Manual reference checking is a significant time, cost and productivity drag for HR teams and recruiters alike. But some still hold on to it for one reason: talking to referees can be a way to build connections, potentially turning them into candidates for future roles.
In today’s candidate-short market, this approach may appear more attractive. In recent months, we’ve seen vacancies peak and candidate numbers plummet, so it makes sense that recruiters and HR teams are looking for ways to increase their reach.
So, you make the call, complete the reference check, and ask the referee if they are thinking about a new role. Just like that, you’ve found yourself a great off-market candidate, right? But we all know things rarely go that smoothly.
Firstly, you must get the referee on the phone and secondly, catch them with the time and the right frame of mind to give a quality reference and discuss other opportunities. We all know the reality… referee phone tag can go on for weeks. And even when you do get a referee on the phone, they are often preoccupied; between meetings, keen to finish up and get home, right in the middle of a project…whatever it is, they aren’t sitting around waiting for your call.
This is one of the areas where Referoo is a real game-changer. Our innovative candidate pool feature enables you to ask referees if they are interested in other roles, captures that information in your system and notifies you that you have a new candidate opportunity. Best of all, it’s available to all Referoo subscribers at no additional cost.
But it’s more than simply asking the question – it’s doing so at the right time.
With Referoo, referees’ complete references at a time and place that suits them – not just whenever they pick up your call. This has a proven track record of delivering high quality references, but it also provides you with a unique opportunity; to ask them about their own career moves at a time when you have their full attention.
This gives you access to a talent pool that may be largely untapped as many of these candidates won’t have started actively looking. In fact, your question might have been the prompt for them to realise it’s time for a move, so they are entirely off-market talent and there is a fantastic opportunity to be the first opportunity they consider.
And with around 600 Referoo referees indicating that they are interested in job opportunities each month – it’s an excellent edge in a tough market. With Referoo, you’ll benefit from higher quality references and faster turnaround time, while also building your candidate pool.
Put yourself in the best position to capture new talent before they talk to the competition.
Start your 14-day free trial here or contact the team to discuss your specific requirements.
