s AI-powered analysis helps turn information from reference responses into key insights and highlighted areas of concern. Additionally, using question sets in reference checking helps eliminate bias and helps businesses tailor their questions to suit the specific needs of the job position.
3. Automated Documentation
Vitay’s reference system does away with the inconvenient back-and-forth communication required by phone and email reference checking in favor of a fully automated process. Instead of relying on physical documentation or manual data entry, Vitay offers an easy-to-use interface that’s ideal for storing and accessing reference responses. The platform also reduces the risk of errors and lost documentation, ensuring that the work put into gathering candidate information is kept as long as needed. Plus, candidate reports are held in a secure and centralized location for authorized users to access easily.
Conclusion
By switching to an email reference check model, businesses can easily save time, reduce manual errors, and make better-informed hiring choices. Vitay’s user-friendly, automated software helps streamline the employment reference check process with customizable templates, automated reminders, and analyzed candidate reports. Transform your tedious manual reference check process into a slick, easy-to-manage system that will save your business hours of time and effort and give you a digitized feedback system that you can depend on.
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