The RHI/Reference Check Model

Unlock references to find leads/prospects

In this issue:

• The obvious benefits of checking references to validate a candidate’s background

• Not everyone will give references - and that’s OK

• Why/how to convert them into leads

There are multiple ways to build a new book of business from scratch, or to expand your current book of biz on top of the existing accounts you have.

So far we’ve covered:

• The basic guide to MPC (my favorite)

• New BD for target accounts

But another effective way to further dive into biz dev is via reference checks.

Yes, they exist, and they work.

I know what you’re thinking. It’s 2024, does anyone check references anymore? Do these even matter?

Well from a candidate perspective, you’re right, less and less clients require references these days.

While I still think references can still sometimes be a good idea for submitting candidates (another topic for another day), we should look at references in a different light:

An opportunity to call leads!

The benefits of checking references as a candidate:

Look, resumes and interviews only give you a snapshot of who someone says they are.

But reference checks?

That’s where the real story comes out. It’s not about trusting what’s on paper—it’s about confirming if the candidate actually delivered, or if they’re just good at self-promotion.

The wrong hire can wreck a team, waste your client’s time, and put a dent in your reputation. And remember, we need to recruit like underwriters to calculate both the risk and the reward.

This quick call can help you spot red flags that don’t show up on LinkedIn or in an interview. It’s about risk management—because at the end of the day, your clients are counting on you to find talent that’ll actually fit, not just fill a seat. So dig deeper, because your reputation is built on making great placements, not just fast ones.

That being said, every single candidate and every single role does not warrant a reference.

On top of that, they should be used as 1. a supplement 2. a tie breaker 3. something that re-enforces a decision you already had and NOT the sole decider.

Candidates are going to cherry pick their references and only pick people that are going to speak positively about them. So checking references can be ultimately flawed because of this.

Wait, I thought references were illegal?

No, but they are def murky waters.

A lot of companies want to avoid a potential legal issue and avoid giving actual references and just confirm dates of employment & titles.

Using Reference Checks For Leads

Even if the manager only wants to discuss dates of employment & titles, that’s fine, because this is still a great opportunity to qualify this manager as a lead.