Diana Gabriel

Certified Professional Coach

  • HOME
  • ABOUT
  • COACHING
  • WORKSHOPS
  • BOOKS
  • TOOLS
  • BLOG
  • ARTICLES
  • FAQ
  • CONTACT

Employing a Checks and Balances System in Your Hiring Process

January 21, 2013 by Diana Leave a Comment

Whether you’re hiring a CEO, an employee, or a subcontractor, you always take a risk.  Unfortunately, there are times when people will go to great lengths to misrepresent themselves and thus create the need for background check resources and references.

In attempt to avoid the deception trap the next time you interview a potential candidate, keep these 5 key factors in mind:

  1. Prepare comprehensive histories from vague or misleading responses
  2. Filter fact from fiction and deal with dishonest interviewees
  3. Deal with legal issues including which questions you can and cannot ask
  4. Make a confident, well-researched hiring decision
  5. Use waivers that protect you legally during the background check process

Personal References

A personal reference could be anyone whom the candidate happens to know but most likely has never worked for.  Nowadays, personal references have become one of those overused catchphrases that disguises the real work of responsible, effective reference checking.

Background Checks

The term background check is another catch-all phrase that means checking the accuracy of basic information provided by a candidate for employment or similar.  It’s an important step in the employee selection process because it’s a relatively painless and inexpensive way for the prospective employer to whittle down the pile of applications to only those candidates who are, at least, who they say they are.

While determining whether or not the candidate is whom he or she claims to be is an important first step, it should ultimately lead into real reference checking.  There’s so much more to learn about a candidate for employment before the final decision can be made, and the only way to learn that is by talking to people who have worked with or received service from the candidate in question.

Job Application Issues

There are several things employers can do to increase the likelihood of receiving honest responses to job performance questions:

  1. Always ask the job seeker to provide a resume that contains a complete work history, including dates of employment for every job held.
  2. Ask the candidate to provide the name of the person to whom he/she directly reported.
  3. Employers should always require candidates for employment to fill out a formal job application that asks for the same information.  One way or another, even if you have to ask for it during the first interview, you’ll get a description of the tasks for which the job seeker was responsible at each position held.

If the list of references doesn’t include at least one of the people to whom the candidate reported directly, a red warning flag should appear in the prospective employer’s mind.  Some job seekers will suggest they didn’t list a previous supervisor as a reference because the two of them didn’t get along and that’s understandable, but throughout an individual’s entire work history, there has to be at least ONE supervisor who can be a reference.  If it’s true the candidate has never gotten along with any supervisor ever, then it’s best to look for another person for the job.

No, every job doesn’t result in a happy ending but with the above precautions in mind, one can reduce the possibility of getting burned or hiring the more suitable person for the job.  Having more information about a job seeker is always better than having less.  It’s through working with other people that we reach most of our goals so choosing the right ones is therefore, essential.

Filed Under: Coaching Tagged With: application issues, background check, background checks, check resources, checks and balances, decision makers, diana, diana gabriel, employee selection process, human assets, insights, integrity, interviewees, job application, listening, listening skills, motives, performance questions, personal reference, personal references, time and money

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Connect with Diana

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter

Testimonials

Working with Diana was great. She helped me identify my leadership strengths and find ways to use them to maximize my value to the organization as I transitioned into a new role with greater responsibility.
Executive of a NonprofitMissouri
The main benefit of coaching was simply the reworking of my priorities to bring some semblance of balance back into my life as it applied to my family relationships and personal well-being.
Stephen S. TalmageBishop, Grand Canyon Synod

Creating a Framework for Success as a Sustainable Leader in a Socially Connected Environment
Being a sustainable leader isn’t just a ‘touchy-feely’ term. It’s about creating innovation and collaboration within your environment. It’s about accomplishing goals that matter. And yes, it’s even about improving the bottom line of your business.

Because nothing is sustainable if it doesn’t “increase profitability and your competitive advantage.”

Download my Complimentary Workbook: “Creating a Framework for Success as a Sustainable Leader in a Socially Connected Environment.”

Recent Blog Posts

  • Authentic Leaders Make Passion Contagious
  • Authentic Leaders Put Values Into Practice
  • Direct Communication is Required for Authentic Leadership
  • Adaptability is Required for Authentic Leadership
  • The Need for Authentic Leadership

Blog Post Archives

Contact Information

DianaSmLogo Diana Gabriel, PPC
Professional Certified Coach

diana@dianagabriel.com
507.345.7090

Top Posts & Pages

  • What are the Crucibles of Leadership?
  • The 4 Components of Trust
  • 10 Characteristics of Effective Meetings

Follow me on Twitter

My Tweets
  • Home
  • About
  • Coaching
  • Workshops
  • Books
  • Tools
  • Blog
  • Articles
  • FAQ
  • Contact
  • Site Map

Copyright © 2021 — Diana Gabriel, PPC • All rights reserved. • Privacy Statement • Legal Notice

  • Home
  • About
  • Coaching
  • Workshops
  • Books
  • Tools
  • Blog
  • Articles
  • FAQ
  • Contact
  • Site Map