Research from SHRM shows that 96 percent of human resources professionals check references, yet less than 25 percent of those checks are able to produce adequate information beyond employment verification. What happened to reference-checking? This session will examine where the reference-checking function has come from in the past — when it was a formality that was checked off and completed over the phone — to its evolution now as an opportunity to collect 360-degree feedback that predicts performance and retention. Learn how technology has introduced a way for talent acquisition professionals to capture behavioral feedback from five references in two days for each job candidate, and how to avoid the 5 to 8 percent of candidates who score low with references. Also, see an overview of how this technology infuses consistency, reliability and validity into each reference check and obtains scores that identify developmental needs of candidates. What will participants learn? How to improve quality-of-hire by avoiding 10 to 15 percent of candidates who score low with references. How to capture behavioral feedback from five references in two days for each candidate. How to infuse compliance, consistency, reliability and validity into each reference check. How to identify developmental needs of each candidate. How to provide information to hiring managers that influences decisions.

1. The Evolution of Reference Checking into a Strategic Hiring
Solution
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2. The Evolution of Reference Checking into a
Strategic Hiring Solution
Speaker: Brian Gilbert
Director of Business Development
SkillSurvey
Moderator: Deanna Hartley
Senior Editor
Talent Management magazine
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6. The Evolution of Reference Checking into a
Strategic Hiring Solution
Deanna Hartley
Senior Editor
Talent Management magazine
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7. The Evolution of Reference Checking into a
Strategic Hiring Solution
Brian Gilbert
Director of Business Development
SkillSurvey
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8. The Evolution of Reference Checking to a
Strategic Hiring Tool
SkillSurvey Pre‐Hire 360™
Revolutionized Assessments for Business

9. The History of a Reference Check
• Historically
– One of the most important steps
– Hiring managers talked to previous managers
• How are they day to day?
• Nuances?
• What challenges do they have and what can I do to make them A+ players?
• Actionable Information
– Will it help make a decision?
– Will it screen out or have candidate rise to the top?
– Will this information help this person succeed?
– Will this information predict behavior?

10. History of Reference Checking Effectiveness
Can we make it
relevant again?
Actionable Should it be?
Information
1970’s 1980’s 1990’s 2000 2010
Reference Checking Past 40 Years

11. The Lawyers Get Involved
• The 1990’s and the new millennium
– Legal issues arise
– HR cracks down and bans reference checking
– Outsource the process – check the box
– Or worse – stop doing it
– If you do try and reference check:
• Countless hours of phone mail tag, email tag, phone mail tag
• Weeks and weeks of time
– All for no actionable information

12. What is the Problem?
• Most candidates do a nice job presenting themselves during
interviews
– All are team players
– All show up for work and don’t text, sit on Facebook all day
– Most are ethical and always do the right thing
• Most candidates are well rehearsed in the question/response mode
– Books, job seeker sites
– Experience interviewing all the time
• Your only view today is from the candidate’s perspective
– Really need a true 360 review from those who saw the behavior in the past

13. Impact of a Bad Hire
• Bad Hire has an impact
• Various by organization and by job role
– Hard dollar cost – base salary, benefits, on board training, exit costs
– Internal team turmoil
– Customer satisfaction
– Compliance (Finance – SOX issues and the Fed’s)
• For sales roles
– Cost of lost revenue
– Asset is time – time is lost forever
• For clinical roles
– HCAHPS and reimbursements

14. Can You Guess What This Number Represents?
$23,160,000

15. Let’s Look at the Statistics
• 2011 – SkillSurvey Customers had 3,500 + sales candidates
• Evaluate competencies and behaviors
• Scientific and predictive
• 11 % or 386 candidates were high risk and potentially avoided
• If you took average cost per sales $60,000 x 386 candidates =

16. Stats Speak for Themselves
$23,160,000

17. From Candidate Perspective – Today’s Approach
Phone interview I’m a Team Player
Recruiter Face to Face Candidate
I interview well
I’m terrific
Resume
Personality / Behavior I work really hard, weekends
Assessments too!

18. From Reference Perspective – Today’s Approach
Phone interview
She’ a Team Player
Recruiter Face to Face Reference
She works hard
Resume She’s terrific
Personality / Behavior
Assessments I would hire her again, yes!

19. A New Perspective – The New Paradigm
Phone interview
Work Ethic
Face to Face Dependability Integrity
Recruiter
Resume
Teamwork Personality
References
Personality / Behavior Interpersonal Skills
Assessments

20. Comparison
Online Solution Typical Phone Check
More references 5+ business references 2 to 3
50% of which are former or
current Supervisors
Faster 1 to 2 days 5 to 10 days
Guide Hiring Managers Previous managers assisting in No
leading interview
Pauses a hiring decision 5% ‐ 10% of candidates < 1% of candidates?
Passive sourcing tools 5 references per candidate – Not Applicable
warm leads
Compliant/Legal Risk Supports compliance with EEOC Uncertain/Inconsistent
and OFCCP

21. Why You and a Better Process?
• Improve
– Quality of Hire
– Hiring Manager’s Interview Effectiveness
– Efficiency
– Passive Sourcing
• Drive
– Compliance and Consistency
• Elevate Recruitment’s Role

22. Improve Quality of Hire
SkillSurvey References Perceive That 10-15 % or more of
Candidates Have Great Developmental Need
5-10 % Avoidable, High Risk Candidates =
Great
Developmental Need
10‐15 % Coachable, Moderate Risk Candidates
Moderate = Interview and on‐boarding assistance
80-85 %
Minimal
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Percent

