"What were you thinking?"  (kidding...)

Organizational video tape: You ask for references - the candidate gives you a list of names.  

Put it on pause.  Stop now and take a look around...

Review point #1 - always ask the candidate to list the "relationship" across all references.  You need the context, right?

Review point #2 - if you don't have someone who the candidate has worked for in the past, go back to them and ask for that reference.

In fact, don't be afraid to ask for at least one manager they've worked for in every company that they've been a part of.  No one expects those relationships to be perfect, and a good reference check asks for the high points - and also attempts to explore the low points. 

So what are the top four things you should ask a reference who has managed the candidate in the past?  We're offering up the following four points for your consideration.  We know you're going to ask the manager to rate the performance and throw some other traditional questions around, along with some softball questions.  Don't stop with those - get more specifics on the positive and the negative virtues of your candidate by serving these gems up:

Asking for positive information:

1. Ask the manager what this person delivered in the role that no one else could.  You're not asking for strengths and weaknesses, you're asking them for one item that truly makes them unique in the role they were in.  Even employees whom the manager fired have incredible strengths at times.  What you should be thinking as you get the answer to this question - is that strength something you can leverage in the role you're thinking about putting them into?  Hmm...

 2. Ask the manager how this candidate made the team members he worked with directly better in their jobs.  Does the candidate actually help others be better or does he have to be isolated from people in order for it to work?  All things being equal, you want folks who can play nice in the sandbox - and make others better by being there.

Asking for negative information:

3.  What's one example of a job/work situation you would never put this person in?  This question is asking for negative information without coloring the question in a way where the manager feels like they're costing the former employee the job.  You're not asking for info that says the candidate is a bad person, you just want to know what type of role or situation would be very dissatisfying to them (wink, wink).  Then you think about the role you're putting them into and contrast whether they're going to see that situation a lot in your company.

4.  We like to think about team dynamics at our company, and there's always bad combinations for any employee.  What type of co-worker would you avoid pairing this candidate with and why?  Again, asking for negative info without it seeming like an "all bad" or "all good" scenario.  Contrast what you get vs.  the team you're going to plug the candidate into, and you've got good data to analyze from the references.

The point?  Make sure you have managers from the candidate's past in the mix, then don't be afraid to ask questions that are the GPS equivalent of street view.  Go for the gnarly specifics, but do it in a way that doesn't feel like you're asking the former manager for a complete thumbs up/thumbs down, and you'll have your best shot at data that matters.

Good luck.  Take the flashlight in case interrogation is necessary.