Reference Checks for OSU Employment
Before a candidate receives an offer of employment, hiring officials are encouraged to contact the references of finalists to ensure the candidate is the most qualified individual for the position.
OSU is committed to providing a safe and secure environment for the university community in support of its overall mission. Conducting reference checks can help OSU achieve its goal and minimize the risk from negligent hiring practices. Hiring officials may seek reference information from multiple sources such as a candidate’s current employer, former employer(s), colleagues and/or cohorts. References provided or not provided by the candidate are acceptable to contact.
Guidelines
Always practice caution when gathering information on a candidate. In all cases, remain focused on gaining knowledge from a reference source to help determine if the candidate can perform the duties of the position.
Keep in mind that many companies will only share a limited amount of employee information. This restriction is typically a company policy and not a negative reflection of the candidate.
Avoid unreasonable intrusion into areas where individuals have a legitimate expectation of privacy. Relying on a candidates social media profiles to learn more information should also be avoided.
Internal Reference Process
When hiring current or former OSU employees, checking internal references can provide the hiring official with valuable insights for selecting the most qualified individual for the position.
At OSU, we foster a collaborative environment as one employer, where information sharing between departments is allowed and encouraged. This is particularly beneficial when considering a current OSU employee as a finalist for a new role.
In such cases, the recommended process is to notify the candidate of your intention to contact their current supervisor. If the candidate requests this not occur, please contact your Human Resources Consultant for assistance with next steps.
Ideally, the candidate should be allowed to notify their supervisor that they are a finalist and will be contacted as a reference. If the candidate agrees, reach out to the candidate's current supervisor to help determine if the candidate can perform the position's duties.
Contacting the previous supervisor for former OSU employees seeking to return to the university is also essential and valuable. In this instance, it is acceptable to contact internal references that the candidate did not provide.
By following these processes for internal reference checks, we can achieve our goal of making the best hires and minimize the risk of negligent hiring practices.
Providing a Reference
The following reminders are helpful in the event someone is seeking your input as a reference for an individual.
- Before releasing information, obtain written authorization from the individual explicitly allowing you to release his/her information. For an Employee Authorization for Reference Release form, click here.
- In general and with written authorization, the information to share pertains to salary, performance and eligibility for rehire.
- Refer to The Work Number service from Equifax for verification of employment and/or income for OSU/A&M employees. Go to employment verification page for instructions. For questions, please call 405-744-5449.
For more information, reference university policy 3-0712, Human Resource Information Management Systems, and university policy 1-0130, Open Records.