Recruitment Best Practice

It is surprising how many times when Primary Employers Tasmania is dealing with a problem employee that the employer has not checked on the employee before actually signing them up. Though there is a shortage of labour and many employers are desperate to employ someone it is often more trouble than it is worth to take on the wrong employee.

Reference checking is a process employers use to verify a candidate’s background, qualifications, and suitability for a role by contacting previous employers, supervisors, or other professional contacts. It's typically conducted after an interview and before a job offer is finalised.

The purpose of the reference checking is to confirm accuracy of the resume (e.g. job titles, dates of employment, responsibilities), find out about the applicant’s work ethic, reliability, and interpersonal skills, verify the reasons for leaving previous roles, and importantly, assess the cultural fit and potential red flags.

So what sort of questions should you ask when reference checking an applicant for a position on your farm? Typical reference check questions are:

• What was the candidate’s role and key responsibilities?

• How long did they work with your company?

• What were their strengths and areas for improvement?

• How did they handle deadlines and pressure?

• Were they a team player?

• Would you rehire them? Why or why not?

At the end of the day the new employer does have a period of time in which to assess the new employee through a probation period set out in the contract or the statutory period of up to 12 months whereby a new employee cannot claim unfair dismissal if they are terminated.

Always ensure that you provide a written contract of employment for the employee to sign before starting to avoid confusion as to the terms of employment.