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Reference Checks: The Layup You Can’t Afford to Miss

Don't skip reference checks, Amazon's RTO policy, and Snap's new AI focused Spectacles

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The Deputy
September 19, 2024

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In today’s email:

  • Job News: Reference Checks: The Layup You Can’t Afford to Miss

  • Overheard at coffee: Want to Lay People Off Without the Drama? Just Call Them Back to the Office.

  • Trending AI News: Snap’s $1188 new 5th Generation spectacles

  • Hot Jobs: (keep scrolling down ⬇️)

  • Recruiting Fails: Family Business Drama? Just Ask the Murdochs. ❌

Job News

Reference Checks: The Layup You Can’t Afford to Miss

We all know the drill. By the time you’re getting ready for reference checks, the job offer feels like a layup—easy, straightforward, practically a done deal. But just like with a real layup, you still have to make the shot. Miss it, and you’re not getting those two easy points. The same goes for reference checks: skip them, and you might end up missing out on more than just a great hire.

Think of it like this: you’ve probably driven three miles to the grocery store without your seatbelt on and nothing happened, right? But there’s always that one time when something goes wrong—and that seatbelt would’ve saved you. Reference checks are your seatbelt. Most times, things will go smoothly, but the moment you skip them? That’s when things blow up.

"We Don’t Need Reference Checks, They’ll Just Say Good Things"

Every recruiter hears it: "Oh, we don’t need to check references. They’ll only give people who say great things about them." That logic is like thinking you don’t need a seatbelt because you’re a careful driver. Sure, the candidate may give references that sing their praises, but what about the things they aren’t saying? That's where you can uncover the red flags.

How to Do It Right:

1. Go Beyond the Basics.

   Yes, talk to their former bosses and teammates. But here’s the twist—ask to speak with people they might’ve had some conflict with. If you're hiring for sales, don’t just ask other salespeople. Get marketing’s opinion on them. Cross-functional feedback will give you a 360-degree view.

2. Be Transparent.  

   Don’t sneak around with backchannel reference checks. Be open. Tell them upfront that you’ll be asking for references and that you know people at their previous company. You’d be surprised how much a candidate will disclose when they know you’ve got connections. If there’s something shady in their past, they might just own up to it before you even have to ask.

3. Don’t Outsource It.  

   If you’re the hiring manager, you should be the one making those calls. Too many times, this step gets passed off to HR, recruiters, or even an automated system. Look, this is your team. You’re the one who’s going to be working with this person, so take the time to ask the right questions and get a feel for them.

What to Ask?

There’s no shortage of questions you can ask—performance, work style, how they handle pressure, whether people liked working with them. Just remember to steer clear of illegal questions (yes, we’re talking about age, religion, family status, and all that). It’s about the work, the results, and the fit.

Need some help? Glassdoor’s got a solid list of questions to ask during reference checks. The bottom line is simple: don’t skip this step. You might get away with it once or twice, but the one time you don’t, it could turn into your biggest hiring mistake.

Overheard at coffee ☕️

Want to Lay People Off Without the Drama? Just Call Them Back to the Office.

If you're looking for a surefire way to trim your workforce without the theatrics, here’s a pro tip: tell everyone to come back to the office. It’s basically what Amazon just did. Starting January 2025, Amazon employees will be reporting to the office Monday through Friday—like it's 2019 all over again.

For managers, HR reps, or investors watching office policies as a performance indicator, don’t waste your time getting lost in the endless debates. There's enough data on every side to make your head spin.

Take Stanford’s Nicholas Bloom, for example. He’s got research showing that hybrid work is a win-win, boosting engagement, lowering turnover, and keeping productivity on par with in-office setups. On the flip side, the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business has data that says remote workers are 20% less productive. 

So, which is it? The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle, but here’s the bottom line: from a recruiting standpoint, hybrid is the sweet spot. It’s easier to get candidates to bite on a hybrid offer than going fully remote or fully in-office. Why? Because people want flexibility, but they also want structure.

Our advice? Hire adults. Be crystal clear on expectations, and if you need to stare at someone in front of a screen to ensure they’re working, you’re doing management wrong. Productivity doesn’t come from micromanaging; it comes from trusting people to do their jobs—whether they’re in the office or at home.

🚀  Snap just released its fifth generation Spectacles featuring a suite of cameras and sensors, enabling multi-modal AI, contextual understanding and apparently they are comfortable to wear, lightweight and compact. But here’s the catch: only developers can buy them and they cost $1,188.

🔥 Hot Jobs - $1K Referral Fee

Recruiting Fails: If you’ve ever worked in or recruited for a family business, you know it comes with a healthy dose of dysfunction. And if you think money is the solution to those problems, just look at the Murdoch family saga.

Rupert Murdoch, the 93-year-old media mogul, is currently battling his own adult children over the future of Fox News. Yes, the Fox News. Murdoch wants his son Lachlan (53) to take over, but his other three kids—Prudence, Elisabeth, and James—aren’t so keen on letting him have all the control. Everyone’s fighting for their slice of the pie, and Fox News’ viewership is reportedly shrinking in the background.

Now, imagine being the recruiter tasked with finding candidates for a company tangled up in this kind of family drama. At Ramp Talent, we’ve worked with a few family-run businesses, and there’s always that one black sheep getting the short end of the stick. It’s messy, it’s complicated, and it’s never dull.

Family business or not, navigating these dynamics requires more than just talent—you need someone who knows how to handle the internal politics and drama. Because in these environments, the job description is just the tip of the iceberg.

Do you have recruiting Fail Stories? Reply with your epic fails – we'll feature them. Own your blunders, embrace vulnerability, and let's all level up together.

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