Reference Letter and Reference Check
Human Resources are often being requested to provide a reference letter or employment letter for people leaving their organizations. Such letter would generally include employment details such as employment dates, position held and satisfactory performance statements if being considered as doing a good job.The question often asked is whether it is still necessary to perform a reference check given a candidate has already provided an employment reference letter? The obvious answer is yes but there are several reasons why HR practitioners are often not performing such check:
- The complexity and low respond rate of the reference check
- The research required to reach the right contact person to complete the reference check
- The low rate of discovering new or useful information in the reference check
- The busy schedule of the recruiters
- The cost involved in hiring professional firms to complete the reference check
Indeed, if performed properly with the right procedures and protocols, reference checks can be completed within a period that truly add values to the hiring decision. According to our experience, conducting a reference check not only provides verification for employment information but also capture the candidate’s working style and track record that are very useful for both the recruiter and future manager.Connect with Hong Kong, Singapore, China and other Asia offices today to explore how our consultants can help you to fully utilize the information captured in the reference check process to achieve “better hiring” – better hiring process and decisions!