Talent Acquisition

• Check references after you have interviewed a candidate and they become one of your finalists. Checking references before the interview can create false expectations and affect your ability to evaluate the applicant’s qualifications objectively. This includes any University references.
• Advise the candidate that you will be checking references and ask permission to contact their current supervisor and references.
• Professional references should be with a former supervisor or co-worker.
• If you are conducting manual references, the reference form can be emailed.
• Personal questions should not be asked during reference checks.
• All manual reference check forms must be uploaded to the Hiring Proposal in PeopleAdmin.
• If you are unable to connect with a reference, please notate your attempts on the reference check form and upload to the Hiring Proposal.

After an employment applicant has been submitted and an interview conducted, hiring managers should conduct reference checks prior to completing a hiring proposal and extending an offer. It is recommended that a minimum of two (2) reference be completed for the final candidate. References can be automated through PeopleAdmin or done via phone/email.

One reference should be a former/current supervisor. A Recruiter is available to provide guidance to hiring managers seeking additional information.

When considering an internal employee as a final candidate, the internal finalist must inform their current manager of their intent to transfer within UTA. After the current manager has been notified, the hiring manager checking references must reach out to the current manager for a reference.

Employee Transfer Policy (HR-E-PO-16) states that the hiring manager must check three (3) references, one of which must be the employee’s current supervisor. Hiring managers must check with the Sr. HR Business Partner to ensure that the employee does not have any PIPS, or any other concerns that may hinder them from taking a new position. All references for internal employees must be checked prior to extending an offer.

• If a person is an internal, transferring within the same department
  • They do not require reference checks at all for the HP or the post offer process.
  • They do not require a new CBC.
• If a person is an internal, transferring into a different department
  • They will need to have references, one of which needs to be their current supervisor.
  • They will require a CBC if they have not had one within the past 12 months.

All rehires MUST be checked through a Sr. HR Business Partner or Recruiter prior to interviewing for rehire eligibility.

Use the following guidelines when you are conducting all telephone reference checks, whether the candidate is an internal employee or an external applicant:

• Introduce yourself and state the purpose of your call.
• Confirm that it is a convenient time to talk.
• Briefly describe the position for which the applicant has applied.
• Confirm the relationship between the person giving the reference and the applicant.
• Verify basic data such as job title, duties, and dates of employment.

Ask the same questions about all the applicants. Weigh information you receive in the same manner for all applicants; what disqualifies one should be the basis for disqualifying any other.

Consider the source. Remember that the information is limited by the perception of the person giving it. If you receive negative information about an applicant, weigh it with data from other references before using it to make a hiring decision.

Remember, you may not hear from any references. Notate your efforts on your reference check forms and upload those notes to the hiring proposal. While reference checks are not required, we recommend checking references to help with selecting the right candidate for your position.

Having a hiring proposal...

• Connects the job information and posting with the applicant's information and application.
• Allows for Talent Acquisition to ensure that any salary information and/or relocation allowances are within the guidelines set by Compensation.
• Provides documentation of the offer that will be made, which can be essential in case of audits or other administrative needs.
• Ensures that if any issue arises during employment, both the manager and the employee can refer to the hiring proposal documentation to resolve any disagreements.
• Finalizes the hiring process by triggering emails to start the onboarding process and welcome the new employee.

The following documents need to be attached to the hiring proposal.

PROPOSED OFFER LETTER >

Part of the Hiring Proposal includes a draft offer letter. For your convenience, offer letter templates are available for use here.

INTERVIEW NOTES >

Only the interview notes from the selected candidate need to be uploaded to the hiring proposal. If during the interview process an interview matrix or rubric was used. This can be uploaded in lieu of interview notes.

For more detailed information on the interview process, click here.

OPTIONAL >

Any manual reference check forms can be uploaded. A Reference Check template is available here.