The big challenge in recruiting is getting high quality information so that one can accurately match a candidate to a job. One potentially underutilized source of good information is references. Most companies use reference checking towards the end of the recruiting process and often it’s mainly to ensure there isn’t some derailer they’ve overlooked. Even this limited use of references is sometimes derided because people are loath to give anything but praise when asked for a reference.
However, one can also imagine that a number of serious conversations with people who had worked with the candidate before could be a fabulous source of insight. In fact, it could be such a good source of insight that you’d like to use it as a screening tool before deciding who to bring into an interview.
The biggest barrier to interviewing references early in the process is that it is labor intensive. Since interviewing will be a non-starter, we need to use questionnaires, and we need to be able to automate their use. That is what Day 100 does. If they are able to frame questions in a way that truly distinguishes good candidates from poor ones, then this will be a useful new tool for recruiters.
Note to my readers: I’m always interested in innovative firms that signal where HR is heading. I love these firms that are striving to make a difference, but many are startups and a mention does not necessarily mean they’ll be right for you.
