First, what exactly is backdoor referencing? Some people call it a “backchannel” reference, but that’s just an unfortunate misnomer. We already know that references provided by candidates tend to be skewed positive, and that’s not always particularly helpful to the person trying to decide if a candidate is the right fit.
So how do you get a more balanced picture of what this person is actually like in the workplace? Scour your company’s network (both internal and external) for other people who have worked with this person, then reach out to these people and see what they have to say. Chances are, you’ll get a broader range of feedback. This feedback can be helpful to gain more context about the candidate but also help you to speed up your hiring process. Think of backchannel references as a gut check, it should be a quick thumbs up or thumbs down to help you decide whether to prioritize a candidate in the process.
Is they even legal? Most of the time, yes. Is it ethical? Depends who you ask, but we’re not here to debate that. However, if you want to stay out of trouble, there are a few caveats you should consider before hopping on LinkedIn.
Before you backchannel, consider these things: You could get into legal trouble. “Backchannel” does not mean “exempt from the law.”
You need written consent to perform any type of reference check, backchannel or otherwise. That being said, if the candidate confirms that you’re allowed to check their references, you are within your rights to do so through any method you want to. The only exception would be if the candidate specifically states that they don’t want you to use any sources other than the ones they’ve provided to you. You might be putting the candidate’s current job at risk. If you’re not careful, there’s a chance that your clandestine reference checking will tip off the candidate’s current employer that they’re on the hunt for a new job. If that happens, you could end up damaging their professional relationships, or even getting them fired. You might be getting a one-sided account. Typically, people will provide a candid backchannel reference only if they’re promised that it will stay anonymous and confidential. This means that you might not be able to get all sides of the story since the conversation “never happened”.
The point of seeking out other references about a candidate is to help you gather qualitative feedback to speed up your hiring process and make better hires. That being said, conducting a rigorous back door reference process can be quite cumbersome and the work might always be worth the reward. Here are a couple ways to think about backcdoor references to avoid reference hunting burn out:
Our mission is to build powerful referral programs by connecting people through their network. Someone already knows your next great hire, we want to help you find them.
At Drafted, we believe that your company network is your biggest competitive advantage when it comes to building best-in-class referral programs. By using the power of your company network, we make it easy for you to leverage referrals to find and hire the best candidates. Companies that use Drafted to build their referral programs 2x their employee referrals and diversify their talent pool through community referrals.