Ask-an-Author: Policies on Reference Checks
Here’s the second in a series of questions submitted by our readers and answered by volunteerism and risk management expert Linda Graff (read the first post, on Risk Management and the Swine Flu, here).
The Question:
I am continually updating our volunteer policies. I have been researching the pros and cons of doing written reference checks for volunteers. At a workshop I attended a few years ago, a lawyer recommended the written check over a telephone check for some types of volunteer work. I cannot find any documents to support this view. What is your opinion on this matter?
Linda’s Answer:
I favour telephone based reference checks. I detail the reasons in my book, Beyond Police Checks, but briefly, here, my sense is the referees will be incline to be more candid and spontaneous, and divulge more pertinent information verbally by telephone than they would in writing. Take good notes, date and sign them, and keep them on file. If necessary, you might summarize what you’ve heard and ask the referee to sign off that you have accurately reflected their opinion, but that seems excessive in most settings.
