Background Check & Reference Check

幾輪麵試之後，如果公司對你有意，並且願意考慮給你offer的時候，他們一般在取得你得同意之後進行Background check和reference check，經常也有人把它們統稱為background check。其實兩者略微不同。

Background check的項目一般包括犯罪記錄，駕駛記錄，信用記錄，可能也會要求candidate去做drug test (查尿樣,血樣, 頭發, 或唾液等等)。Check的項目和公司的要求不同也就有多有少。比如金融公司可能就會規定要檢查candidate的信用記錄，犯罪記錄。很多公司願意用third party來進行background check，因為專業公司的服務對於公司來說更全麵更經濟。

Reference check 的側重點就在於檢查對照candidate在resume和interview中列舉的內容是否屬實。所以千萬不要提供任何不屬實的內容。有統計說大約百分之四十的Resume都有不同程度的“不真實”。事實是即便是candidate拿到了offer，並且開始工作之後，resume或者interview中的“不真實”被發現的話，都可能成為中斷雇用合約的理由。（這並不是說你一定會被解雇，隻是如果你的雇主願意的話，這可以成為一個很好的解雇理由）

什麽樣的人可以做你的reference呢？以前工作的employer，supervisor，工作中的同事，如果你是學生就可以選你的professor, classmate。如果你願意，你的朋友也可以成為你的reference。

最常見的reference應該是以前工作中的employer或者supervisor了。很多公司規定雇員在提供Reference的時候隻能提供非常有限的information，比如beginning and ending employment dates，beginning and ending salary和beginning and ending job title etc。但是你的prospective employer可能問的不隻這些。以下是一些常見的Reference question。

What were the beginning and ending employment dates for this individual?
What was this individual’s beginning and ending salary?
What positions did the individual hold?
Did this individual earn promotions?
What were the individual’s most-recent job duties?
Why did the individual leave your company?
Is there any reason why your company would not rehire this individual?
Would you recommend this individual for a position at another company? Why or why not?
How did this individual’s performance compare to other employees with similar job duties?
In your opinion, what are the individual’s strengths? Weaknesses?
Did this individual get along well with management and peers?
Was this individual a team player?
Was this individual a motivated self-starter?
Did any personal problems affect this individual’s work performance?
Do you think this individual will perform well as a [job title]?
What kind of job is best suited for this individual’s abilities?
How would you describe the individual’s overall performance?
Is there anything of significance you’d like to add?
How would you describe the individual’s leadership, managerial or supervisory skills?
Does the individual communicate well orally and in writing?
How do you rate the individual’s ability to plan short-term? Long-term?
Did the individual make sound and timely decisions?
Did the individual get along well with management, subordinates and peers?
Did the individual plan, administer and make budget well?
How would you describe the individual’s technical skills?
Did the individual demonstrate honesty and integrity?
How well did the individual manage crisis, pressure or stress?
Describe the individual’s ability to attract and counsel top talent.
沒有人知道reference的回答在prospective employer的心目中究竟占據多少分量，作為candidate我們可以做到的就是盡量找可以為你“說好話”的reference。還有一個需要注意的是就像我們interview的時候需要準備一樣，你也要幫助你的reference準備reference check。最糟糕的情況就是你的reference對自己是你的reference這件事毫無所知，突如其然的接到一個電話打聽你的事情，可是怎麽也想不起來你這個人。為了避免這種情況，你可以做的有以下幾件事情：

1．征的同意。在你決定把某人作為你的Reference的之前，征的他/她的同意。

2．事先通知。如果你的Prospective employer和你要了reference, 盡快和你的reference聯係一下，告訴他們也許會有人和他們聯係，告訴他們你申請的是怎樣的工作。這樣你的reference在接到聯係的時候不會措不急防。

3．表達感謝。不管是你拿沒拿到offer，和你的reference聯係一下，報告一下result，表達一下你的感謝之意。這是基本的禮貌。

最後一條非常重要的是如果你是一邊上班一邊找工作的話，最好不要用current supervisor做reference。除非你確信你的supervisor全力支持你換工作，否則，不要冒這個險。