23. Improve Hiring Manager’s Interview Effectiveness
• Lack of consistency for hiring managers
• Managers looking for differences in candidates
• Probing questions driven by previous managers’ comments

24. Low Scores Guide Targeted Questions

25. Improve Efficiency – Time and Money
Screen to top 3 candidates
Recruiters Source Candidates

26. Exclusive Case Study: Improved Efficiency – Time and Money
• Improve efficiency – time and money
• Six Sigma
From 60 work weeks to 4.8
Solution resulted in a 92% Reduction in Time Spent reference checking
60
50
Work weeks to
reference check 40
2,272 job 30
candidates 20
10
0
Telephone SkillSurvey

27. Passive Sourcing by the Numbers
Talent Pipeline and Funnel
• Multiplier Effect Based on
100 300 1,500
Number of Candidates Screened
Job opening Candidate Reference • Builds Automatically
s s
Industry Professionals with Whom
To Network and Source
• “Great People Know Great
People”
• “Warm Lead” vs. “Cold Lead”
An organization 3 candidates 3 candidates 65% of the 1,500 contacts opt in to learn about future
1 2 3 4
has 100 job apply on average SkillSurveyed and career opportunities. 1,500 x .35 = 525 + passive
openings for each job = 300 provide 5 references candidates
candidates each = 1,500 potential
contacts

28. Risk and Compliance Management
Science Compliance Risk

29. Increase Compliance and Consistency
• It is all about the science ‐ Validity of survey questions
– Do the questions validate what you are actually asking?
– Do the questions help predict future behavior?
– Are the questions being asked in a way that reduces risk?
• Sample question – What high school did you go to?
• SkillSurvey reference feedback shows no differences
between sub‐groups
– Helps support your efforts to remain EEOC and OFCCP
compliant
• Standardized process

30. Why You and a Better Process?
• Clear ROI for Finance and Budgets
– Quality of Hire
– Turnover
– Efficiency
– Passive Sourcing
• Elevate Recruitment’s Role

31. 1 minute
5 minutes
2 seconds
10 minutes

32. Survey Availability
Job Level ► Entry- Hourly Clerical Professional Supervisor Manager Executive
▼Job Family Level
General
Production
Sales
Marketing
IT
Operations
Customer
Service
R&D
Admin
Finance
Legal
HR
Engineering
Education
Healthcare

33. Step 1: Enter Candidate Data

34. Step 1a: Select Survey
Send email
to candidate

35. Sample Libraries: Finance

36. Other Libraries: IT

37. Other Libraries: Customer Service

38. Other Libraries: Healthcare

39. Step 1a: Select Survey
Send email
to candidate

40. Step 2: Candidate Enters References
From: Your Company Name Recruiting Automated Email From
Sent: Thursday, June 6, 2011
To: Patrick T Recruiter to Candidate
Subject: Your Company Name Selection Process Information Explaining the Process
Dear Patrick T,
Thank you for your continued interest in the Major Account Sales position with your co name. As already
explained to you, a critical step in the selection process is reference checking. org name uses web-based
reference checking for this purpose.
Please click on the link below. It will open a web page where you will input your reference. You will also
be able to review a sample of the questions being asked and the email that will be sent to your
references. Your references will be emailed a reference survey and their responses will be submitted
directly back to SkillSurvey. No one will see your references' individual responses because all responses
are electronically aggregated together to produce one summary report.
Note that all references will be responding as individuals, not as representatives of any company or
organization.
Please click on the following link (URL) to begin: http://eref.skillsurvey.com//CandidateUtilities/EOC.aspx?

41. Step 2c: Candidate Confirms References and Signs Legal Waiver
Proof of Consent
“…I hereby release any such
person, their company, and any
affiliated officers, directors,
agents, and employees from any
and all claims I may have arising
out of the disclosure of such
information…”

42. The Surveys: Job‐Specific, Behaviorally‐Based Questions

43. Job‐Specific, Behaviorally‐Based
Would you like to learn more about job openings at Your Co name?

44. Drive Warm Candidates to Career Page

45. Step 4: Aggregate Reference Responses into Actionable Intel

46. Validated Candidate – Good Fit

47. Validated Candidate – Good Fit

48. Pause or Avoid this Candidate – Low Scoring

49. Professionalism

50. Interpersonal Skills

51. Patient Satisfaction ‐ HCAHPS

52. Verbatim Comments

53. Verbatim Comments

54. Passive Candidate Database

55. Why You and a Better Process?
• Clear ROI for Finance and Budgets
– Quality of Hire
– Turnover
– Efficiency
– Passive Sourcing
• Quickly Implement and Easy “Win” for HR
• Elevate Recruitment’s Role in the Organization

56. About Us: SkillSurvey
• 400,000 + Candidates in 2012 – 60% + Increase
– Candidates in 2011 – 247,000+
– Almost 1,500,000 people experienced the SkillSurvey process
• 600+ customers
• 290+ surveys in current inventory
– Cynthia Hedricks, PhD, Chief Analytics Officer
– 68 Surveys for Healthcare, 18 Surveys for IT roles, 12 for Sales roles, 9 for
Customer Service roles, 19 for Finance roles
• Inventor of web‐based reference checking with a patent pending

57. Sample Clients
Financial Services & Healthcare Gov, Non-Prof & Edu Services & IT Pharma & Medical
Insurance
Engineering & Consumer Products & Energy & Utilities HR Related Manufacturing
Construction Retail

58. Contact SkillSurvey
www.skillsurvey.com
Brian Gilbert, Director of Business Development
bgilbert@skillsurvey.com
610‐947‐6300 x 1256

59. Questions and Answers
Brian Gilbert
Director of Business Development
SkillSurvey
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