Let's assume for a minute that I'm in charge of hiring. I have a media company, just landed a boat load of money and I need to build my team. There are jobs that people are in already, but I now have to resources to add more employees. It's a very exciting time around my company, "Padrino.net."
I write job descriptions for the positions available and vet them with my HR team leader. Yes, I'm the CEO and very involved in who gets hired and why. I want to know the people who work for me. I'd never want my employees saying, "Yeah, he's our boss but I don't really know who he is or even met him."
Jobs openings are posted for at least a month and then pulled. Top candidates are efficiently selected by a review committee of people within the company. I do not run those meetings and do not make decisions about who gets interviewed. I just sit in the room and listen. My job comes at the end. So, candidates are chosen for the first round of interviews. I meet with team leaders to hear what kind of questions they plan to ask candidates. Again, team leaders have freedom of expression and thought. I listen for logic and consistency.
After the first round we meet and decide who gets a second interview. We make that decision and then what's the ONE thing that you MUST do next? Pretend you are me, in charge of a growing media company. Team building is vital as you must get the right people. What do you do next?
You ask for and check references.
I can't begin to tell you how many times I have been asked to be a reference for a someone. Candidates get to the second interview and more than a few have been offered the job and I find out later that none of their references were called.
Seriously.
Would you hire someone without a reference check? Would you really take everything a candidate says just on face value without researching their history? Boy, I wouldn't.
So, please, please don't hire people without checking them out first.
Your legal team will thank you later
*Chantal de la Rionda edits this blog
