Gauging previous work of new joinees to the team

I’ve been hiring people (and conducting more thorough reference checks) more recently now, and I’ve learned something important: most reference checks are useless. They’re like those mandatory training videos you have to watch at big companies. Everyone goes through the motions, but nobody really learns anything.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. Reference checks can be incredibly valuable if you do them right. Here’s how I do it.

• I always do reference checks at the end of the screening process. By this point, I’ve already talked to the candidate, maybe even multiple times. I’ve seen their work, or at least heard them talk about it. I have a pretty good idea of who they are. The reference check isn’t to decide if I like them - it’s to verify what I think I know.
• I keep these calls short - about 20-25 minutes. Any longer and people start to ramble. Any shorter and you don’t get the good stuff.
• What do I ask? I want to know about working relationships. How did they get along with their colleagues? This tells you a lot. Someone might be brilliant, but if they can’t work with others, they’re probably not worth hiring.
• Then I ask about conflicts. Every workplace has them. What I care about is how the candidate handled them. Did they sulk? Did they blame others? Or did they find a way to resolve things professionally?
• Here’s a key question: “Would you work with them again if you had the chance?” Listen carefully to how they answer this. It’s not just about the yes or no - it’s about the enthusiasm (or lack thereof) in their voice.
• If I’m talking to someone from the candidate’s current job, I always ask why they’re leaving. Sometimes it’s just for a new challenge. But sometimes there’s more to the story.
• The trick to all of this is to listen not just to what people say, but how they say it. Are they genuinely enthusiastic? Do they hesitate before answering? The tone often tells you more than the words. The goal isn’t to catch people out. It’s to understand who they really are. Because when you’re building a team, who someone is matters just as much as what they can do.