Hiring someone to fill an open staff position in your healthcare organization requires a thorough background check. After all these individuals will work closely with patients, some who are very vulnerable. Conducting reference checks for potential new hires is a time-consuming task but an important and vital part of your due diligence that keeps your patients and staff safe and your organization’s reputation and liability ion check.
When recruiting for your healthcare organization it may be easy to count on your own judgment and intuition when it comes to reference checks but failure to verify your candidates’ references is absolutely the wrong move. In fact a candidate may look excellent on paper, present themselves as articulate and professional in an interview and, well, charm the socks off of you from the minute you shake hands.
However, to really understand a candidate as a potential employee you need to contact those references and find out what they are really like in a day-to-day workplace environment. Here we offer 5 best practices for conducting reference checks for healthcare positions.
5 Best Practices for Conducting Reference Checks for Healthcare Positions
It’s important to note that while defamation laws may cause former employers to keep some of the more harsh opinions to themselves, federal law in no way restricts information these prior bosses may disclose. Therefore contacting former employment references may provide insight you could otherwise miss.
1. Approach Reference-Checking with Positivity
First and foremost this isn’t a “witch hunt”. You’re simply trying to solicit information that pertains to a candidate’s employment. The old adage “you catch more flies with honey than vinegar” certainly applies. If you’re friendly and engaging people are more apt to provide the insight you’re looking for.
2. What is The Reference-Candidate Relationship?
The type of questions you ask and the information you obtain depends on the relationship the candidate has/had with their reference. Sometimes they simply provide a name and contact information. If that’s the case you need to begin your conversation by asking how they know one another. If the relationship was professional you’ll likely gain more insight into whether or not the potential new hire is a good fit within your healthcare organization. If the relationship is of a more personal/friendly nature then any insight may not correspond with the actual healthcare position.
3. Focus on Patient Care
The individual on whom you’re checking may be a joy to work with and truly care but lack the professional skills necessary to your staff position. Ask about their patient care. What sort of feedback did the reference receive, if any, from patients in your candidate’s care?
4. Address Your Specific Concerns
If you’ve already held your face-to-face interview you may have a few concerns based on that interaction. Conducting reference checks affords you the opportunity to ask about specifics as they relate to the position. Ask about any shortcomings you may have perceived during the interview. If there was any hesitation from your candidate in addressing responsibilities of the staff position, ask the reference for clarity.
5. Conduct Reference Checks After Your Offer is Extended and Accepted
Make the hire contingent upon how the reference and background checks turn out. This saves your time and energy and also protects the candidate from having their current employer find out they are interviewing. Once the candidate’s references come back in a favorable light you are good to proceed with the hire.
Before You Begin Conducting Reference Checks
BOS Medical Staffing helps you find the right candidate for your open healthcare positions. Before conducting another reference check please contact BOS medical staffing. We’re here for you.
