Congratulations – you’ve made it through the hiring process! From posting the job to shortlisting candidates to completing your interviews, you now have your winning candidate identified and are ready to make the job offer. 

Or are you? 

At this stage in the hiring process, there is one last item to check off your list – a reference check. You might be tempted to skip this step since you are so excited about hiring your new staff member. But did you know that research shows that upwards of 32% of candidates are removed from consideration once reference checks have been completed? Regardless of how quickly you want to move forward with your candidate, reference checks are still important – but they can’t be completed haphazardly. 

Challenges with traditional reference checks  

Traditionally done by making telephone calls to a few of the candidate’s past employers, reference checks can introduce some challenges to the hiring process.  

• Delays in hiring. Playing telephone tag with references can really slow down your hiring efforts, causing frustration to both your organization and the candidate.  
• Opportunity for bias. Traditional reference checks allow bias to creep into the hiring process, especially if hiring managers don’t use a standardized set of questions. Confirmation bias occurs because you already have a good opinion of the candidate, you tend to focus more on the favourable responses in the reference check than on any possible red flags. 
• Data security and confidentiality. Because traditional reference calls are an entirely manual process, protecting confidentiality is a real concern. How do you handle handwritten notes taken during a call? How is information from the reference check stored so other members of the hiring committee can safely access it? 
• Missed or inaccurate details. Taking a reference over the phone can risk missing critical details, especially if the reference taker is distracted or unable to focus fully, leading to incomplete or inaccurate information collection. 

With CharityVillage e-Reference Checks, we can remove these challenges so you can hire faster and with better results. 

Save time on reference checks and improve your results by going digital 

With CharityVillage’s e-Reference Checking Platform, you can meet these three common challenges head-on: 

• Stop playing telephone tag with a candidate’s references. With the e-Reference Checking Platform, the candidate drives the process by sending the invitation to participate to their reference, you’ll not only shorten the hiring process but also save yourself precious time in your schedule. The average turnaround time is less than 48 hours, and automatic reminders are sent if the questionnaire is not completed, allowing you to set it and forget it! 
• Use our library of questions to customize and create a standardized questionnaire. Each reference is asked the same set of questions, keeping the process equitable. Avoid the confirmation bias that can creep in during individual phone calls by having all responses available for review by the wider hiring team.  
• Keep your data in a secure, central place. No more handwritten notes or Excel spreadsheets! CharityVillage e-Reference Checks are housed in a secure, central location, allowing for easy sharing with the hiring team. You’ll have everything in one place, ensuring that your records are securely stored and accessible if needed in the future.   

Here’s how it works: 

• Use our extensive question library to customize and create a questionnaire that’s just right for the candidate. 
• The candidate nominates their references and requests them to provide comprehensive details regarding the nature and timeline of their professional interactions. 
• The references receive an invitation with a link to complete the questionnaire. 
• Once the questionnaire is completed, you’ll be notified so you can review the results and share them with your hiring team. 
• Automated reminders are sent to the reference to ensure timely completion of the questionnaire and keep the process on track. 

Our built-in Suspicious Activity Algorithm means you don’t have to worry about any potentially fraudulent activity. The system will provide an alert should there be any suspicious activity, helping you feel empowered to make secure, well-informed hiring decisions. 

An efficient and affordable addition to your hiring process 

CharityVillage is pleased to offer e-Reference Checking at affordable and competitive pricing for the nonprofit sector. Better yet, you’ll only pay as you go and per candidate. That means you pay once for the candidate, and they can nominate as many references as needed at no extra cost. In addition to the raw questionnaire results, you’ll also receive a comprehensive summary that provides a clear, at-a-glance overview of the candidate. 

Ready to get started? 

Special pricing is available for the nonprofit sector through CharityVillage. Contact us today to get started!