Referee Check Guide
A simple background check to ensure a candidate didn't lie on his resume or job application isn't enough. It's just the first step. The second, and more important step, is ensuring that the candidate can do what he claims to be able to do. In other words, careful job performance-based reference checking is more important than ever in the teacher selection process.
Do not rely on one referee
Referee checking is a subjective process. Job performance, is in the eye of the beholder.
The real validation of a subjective response comes from talking to multiple references. For example, if you ask one reference to describe the candidate's relationships at work, the response might be something like, "He didn't work well with subordinates." Standing alone, that comment is valid only if you've established the credibility of the person making it. If you talk to three referees, and they all describe the candidate in essentially the same way, then you can be reasonably sure you can make a valid assessment.
You should be listening for uniformity among the responses, and that's why it's not sufficient to talk to just one referee or to stop after merely verifying dates of employment and job responsibilities.
The only way to learn the real story about a person's job performance or interpersonal skills is through carefully constructed subjective inquiry, balanced against objectivity and consistency of responses from multiple references.
Learn about the reference giver
So what are some of the best questions to ask? Once the reference is actually on the phone, the first question to ask is, "How are you acquainted with the candidate?" The answer to this question will accomplish several things. First, it will confirm when, where and whether or not the reference and the candidate have ever worked together, and what the nature of their association was. Was the referee the “supervisor”? How closely did he/she oversee the work and performance of the teacher? The answer to this critical question will allow the reference checker to determine how much weight to give the responses to subsequent questions.
The next question that should be asked is, "How long did you and the candidate work together?" Once again, the length of the association will help establish the credibility of responses to other questions.
Verify the candidate's claims
Next, it's important to ask the reference to describe the candidate's day-to-day responsibilities on the job. This is the point at which the reference checker should be comparing what the candidate's CV says with what the references have to say. The completeness of the answer will also reveal still more about how well the reference really knew the candidate.
Do some subtle fishing for problem areas
Another useful question is, "What do you think the candidate needs to really continue his or her career development and professional growth?" The response to this question can provide invaluable insight into the candidate's suitability for the job to be filled. Another way of answering this questions is “what are this person’s strengths and areas for development (weaknesses)?”
Other questions
Toward the end of the interview, there are other important questions that always should be asked, such as, "Why did the candidate leave?" and "Could the candidate have stayed if he had wanted to?" If the candidate is still working at the same place as the reference, the question becomes, "Why is the candidate contemplating a job change?" Finally, every reference should be asked, "If you had a vacancy, would you employ the candidate and, if so, for what position?"
While this is not intended to be an exhaustive list of questions reference checkers should ask, it's a starting point. Click here for a suggested reference check format