Thread by @ryantakesoff

At Bolt we've done 10,000+ reference checks.

Crazy right?

Not really. We’ve found them to be the most powerful tool in our talent arsenal.

Here’s the playbook on how to do an A+ reference check 👇👇👇

Why are references important? 3 reasons:

1. Evaluation: It provides us with critical information
2. Alignment: It creates a tighter hiring process
3. Communication: It gets the candidate excited about the company

#3 is counterintuitive. Here’s what I mean:

Depth of a reference call makes all the difference.

A simple checklist of questions? Annoying, bland, cumbersome.

Thoughtful two way questions? Candidates step back and say “Wow. If the company cares about me this much now, imagine when I’m there.”

This is big.

One important note before we dive in.

For every hire, ask for 3 references.
1. Someone they reported to
2. A peer
3. Someone they managed

This will give you a 360 degree view of the candidate.

Ok, now onto the script:

Question 1: What is your professional relationship with <candidate>?

What has <candidate> told you about Bolt and the opportunity?

Then give them some background info about the company.

This breaks the ice and subtly get this person excited about your company.

Here’s a secret:

If this person is a reference for someone you want to hire, chances are that they’re likely a pretty strong candidate themselves!

They’ll also likely speak to the candidate afterwards.

Crushing the casual pitch can help you nail 2 birds with one stone.

Q 2: Tell me what it’s like to work with <candidate>.

You can get a lot of information from an open-ended question like this. So, instead of diving right into specific questions, stay vague.

Let the reference speak to hear maximum information.

Q 3/4: Over the course of your career, how many <role name> have you worked with who have comparable experience? How would you rank <candidate name> amongst those people?

Try to get specific numbers.

Another secret: I’ve NEVER heard someone say the “Bottom 50%”. Everyone is always “in the top”.

Mathematically that obviously can’t be true.

Dig in to figure out how “top” they are - are we talking Top 50%, Top 10%, Top 1%?

There’s a big difference between those answers.

Q 5/6: What sets them apart in the top 10% and not in the bottom 90%? What sets apart those who are in the top 5% vs them in the top 10%?

This is basically the same way of asking about strengths and weaknesses, but with real data points. It will lead to better answers.

Q 7: If I were reading their peer reviews, what is an area of improvement that I might uncover?

This is yet another way to ask about areas of improvement.

It is safer because this person is clearly a trusted friend.

Asking about peers allows them to put their identity aside.

Q 8-12: How well did <candidate> get along with their co-workers and management?

What kind of personalities did they work well with?

On a scale from 1-5 how coachable are they? Why did you give them that score?

While you worked with them, where did you see the most growth?

These are pretty straightforward but important questions.

Coachability and ability to work well with others is so key.

Always make sure to ask about this essential trait.

Q 13: If <candidate name> were to join us, how would we best set them up for success in the first 90 days?

If you’re doing references on a candidate, you might as well prepare yourself for what comes next: managing the person.

If you're looking to get advice on how to manage and onboard someone new,

The best person to ask is someone who has just worked with them.

And that's who you're on a call with!

This question ends up being one of the most valuable we ask.

Q 11: What is something you haven’t told me that you think we should know?

Alt: What is a question that you think I should ask that I haven’t asked

We started open-ended and like to end open-ended.

And, that’s it!

If you do reference checks this way, WOW are they powerful.

The person you spoke with will be blown away with your level of thoughtfulness.

And you’ll come away with a 10X more accurate picture of the candidate you’re considering.

If you liked this thread, give me a follow at @ryantakesoff.

I routinely share my learnings building multiple billion dollar companies with Twitterverse.

Let’s take off together! 🚀