The Importance of References

Do you check references when you hire a new employee or before you give a Purchase Order to a new vendor? Checking references is an important part of the process of making a good decision. Ask the potential candidate or new vendor to give you names and phone numbers of individuals you can speak with about them.

Before you place your first call, make up a short list of questions to ask. Keep them short and to the point. Remember that the person you are speaking with is busy and doing a favor by taking the time to talk to you, so be prepared and be brief. But don’t forget to ask the most important question of all. If it is for a potential employee, ask the reference if they would hire them (or hire them back). If it is for a new vendor, ask if they recommend you to do business with the firm.

The best result of checking references is that it will confirm your decision to hire the employee or use the new vendor. But just as important, if you get a reference that speaks poorly about the individual or company, then steer clear and look elsewhere.

The author, Marge Bonura, is the Director of Sales & Marketing for New England Machinery, Inc. (NEM). NEM is a leading packaging machinery manufacturer of bottle unscramblers, cappers, orienters, retorquers, lidders, pluggers, pump sorter/placers, scoop feeders, hopper elevators and much more. The company has been in business since 1974 selling to the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, personal care, chemical, household products, automotive and other industries. For more information on NEM, visit their website at www.neminc.com.