Personal Reference Verification

A personal reference verification is ordered with background checks as a means to get a deeper understanding of an applicant applying for a job. Companies will ask questions of personal references that will help verify if the applicant has the skills, personality, and other qualities that will ensure a good fit for success in the position they’re seeking.

What Should the Applicant Expect?

Not all job positions will ask the applicant to provide personal reference information, but when asked, applicants typically need to provide the following during their pre-employment screening process:

• Reference name
• Relation to applicant
• Current position
• Dates worked together
• Contact information (email, phone, etc.)

Once the applicant has submitted all information, the employer will verify the references using a series of questions to better understand the relationship between the applicant and reference. Using the contact information that the applicant provided, the reference will be contacted for a short Q&A regarding the applicant. Applicants are expected to gain permission to list a person as a reference prior to providing their information. They should also inform the reference that they might be contacted in the near future as a form of courtesy.

Questions that are commonly asked include:

• How does the applicant know the reference?
• Have they ever worked together before?
• What are some characteristics of the applicant that would qualify them for the position that they are seeking?
• Would the reference recommend the applicant for the job?