Without proper reference checking, the whole screening process of candidates for a
potential job can be jeopardized. This is according to Nritika Singh, MD of Isilumko
Staffing, a national recruitment company, which offers temporary, flexible and
permanent staff.
Singh advises,' The checking of bona fide references, including
academic/educational records, is an important part of the screening process of job
candidates. It is fundamental to other services we offer. Incorrect or falsified
information can lead to the risk of loss of business and of the client?s faith in our
ability to provide suitable staff for them.
"The past record of behaviour of a candidate will tell you what to expect in any
new work environment. People are creatures of habit and if an employee has not
performed in certain areas, or has misbehaved, this behaviour pattern is likely to
continue. It is however a challenge to get reliable references from previous
employers, as they may not wish to divulge any negative details which could
compromise the candidate?s chances of a new job. Are you speaking to the correct
person? You need to ensure that you are calling the actual person on the reference
list, not a friend or sympathetic colleague. Rather call the company directly on a
landline (not a cellular phone) where the person is or was employed and find out who
their manager/superior was.
"Find out the referees? position in the company, his/her relationship to the
candidate and who else they reported to. Confirm material information such as dates
of employment, positions held, achievements, competence, why they left etc. But be
careful to obtain the candidate?s consent to contact their current employer as
candidates sometimes want their move kept under wraps and don?t want to
jeopardize an existing position. Contact a previous employer in this case or perhaps
someone appropriate in the organization who has been taken into the candidate?s
confidence on their move'
As part of the reference checking procedure it is essential to do a criminal record
check through the SAPS automated record system. Singh says that their company
has the finger printing machines at their offices and trained consultants that can
pass on this vital information, for verification of any convictions on the SAPS national
database. It takes 2/3 days for a provisional indication and a further 6-8 weeks for
any possible convictions to be confirmed with conviction particulars. If an offence
has been committed, clients are notified and depending on its severity, it could
affect the recommendation of a candidate to a client.
Singh adds that a check also needs to be done on any possible civil judgments
there may be against a candidate. These cover a wide variety of offences such as
failing to meet mortgage bond repayments, defaulting on HP payments, student and
other loans etc. Potential employees in a position of trust need to have a clean
record. It is a huge challenge in South Africa as many people possess negative civil
judgement data against their records and this often creates a barrier to certain
positions particularly in the financial services industry.
Fortunately, we find that more and more clients are prepared to assess the
individual circumstances and adopt a flexible approach, based on candidates
providing suitable explanations (like a retrenchment) or taking responsibility to repay
debts and providing proof of this.
Singh concludes, "Amendments to the recently promulgated National Credit Act,
especially Section 71A of the Act of 2005, could prove a challenge during the credit
checking process. In essence the amendment states that there should be an
automatic removal of all adverse credit information, once the consumer has settled
any outstanding debts. The credit provider has to submit to all registered credit
bureaux within 7 days, proof that the consumer has paid. This could mean that
accessing previous credit records could be prejudiced and could lead to unintended
consequences during the screening process, where a pattern of behavior is not
uncovered.'
For more information call 011 267 2920 or go to our website:
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